The bed must be well draining and have plenty of organic matter incorporated. Space seeds or transplants 6 inches apart (15 cm.) It tastes its best when the mature plant experiences some cold nights and may develop bitterness when grown in warm months. With delicious verities that range from romaine lettuce to bibb lettuce that are all easy and quick to grow it is easy to see why lettuce is so p, Protect Sensitive Plants from Strong Summer Sun, How To Prevent Basil from Bolting to Seed, Sow the seeds as soon as frost danger has passed, Sow seeds in rows that are 20″ apart with the seeds being 6-8″ apart, After germination give the soil a light feeding of, Continue to fertilize lightly every other week, Harvest the entire plant or single leaves at a time when needed, Sow the seeds in trays indoors about a month before the winter/spring crops will be harvested, Keep the planting medium moist and between 60-70 degrees, A week before winter/spring crops are harvested start hardening off the swiss chard plants by placing them outside for a few hours each day in direct sunlight (each day add and additional hour), Once all winter/spring crops have been harvest replace them with the swiss chard, When transplanted water in the swiss chard very well to help minimize shock to the plants, One week after transplant lightly fertilize with a well balanced fertilizer, Swiss Chard makes a GREAT replacement crop for Spinach as they can be used in many of the same recipes. Varieties: Warnings aside, I like Bright Lights Chard and Five Color Chard because they’re both beautiful and colorful. Swiss chard may be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator. If you know how to grow Swiss chard in fall, you can get a second harvest of this delicious, nutrient rich vegetable while it is still sweet and delicious. per week at the seedling stage. Covering the crop or sowing in a cold frame can help protect the plants. The whole idea is to get those tender spears before the plant tries to set seed; otherwise, the stems and leaves will be bitter. The best time for Swiss chard fall planting is July 15 through August 15. You may also select a low bolt seed mix. Preparing the garden bed is key to good harvests. It is also a fairly rapidly maturing crop that is ready for harvest in about 50 to 75 days from planting. This harvesting technique involves taking only a few older leaves at a time from each plant, allowing younger leaves to continue growing for additional harvests later in the season. New stems and leaves will replace the harvested material. The exact time will depend on your zone. By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist. It is based on an areas high and low temperatures as well as average amounts and distributions of rain fall. This planting calendar provides a monthly planting and harvesting plan for more than 200 garden vegetables in 10 different USDA hardiness growing zones. A row cover can be used to help insulate and protect plants from early frosts as well. 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Chard is best treated as a “cut-and-come-again” crop. Sign up for our newsletter. Not only is it a healty and delicious crop, it is easy to grow! It prefers cooler soil, as the plant develops and matures and will bolt if it is a mature crop in summer. That way an unexpected early freeze can’t harm the plants, although mature Swiss chard can withstand short periods of freezing. For late planting in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 and 9, plant Swiss chard and arugula by August, lettuce and spinach by September, and mustard by October. With a last frost date of January 30th or earlier and first frost date as late as November 30th to December 30th. One of the benefits of Gardening in Zone 9 is that it offers year round gardening. Basil does, however, begin to bolt pretty quickly once the temperatures begin to get ho, Lettuce is a staple in gardens all around the country. Mulching around the plants can help prevent weeds, conserve moisture, and protect roots in case of an early light freeze. Transfer to freezer bags and steam when ready to eat. Young plants are not drought tolerant and low moisture will affect their early growth. Ask me how I know. You could even plant these as ornamentals in your front yard! Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! For a fall harvest, timing is everything, so plants have time to mature before eating. You can also chop the leaves and stems and lightly blanch them. Keep the beds modestly moist and watch out for pests. Plant chard seeds 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost date. The zones change by 10-degree Fahrenheit differences in average minimum temperatures. This will give your remaining plants more space to grow. (Spinach is a cool weather crop, Chard is warm weather), Swiss Chard will grow great in any bed or row that beans or peas where harvested from. Swiss chard is one of the wonderful foods you can plant in early spring for a summer harvest or in early summer for a late season crop. A week before winter/spring crops are harvested start hardening off the swiss chard plants by placing them outside for a few hours each day in direct sunlight (each day add and additional hour) Once all winter/spring crops have been harvest replace them with the swiss chard Often, you will get another flush of small leaves and stems if the weather isn’t hot or freezing. Zones 9 has a long growing window for gardening. Except that if you’re the only person in your family who likes to eat Swiss chard, you will quickly be overrun with it. Vegetable Planting Calendar for All Zones. It is also a fairly rapidly maturing crop that is ready for harvest in about 50 to 75 days from planting. Swiss chard plants can grow up to two feet (60 cm.) Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Succession plantings about 10 days apart ensure a regular harvest. 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