- Botanical name: Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens
- Common name: Chard
- Family: Amaranthaceae
- Plant Type: Vegetable
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.
Varieties include ‘Bright Lights’, with stalks that come in a variety of bright colours, red-stemmed variety ‘Fantasy’, and yellow-stemmed ‘Bright Yellow’.
How to grow Beta vulgaris
-
Plant size
50cm height
40cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, east facing, west facing
- Sun exposure: Dappled shade, full sun
- Hardiness: Hardy
- Soil type: Chalky / alkaline / clay / heavy / moist / well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | ||||||||||||
| Sow |
J
Do not Sow in January |
F
Do not Sow in February |
M
Do Sow in March |
A
Do Sow in April |
M
Do Sow in May |
J
Do not Sow in June |
J
Do not Sow in July |
A
Do not Sow in August |
S
Do not Sow in September |
O
Do not Sow in October |
N
Do not Sow in November |
D
Do not Sow in December |
| Harvest | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |
J
Do not Harvest in January |
F
Do not Harvest in February |
M
Do not Harvest in March |
A
Do not Harvest in April |
M
Do Harvest in May |
J
Do Harvest in June |
J
Do Harvest in July |
A
Do Harvest in August |
S
Do Harvest in September |
O
Do not Harvest in October |
N
Do not Harvest in November |
D
Do not Harvest in December |
Beta vulgaris and wildlife
Beta vulgaris has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Beta vulgaris poisonous?
Beta vulgaris has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
Plants that go well with Beta vulgaris
