Swiss Chard

[dipseydiva]

Hi, last year I grew Swiss Chard for the first time. I have picked and eaten it and now have quite large plants with tough looking stems/leaves. I was going to dig it out and grow new plants but someone has told me to trim the plants down, let them re-shoot and grow them for another year. Has anyone else done this or should I dig them up?

[indigox]

I kind of tried it, the plants from last year were still a bit tougher and were slow to grow back though so I decided to ditch them and start afresh.
Of course you don't have to, feel free to try what your friend suggested.
They are so easy to grow from seed anyway.

[Nicos]

Yup- cut them down to about 6-8".
We sow every 2 years unless a very heavy frost kills them.
Yummy!

[indigox]

I might try fleecing them this winter, I think mine didn't like all that snow.

[Sue]

Indigox
Hi, when I took over a long abandoned allotment to keep my hens there was a Swiss Chard plant growing mightily, it's taken me three years to get this allotment under control - inbetween keeping my main allotment going and the Swiss Chard plant kept coming back, I didn't eat it but the hens did!
So three years and counting
Sue

[dipseydiva]

Thanks everyone for your speedy replies, I will keep the plants and see how well they re-grow.