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Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens ‘Bright Lights’

Chard

Botanical name: Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens 'Bright Lights'
Common name: Chard
Family: Amaranthaceae
Plant Type: Vegetable

Key features:
Succeeds on poor soil

Chard, rainbow chard or Swiss chard, Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens, is a highly ornamental vegetable, bearing large, fleshy, deep green leaves with a similar flavour to spinach. Stalks are thick and crisp, and come in a variety of colours including white, yellow and red. Chard is easy to grow and incredibly rich in nutrients. If left in the ground over winter it can provide you with an extremely early crop the following spring.

Sow seed direct in prepared soil from March to August, at a depth of 1cm in drills 30cm apart, and thin seedlings to 7cm. Young leaves may be harvested to use in salads after eight weeks. Leave plants to mature for larger leaves.

Beta vulgaris ‘Bright Lights’ is a mixture of chards with different coloured stems, including red, yellow, pink and white. The delicious, nutrient-packed leaves leaves are either green or bronze. ‘Bright Lights’ the perfect variety for growing in smaller gardens, where it may be grown in pots or as part of an ornamental display.