Chard - Bright lights

[peanut]

I've just planted out my first ever lot of Chard - Bright Lights and just wondered if it needs protecting from Pigeons or any other nasties?

Thanks in advance.

[Flummery]

I have found that chard is the only thing my pigeons won't eat! Yours may be different of course.

[RedThorn]

if you have chickens, keep them away or you wont have any!

[Two_Sheds]

The only thing I've known to attack chard is sparrows, and then only in early spring when there's very little else around (they also go for young beetroot leaves and peas)

[rogesse]

Pigeons and sparrows won't eat chard? - neither will we! The rainbow chard has grown beautifully but we can't find a way to make it pallatable.

Suggestions please (apart from putting it on the compost heap)

[Two_Sheds]

Treat it as spinach ... in a tart or curry

[snuffer]

I grew chard for the first time this year. The pigeons (or any other birds for that matter) ignored it completely. However, after tasting it, I'm of the opinion that they could have had the lot. Talk about dissapointed. It grew brilliantly. Had no pest or disease problems. Looked fantastic on the lottie. But tasted like crap.

The old guy on the nieghbouring plot, when he saw it growing on mine asked; 'is that the first time you've grown chard'? 'Yes' I replied. 'It will be your last' says he, and boy oh boy was he right? Ah well, we live and learn.

Hope you enjoy yours more than I enjoyed mine.

[peanut]

Hmmm....I had heard that it is a love or hate kind of veg, oh well if I don't like it i'm sure the dogs will, they pick and eat all my other fruit and veg!

Good to hear that i don't really need to worry about pests for a change!

Thanks all

[Alison]

Chard is dead easy and in my opinon very nice although it's best to cook the stems of the larger leaves longer than the leaves or they'll not be very nice. As said above it's nice as an alternative to spinnach but as the advanage that it doesn't reduce as much so seems to go further. It occaisionally bolts in hot weather but isn't even bad for that and it won't be a problem over winter. And it looks very pretty.

[Jeanied]

Hi - must confess to growing chard as it looks so beautiful and not bothering with the eating. However Nigel Slater put a rather luxurious recipe in the Observer a while ago - chard gratin with grain mustard - it looks like he only used small stems (with leaves) grain mustard, double cream and parmesan baked for a while till the top is golden. Looking good! *puts on weight just looking at the picture.

[davefromthechipie]

Chard's great its just tastes like spinach to me ( we mix it with spinach ) the stems i find do take abit more getting used to ,As for pests chards great for not having catapilers/flys/rabbits/birds attacking it .Its very underrated veg i reckon

[ginger ninger]

We love chard, I pick it small for salads, the larger leaves I steam, pop it in a bowl with a good knob of butter and garlic salt, it makes a tasty topping on veggie pizza and an colourful alternative to spinach.

[Jeanied]

Ooh - I forgot to mention that a colleague at work begged some plants off me - she uses her chard to stuff and bake in the oven - I guess you could do this either veggie or not (couscous, rice, etc or sausage meat / mince) I think she puts a sauce over to bake it.

[Headfry]

Seems to taste very earthy to me, but is does look beautiful though!

[zazen999]

We grow it in pots on the decking just for the joy of the colours.