Chard

[Dorothy rouse]

Should a Chard root look like this? Almost the size of a swede, I 've pulled it up anyway, thinking the leaves wud be strong and bitter.

[Shadylane]

The roots do get quite big, they're related to beetroots afterall. I would think it would have been fine to eat. Chard is pretty strong and bitter anyway

[skeggijon]

Looks fine to me Dorothy - the root gets bigger as you pull away the outer leaves.

[Thelma Sanders]

I agree with the others. If you leave them in over winter the roots are humungous by the time you dig them out lol

[Dorothy rouse]

Thanks all, I have left some in, just can't remember them ever getting to this size before. To be honest, have hardly used them this summer everything else did so well. Didn't realise they were related to beetroot, maybe that's why they grew so well, were in a bed with beetroot and spinach.

[Two_Sheds]

Didn't realise they were related to beetroot

yep, an alternative name for them is leaf beet

If you let one go to seed, it'll be about 7ft tall

[Dorothy rouse]

yep, an alternative name for them is leaf beet

If you let one go to seed, it'll be about 7ft tall

I thought 'leaf beet' was perpetual spinach! I've obviously been confused for years !

It was pretty tall I must say, beautiful colours.

[Alison]

I thought 'leaf beet' was perpetual spinach! I've obviously been confused for years !

It was pretty tall I must say, beautiful colours.

It is, they're all the same thing just the ones marketed as chard are usually prettier colours. I find the coloured ones get wiped out by frosts (not last year though) but the plain ones go on forever. Never go above about 3' though on my plot, even when flowering, just good they don't go bitter like most things do when they bolt.

[Kristen]

Seen all the names like Swiss Chard, Rhubarb Chard, Spinach Beet, Silver Kale, Sea Kale on my seed packets ...

The Rainbow chard tends to include some Rhubarb / Red Chard - which seems to be the most robust of the family - and we also like the White/Silver type which has broad flat stems - but here the Pigeons like those too so I net against them in summer, and favour that variety in the Winter in the greenhouse.

[Two_Sheds]

I thought 'leaf beet' was perpetual spinach! I've obviously been confused for years !

... and this is why Latin names have proved so useful. While there are dozens of common names, the Linnaeus name is more precise:

beta vulgaris (beet)
b.vulgaris cicla (leaf beet)
b. vulgaris flavescens (chard)

I think

[BertieFox]

I've seen absolutely enormous chard plants in some of the 'potagers' around the chateaux over here. I wondered how they got them so big, and all they do is cut off all the leaves and allow the roots to regrow. I've been doing this for some time now as well, and in many cases the roots go on getting bigger and bigger. Some rot where they are damaged but the ones which continue to grow can be huge in size.

[Dorothy rouse]

... and this is why Latin names have proved so useful. While there are dozens of common names, the Linnaeus name is more precise:

beta vulgaris (beet)
b.vulgaris cicla (leaf beet)
b. vulgaris flavescens (chard)

I think

Um, my Latin, has lapsed I'm afraid!