Swiss Chard Overwintered

[stratcat]

Today was our first day in the 50's and the snow is melting. Still have lots of snow in my
cottage garden, but these 'Bright Lights' Swiss Chard from last year made their appearance!

I got my Dwarf Telephone peas planted in a clear spot today.

[willyswoodpile]

I've never grown nor eaten Swiss Chard. I take it it is a perennial? And how do you eat it?

[stratcat]

Hi. Last year was the first I'd grown it. I was quite surprised it made the cold winter. We had around -10F.

Just looked in Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth and chard is biennial.

I ate the leaves raw on sandwiches and it is eaten as salad material or cooked.

[bluelacedredhead]

If you like beet greens, you'll like the Ruby chards or Bright Lights. I don't care for them, but I do like the green varieties such as Lucillus.

I like it sauteed as a sidedish, raw in sandwiches and I have substituted for bok choy in stir fries. You could prolly even use it to make cabbage rolls.

Oh, and I just received an email this morning about using lightly sauteed Swiss Chard in omelets or use the leafy parts in pasta dishes instead of spinach!

Strat, Spring is coming. Enjoy your spring harvest

[Tom Akers]

I love Swiss Chard and it is an easy thing to grow. So far I have only been able to get the Fordhook variety to overwinter. Unfortunately, my DB doesn't "like the looks of the white stuff", she will cook the rhubarb chard for me, but I haven't as yet got it to overwinter.

[nolika]

In order for it to overwinter well, it should have well drained soil, or else it will rot. That is the biggest problem in overwintering chard, not the low temperatures...