Chard
One of the easiest and longest-cropping leaf vegetables; a spring sowing can be picked well into winter.
Care
Sun to part shade.
Medium — regular watering keeps leaves tender.
Fertile, moisture-retentive soil.
Pick outer leaves regularly, leaving the centre to keep producing.
A nitrogen-rich or balanced feed once or twice during the season encourages leaf.
Sow direct or in modules in spring, and again in midsummer for a winter and spring crop.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- AprilSow direct or in modules. how ›
- JulySow again for autumn and winter picking. how ›
- NovemberCover with a cloche in cold spells to keep leaves in good condition.
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Flower stems shoot up.
What to do. Normal in the second spring; sow fresh.
How to spot it. Pale blotches inside the leaves.
What to do. Remove affected leaves; cover with mesh.
How to spot it. Holes in young leaves.
What to do. Protect seedlings.
Questions
Chard: is it hardy?
H7: Fully hardy anywhere in the UK. It survives below −20 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes — ornamental as well as edible in pots.
Chard: when do you prune it?
Pick outer leaves regularly, leaving the centre to keep producing.
When do you feed it?
A nitrogen-rich or balanced feed once or twice during the season encourages leaf. Feeding months, UK: June, August.