Suburban Vegetable Gardener

Chard, sometimes called Swiss chard, is usually grown during cool seasons. It is best grown about one month after the frost has passed in springtime.  To start early with planting, you can plant chars indoors a month before the last frost date so that they will be ready for transplanting when they are 3 to 4 inches tall. Chards can tolerate heat or frost once they are established. However, high temperatures can slow down chard’s leaf production.

My personal favorite is the Bright Lights rainbow chard from Renee’s Garden.

Location. The soil shouldn’t be too acidic. The level of acidity that chards can tolerate is between 6.0 and 6.8. The soil should also be well-drained and rich in organic matter. Chards can be grown together with leeks, onions, mustards and garlic. However, do not make tomatoes, legumes, and potatoes as their neighbors.

Spacing and depth. Sow seeds half an inch deep into the soil. You can plant seeds in clusters. Make sure that the clusters are an inch apart from each other and the rows, about two feet apart. They can be crowded when grown; however, the plant will produce smaller leaves.

Nutritional needs. Chards need moisture to grow quickly and tenderly. However, too much water can rot the plant. For fertilizing, it is best to use compost to provide the plant’s nutritional needs especially during midseason.

Pests and diseases. Chards are resistant to plant diseases. However, they can be prone to leaf miners and aphids attacks. To control aphids, they can be hosed away with water or removing the affected leaves. For leaf miners, damaged leaves can also be damaged. You also have to check the leaves underneath for eggs; destroy if there are any.

Harvesting. Chards can be harvested two months after planting. Leaves can be picked when they grow as three inches long. The leaves can also grow as much as ten inches long. Leaves can grow back after harvest. When harvesting the whole plant, you can put the roots with the three-inch stem above it back to the soil. It will grow back after some time.

I’ve tried growing chard twice.  The first from plants that I got at my local nursery, and the second time from seed.  Both times, I expected the really big leaves, but they didn’t grow taller than 6″.  So I’m wondering if I didn’t properly fertilize or what.  Some people say that things grown in containers are smaller than that which grows in the ground.  I’ll write more on this another time, but what do you think?

Brussels sprouts are best grown during late summer, when the season is cool enough for their growth but warm enough for their roots to get established. If sprouts are maturing in dry season or in hot weather, they will bolt and bitterness will  develop. It is recommended to start the seeds in early summer so that you can plant in late summer or early fall, and you’ll have harvest for Thanksgiving.

Now, if I’d planted mine in September when I purchased them, I might have been that lucky.  However, the plants are still quite tiny.  I’ll be interested in seeing how they survive the overwinter.  We’re supposed to have a mild in temperature but heavy in rain season.

They usually recommend spacing plants 2 to 3 feet apart in the seed bed.  But you know me.  I put 4 into one of my container and I’ll post pictures and updates on how it went.  If you’re going straight seed, plant them a half inch deep in the soil. If you’ve started them inside, you can transplant them when they are three inches tall. Make sure that the soil is well-drained but can retain moisture. The plants need large amount of water but can survive water retention. Soaking the plant in too much water will cause it to rot.

When the plants are one feet tall, apply fertilizers on plants. This will keep moisture that is much needed to keep the plants healthy. Without it, crop growth will fail. At this stage, insect control is very essential to prevent plant damage and boost growth.  I use a soapy spray to keep off the chompers.

If you are planning to remove some leaves, as other gardeners might recommend, it is best to leave the largest and the healthiest leaves for them to continue feeding the plant.

A month before the harvest, remove the top leaves which are about to grow. This will redirect the nutrients to the growth of the sprouts.

To determine if the vegetable is ready for harvest, check if the sprouts or buds’ diameter are one or two inches. Sprouts located at the lower are of the plant mature first. Remove the lowermost leaves once the sprouts are harvested. It is also important to harvest the sprouts before the leaves turn yellow.

Your harvest can be stored in a cool dry place or can be frozen. However, Brussels sprouts are best consumed when fresh.  With lots of butter and nutmeg.  I’ll have to dig up some additional recipes for them.