Do you have a terrace garden ? Swiss chard is one of those plants that seems positively made forgrowing in containersin pocket-size spaces .
It does n’t mind being a little rootbound , and it is n’t too bad-tempered .
On top of that , if you care take pabulum that are good for the pick all over your one thousand , but you do n’t want to offend any neighbors or the HOA , Swiss chard is your plant . The vibrant stalk and big leafy leaf are as pretty to look at as they are tasty .
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
engraft them as a leafy centrepiece with some scummy - growingedible flowersor a few trailingherbs , and you have a stunning container with ornamental appealingness that no one will suspect doubling as part of your kitchen garden .
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That ’s enough to make anycontainer gardenersalivate . But think what ?
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
you could also produce these vegetable indoors . As long as you have a container that ’s large enough , and enough light , you could grow full - sized park .
Do n’t have a ton of visible light or a sizable indoor spot ? spring up them as microgreens instead ! verbalise about a versatile industrial plant .
Here ’s what I ’ll cover in the guide onward to get you started on your Swiss chard escapade :
What You’ll Learn
Pull out your pot territory , we ’re about to get pestiferous .
Choosing a Container
Swiss chard does n’t have cryptical roots , so the container that you select does n’t need to be too inscrutable . Eight inch should be plenty .
However , you do n’t want the container to tip over or push those shallow roots , so make certain it ’s at least 12 inches broad as well . A five - gal container – per flora – is ideal .
If you do n’t mind lowly leaves and stems you’re able to grow two plants in a five - gallon pot .
Thematerial that you selectisn’t as important as the sizing . Terra cotta tends to dry out out a little number quicker than cementum or charge plate , so you ’ll need to be more heedful with tearing if you select it .
You could always use adrip irrigation systemor self - watering plantation owner if you are n’t unadulterated at checking on your patio industrial plant ( something I ’m guilty of ! ) .
You should also keep mobility in intellect . If you want to take your plants indoors in advance of the winter , during hot summertime conditions , or move your heap to follow the Lord’s Day , you ’ll need to be sure you’re able to lift them .
Plastic tend to be the lightest option , with cement and clay being heavy .
Whatever you prefer , it should have quite a little of drainage hole in the bottom to ensure that the roots do n’t get waterlogged .
You want about three to four half - inch holes per every hearty foot of aerofoil area on the base of your lot . Or one drainage hole for every one to two gallons of pot soil .
If you ’re planning to mature microgreens , small trays that are one to two inches mysterious are ideal .
buy one that ’s wide enough to hold however many super C you trust to harvest . Keep in brain that you should purport to plant about 20 seeds per straightforward inch .
I like to use a tray that ’s about 12 inch by eight inches to eat one to two multitude , and I keep several of them on rotation .
Varieties to Select
skillful news : you ca n’t go wrong when selectingyour favourite chard varietiesfor a container . They all do well .
Barese
‘ Barese ’ is a top pick , however , because it ’s passing compact . It only grows to be about nine inches tall , compare to the average stature of around 18 column inch for other cultivars .
‘ Barese ’
Plus , you’re able to harvest the baby leave after about three weeks , and the mature leave take just 45 day to grow .
Grab yourself a packet of ‘ Barese ’ fromEverwilde farm via Amazon .
Bright Lights
If you need to add some colour to your containers , ‘ Bright Lights ’ offers a vibrant mix of Au , pinkish , and red stems , with the occasional surprise of an orange , purple , or white stalk .
‘ Bright Lights ’
stocky plant life stick around 12 inches tall at maturity .
you may find come available at Burpee .
Fordhook Giant
‘ Fordhook Giant ’ is a large variety , reaching up to 18 column inch grandiloquent , with gloomy green leave and creamy - white stems .
‘ Fordhook Giant ’
For that reasonableness , it demand a bountiful container than some of your shrimpier cultivar . But it ’s more heat tolerant than other varieties , so if you live in a lovesome area , it ’s deserving the trouble of planting a magnanimous container .
Sound good ? you may find ‘ Fordhook Giant ’ seedsavailable at Burpee .
Magenta Sunset
‘ Magenta Sunset ’ is everlasting if you require a variety that is a banquet for the eyes , and the palate .
‘ Magenta Sunset ’
The intense magenta leaves are out of this world , and really stand out in a container garden . And the mature foliage are quick to reap in just over two months .
seeded player are uncommitted at True Leaf Market .
Orange
If you favour orange to Battle of Magenta , check out ‘ Orange . ’ It has a bright orange stalking with elegant , deep green , rumple leaves .
‘ Orange ’
ripe leave of absence will be ready to harvest in around 65 days .
you may encounter seedsavailable at True Leaf Market .
How to Plant
you may soak chard seeds for 24 hours before planting , but it is n’t necessary to get them to germinate . This just speeds the process along a turn .
We ’ll cover microgreens a little later .
For homegrown harvest home of infant and mature leave , sate your prefer container with an all - purpose potting dirt , such asBurpee ’s organic potting commixture .
Burpee Organic Potting Mix
Sow seed six to 12 inches aside and push them into the soil about 1/4 - column inch deep .
wash the soil , using the pelting attachmenton your hoseor a tearing can with delicately - spaced holes .
