Swiss Chard - Large Ribbed Dark Green

Large Ribbed Dark Green Swiss Chard - This chard is as mild as spinach and is more heat resistant than many other greens. They can be used fresh in a salad or cooked like spinach. If you wish, thinned plants can be used as fresh greens. Planting tips: Sow in open ground as soon as the ground can be worked. Chard prefers full sun. Soaking the seeds in water 24 hours before planting will speed up the germination process. Thin when plants are a few inches tall. Control weeds with mulch. Prefers sun to partial shade. If planting in a container, use a 12” container or larger. If you want to keep the plants small and harvest while the stems are small, plant about 6 to 9 inches apart and harvest when the stems are about 4” in height. For larger stems, plants can be planted 9 to 12 inches apart. Seed Depth - 1/2”, Seed Spacing - 2”, Days to Germination - 7-10, Plant Spacing - 4-8”, Row Spacing - 18”, Plant Height - 22”. When harvesting, leave about 1 ½ to 2 inches of stem above the growing tip to promote more leaf growth for an extended harvest.

Saving Seeds: This plant will not set seeds until the second year of growth. Seeds change from green to tan/brown in color as they mature. Harvest when ⅔ of the seeds on a plant are mature. Cut or pull plants and move them inside to dry. Dry seeds for 7-14 days. Run a hand along dried stalks to dislodge seeds. Run seeds through a fine sieve and store in a cool, dry place for up to 5 years.