Direct sowing Swiss Chard

[sewer rat]

Hi y'all
Have sowed some Swiss Chard in cell trays to start with, and it is doing fine, but am wondering about direct sowing - the more seed I can sow direct the better at the moment.
Can it be sown similar to beetroot, and does anyone know what sort of germination time I can expect from direct sown seed. The cell trays in the tunnel were real quick.

[JennieAtkinson]

Hi Rat: I did a direct sow of Rainbow Chard outside last year and it came up fine, but can't remember how quick. Seemed to think it was quite quick though. It would have been about now, so the ground was warm. It stood all winter too. Outside leaves got a bit messy, but the inners were good.

Good luck!

[DirtDobber]

I always direct seed mine and the amount of time really depends on the temp and water amount...but I will tell you that it sprouts pretty fast...statistics are 4 to 10 days but mine was about 5 or 6....

[Earthbabe]

I'll concur SR. I always direct sow mine and will be doing another row soon along with Winter Spinach. You may need to thin it out a little but it came up fairly quickly and we had even better germination once it rained. so as DD says it will depend a little on temp and water availability.

[sewer rat]

Cheers folks
Knew I'd get the info here. Direct sowing it is. Soil is very warm just now but need some rain - forecast possibly some at the weekend - not as much as down south though !!

[JennieAtkinson]

No rain up here either. Keep reading about severe rain south, but I had to water the long borders tonight! I NEVER have to do that normally. The soil is so compacted and dry I can hardly get a fork in it. My water butt is empty too.

Never thought I'd be saying any of that !

[momol]

Hi Rat,

My rainbow chard germinated in the first 3 days some of them around 5 days. I sown them directly outside after loosening the soil and watered them well and they seems to be ok. I notice that 1 seed could produce from 1 to 4 little seedlings ( I am not sure what is the maximum number ). Watch out for the slugs ,they have eaten up some of my seedling .
Hope it help.

Momol

[sewer rat]

Cheers Momol
I noticed that the seeds are similar to beetroot so I had assumed that they weren't monogerm, and my sowings in cell trays confirmed this as I got anywhere from 1 to 4 seedlings per seed cluster.
However, when ythey are direct sown, it'll be survival of the fittest as I don't thin - no time.
Although I have 5 acres, I have very very few slugs - in fact this afternoon, I have had more slugs in one of my raised beds at home, than I have found in the whole of my 5 acres at work.