Swiss chard, hows it growing?

[stubedo]

Hi, I was wondering how peoples swiss chard is coming along? its my first year of growing it this year, my biggest leaves are about 15 long, though recently i was at an allotment & saw some over a foot high with big leaves, anyone managed to achieve this yet?
scratching my head wondering how they did it !

Stu in unsunny brum

[GrimChili]

Hi Stubedo,

I have 6 swiss chard planted out and there just getting going now, about the same as yours maybe a bit smaller! White Silver & Bright Lights.

Cheers
Grim Chilli

[stubedo]

sounds good Grim, i have the ruby chard variety. my best ones actually growing in a bucket!

[BUFFS]

the large ones are probably overwintered plants,i used to grow and overwinter it to feed to my chooks,they loved it,but we didnt,so now the chooks are gone ,so is the chard..

[stubedo]

you managed to grow chard from seed in nov/dec buffs? i read you can,but I tried only got small leaf growth

[darcyvuqua]

I have some from last year there hooooge but ones from his year are still tiny

[Two_Sheds]

you managed to grow chard from seed in nov/dec buffs?

No, it doesn't grow in the winter, it's the summer stuff that is very cold-tolerant and survives the winter, re-sprouting in spring.

[Feral007]

I bought mixed rainbow chard and two varieties grew huuuuuge, The others, just rather large. They're overwintering now, so have small leaves on them. But I found certain colours grew bigger than others. I guess it's the type thing.

[zazen999]

Chard is the one thing I just bung in and leave it to it's own devices as come the winter it will still be growing happily away and will provide us with plenty of leaves for winter food.

[Jono]

I'm a perpetual spinach bore, I love the stuff and go on about it all the time.

This year's crop is now about a foot high and I've been harvesting for a couple of weeks now.

I sowed in pots in my greenhouse at beginning of Feb, and then pricked out and transplanted into veg patch in April.

I also sowed into a pot and then planted the whole thing out and have been picking leaves small for salads.

Chard is amazing stuff, I love it. I sow in August too for a winter crop.

[kentishgal]

my ruby chard is only about 6cms tall and still in its little pots. Although I do have a white one that is about 15 cms tall and randomly appeared in a strawberry pot so now I have a pot containing dinner and dessert!

[WillyNelson]

My chard is about 2" tall and still waiting to be planted out. First year trying it so we shall see how it goes.