Heirloom chard is a leafy vegetable that makes a good alternative to spinach. Growing heirloom chard can be easier than growing spinach as it is better able to withstand higher/lower temperatures and droughts. As well as its value as a food crop Swiss Chard also has a very striking value as an ornamental plant and many times it appears in a gardens ornamental borders or ornamental pots. Heirloom chard is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
Preparation: Turn over the soil and dig in some well composted manure a number of weeks before sowing. This will help soil moisture retention and soil aeration. Make sure to break up any large clods of soil with your fork and rake the soil to obtain a fine soil structure in which to plant your Chard seeds.
Sowing: Heirloom chard is normally sown directly into the soil. Sow the Chard seed in rows around 45cm apart and about 5 cm apart. The seeds should be sown at around 1/2" depth. The plants will need thinning. If left until around 8" in height before thinning then the thinned plants can be treated like an early harvest and the young leaves will be extremely tender and tasty. Chard doesn't like a soil that is too acidic, an acidic soil will stunt growth. Chard grows well in a soil of around 6.5 - 6.8.
Some of the best heirloom chard seeds: fordhook chard seeds, bright lights chard seeds, argentata chard seeds, five colored silverbeet chard seeds, Lucullus seeds, Ruby Red chard seeds, Golden seeds, Gold Glebe chard seeds, Canary Yellow chard seeds, Flamigo Pink chard seeds, Vulcan chard seeds, Oriole Orange chard seeds, Large Ribbed chard seeds, Pink Lipstick chard seeds, Orange Fantasia chard seeds, and Rhubarb Chard seeds! Goodness, who knew there were so many!!
