Showing posts with label Chard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chard. Show all posts

Sunday, 14 September 2025

In My Seed Box For 2026 - Chard


"Chard," most commonly referring to Swiss Chard, is a leafy green vegetable related to beetroot, known for its nutritious, colourful, and edible leaves and succulent, crunchy stalks. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads when young or cooked like spinach, while the colourful stalks are often cooked separately. Popular varieties like Rainbow Chard showcase vibrant stems in yellow, pink, red, and orange, and it is an easy-to-grow, "cut-and-come-again" crop providing a continuous harvest.  

I have a couple of packs of out of date seeds, and really need to replenish my Chard seeds, so keep an eye on this page and see what I source.

Tuesday, 19 March 2024

Organic Gardening Seeds - Swiss Chard Fordhook

Organic Gardening Seeds have sent me a pack of their Swiss Chard Fordhook Giant which has been added to their catalogue for 2024. It sells for £2.99 for approximately 100 seeds. 

Heavily savoyed leaves with a superb dark green colour and contrasting ivory stems that make an excellent alternative to spinach. 

The flavoursome leaves are thick and tender, making an appealing steamed vegetable or a colourful addition to stir fries. Swiss Chard 'Fordhook Giant' is a well established variety from the 1920’s and remains popular today. 

As the name suggests, this monster Swiss Chard grows up 60cm (24") tall, making an impressive display on the vegetable plot, or even in your flower borders! 

Height: 60cm (24"). Spread: 50cm (20").

Once again the web site graphics don't reflect what printed on the actual pack. How anyone can think that you could possibly harvest the same month you sow is beyond me. Their webmaster needs to start reading the back of the packs and using their brain a little. 

Sow March to August and Harvest May to November.

Sowing Instructions 

Sow seeds thinly, 1cm (1/2") deep in drills 30cm (12") apart. Sow little and often for a continuous supply. Cloche later sowings for harvesting into December.

Tuesday, 4 October 2022

In My Seed Box for 2023 - Chard

  

I had never eaten or tired Chard before, I didn't have a clue how to cook it. But I got a free pack off a magazine so I asked myself the question; 

Do I try growing it and see if I like it OR 

Do I buy some and try it before making my mind up about sowing it?

How many of you end up growing something you have never tried before because the seeds came free on a magazine?
The feedback I got from postings re this on different Facebook allotment and gardening groups was quite staggering, and I had planned to give chard a go in 2020, But again Covid-19 had other ideas about how I was going to spend my time. 

Now I have the additional half plot and six full and two narrow beds on Plot 1, and three Square foot gardening beds planned, plus I've now tasted Swiss Chard I grew it in 2022 and I'm defiantly growing it again in 2023



Description
  • Use the deep green leaves in place of spinach. The white mid-ribs are delicious when cooked like asparagus. Also known as Seakale Beet. 
  • Pack size: 250 Seeds
  • WHEN TO SOW

    March to July

    WHERE TO SOW

    Sow direct in a well prepared, moist, fertile growing site in full sun or partial shade. Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 2cm (3/4") in drills 35-40cm (14-16") apart.

    WHAT TO DO NEXT

    As seedlings appear, gradually thin until 20cm (8in) apart. Leaves are best harvested by pulling rather than cutting.

    MATURITY

    June to October

    HANDY TIP

    Ideal for stir-fry cooking. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the water when boiling the stalks to preserve the white colour.

    NUTRITIONAL VALUES

    Rich in Beta carotene, calcium, iron and folic acid.

WHEN TO SOW

  • Jan
 
  • Feb
 
  • Mar
 
  • Apr
 
  • May
 
  • Jun
 
  • Jul
 
  • Aug
 
  • Sep
 
  • Oct
 
  • Nov
 
  • Dec
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Notes: Do not transplant


NEW Swiss Chard - 65 Seeds - Suttons - £2.99

Sunday, 3 October 2021

In My Seed Box for 2022 - Chard

 

I had never eaten or tired Chard before, I didn't have a clue how to cook it. But I got a free pack off a magazine so I asked myself the question; 

Do I try growing it and see if I like it OR 

Do I buy some and try it before making my mind up about sowing it?

How many of you end up growing something you have never tried before because the seeds came free on a magazine?
The feedback I got from postings re this on different Facebook allotment and gardening groups was quite staggering, and I had planned to give chard a go in 2020, But again Covid-19 had other ideas about how I was going to spend my time. 

Now I have the additional half plot and six full and two narrow beds on Plot 1, and three Square foot gardening beds planned, plus I've now tasted Swiss Chard I'm defiantly growing it in 2022



Description
  • Use the deep green leaves in place of spinach. The white mid-ribs are delicious when  cooked like asparagus. Also known as Seakale Beet. 
  • Pack size: 250 Seeds
  • WHEN TO SOW

    March to July

    WHERE TO SOW

    Sow direct in a well prepared, moist, fertile growing site in full sun or partial shade. Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 2cm (3/4") in drills 35-40cm (14-16") apart.

    WHAT TO DO NEXT

    As seedlings appear , gradually thin until 20cm (8in) apart . Leaves are best harvested by pulling rather than cutting.

    MATURITY

    June to October

    HANDY TIP

    Ideal for stir-fry cooking. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the water when boiling the stalks to preserve the white colour.

    NUTRITIONAL VALUES

    Rich in Beta carotene, calcium, iron and folic acid.

WHEN TO SOW

  • Jan
 
  • Feb
 
  • Mar
 
  • Apr
 
  • May
 
  • Jun
 
  • Jul
 
  • Aug
 
  • Sep
 
  • Oct
 
  • Nov
 
  • Dec
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  •    
 
  •    
 
  •    
 
  •    
  • Sow
  •  
  • Plant
  •  
  • Harvest

Notes: Do not transplant


NEW Swiss Chard - 65 Seeds - Suttons -  £2.99