If you do n’t have either of these , you may use a colander to shower down your plant life with fine droplet of H2O , or a nebulizer bottle .
The end is to deflect disturbing the soil while giving the seeds the moisture they take .
Keep the soil moist until the germ sprout . This will take about a week .
Thin seedlings to six to 12 inch aside when they have two set of true leaves . Chard “ semen ” are actually small pods that contain multiple seeds , so each one that you plant will probably sprout more than one seedling .
If you ’ve purchased glasshouse start , fill your pot with soil and make a hole the astuteness and twice the width of the container that the plant amount in .
Gently place each one in the stain and fill in around the roots with potting filth .
transplantation should be place six to 12 column inch aside . The further asunder they are , the larger the stalks and leaves will grow .
Water well and keep a close oculus on the filth while the plants are untested . You do n’t want to ever let it dry out out completely . Mature plants are a little more kind of wry soil .
If you like the idea of creating a collection of plants in your selected container , put chard with friends that have the same arise requirements , such askale , chives , marigolds , lavender , ormint .
you could read more about thebest associate plant life for Swiss chard here .
For an edible cosmetic show , try put Swiss chard in the center of the pot with smallnasturtiumsand somesweet alyssumon the exterior .
Container Care
I wo n’t lie , Swiss chard will bear some abuse , but do n’t countenance that turn you into a delinquent plant parent .
Crowding wo n’t bother it , and it wo n’t bolt as easy as some other plants if you leave to water it .
Imperfect stain wo n’t stress it out too much either . It will be well-chosen in stock potting dirt . Just do n’t outflank up whatever soil you obtain outside and expect it to thrive .
dirt that you might have available to dig up outdoors typically compacts much more easily than pot soil , and it also does n’t ordinarily bear piddle as well .
On top of that , it can contain fungi , bacteria , or insects that can work havoc on your plants .
Keep in mind that while chard does n’t inquire for too much , ideally it needs regular wet . That can be a challenge in containers . Shallow pots , in special , require more attention because they have a peachy open area for water to evaporate from .
Plants will likely call for about one and a one-half inches of water each week . If you get that from whatever rain fall , then no extra workplace is necessary .
Otherwise , provide additional water , but take maintenance to water at the base of works to avoid wet the foliage .
Typically , if the soil is moist to two column inch mystifying , your works will be happy . When I say moist , what I mean is : conceive of the grain of a well - wrung out sponge . That ’s what you ’re aim for .
If you require a piffling help in the water - retention department , some straw mulchcan help to keep more moisture in the soil .
Indoors , the fear requirements are the same , though you ’ll beentirelyin charge of make certain your Swiss chard become enough H2O . No help from the rain here .
Plants also need at least four hour of lineal sunlight or illumination provided by asupplemental grow lighteach day to fly high .
To glean , you’re able to cut the leaves as they strive your best-loved size and allow the plant to cover to grow novel leaves . Or , you could slice everything off all at once .
Once the first hard frost make it , you’re able to reap the entire plant , or add your pot indoors to winter . Get more tips on harvest here .
How to Grow Microgreens
If you require to grow chard microgreens in a container , soak the seeds in frigid H2O for 24 hours before institute to serve speed up up germination .
Next , run out the body of water and pat them dry on a material towel . dry out makes it easy to propagate them equally into the ground .
Again , this is n’t necessary . But one of thegreat thing about microgreensis how quickly they go from seed that you planted to sprout you could crunch on .
Fill your container with a ejaculate starting mix . spatter the seeds over the grime 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart and then cover with a 1/4 - inch layer of extra soil .
You need to use about an ounce of seeds for every 10 inch by five inch tray . Your tray only needs to be about an inch or two deep , so do n’t worry about wasting a lot of soil in a deep container .
Then , place a humidity dome or clear plastic over the top of the container , covering the seeds , like a clear chapeau . Your destination is to create a miniature greenhouse issue to help oneself keep the moisture levels steady until sprouting .
If you wish , you may lay the tray on a warmth flatness specify to 75 ° farad until sprouting .
Keep the container in a sunny windowpane or under grow lights where the seedlings will receive light for four hours or more a day .
see to it the seed every few day and add water with a spray bottle if it looks like the soil is dry out .
As presently as the sprout come forth , take off the covering , but continue to keep the dirt moist . clip the leave of absence once they reach the size of it you ’re drive for .
I prefer to reap mine when they ’re about two column inch tall because that ’s the perfect bite - size share .
Troubleshooting Tips
Swiss chard is n’t too turbulent bypestsordiseases , but here are a few thing to watch out for when you ’re tending to your crop .
Patches of Discoloration in Your Leaves
Leaf miners are one of those plague that mostly do decorative damage , but when your goal is to corrode the leafage , that variety of devastation can be devastating .
The damage in this case is due to the larvae of mineworker flies . There are numerous different kind , but chard is broadly speaking disoblige byPegomya betaeandP. hyoscyami .
These pest masticate tunnels into the leave of your plant , which is unsightly ( and kind of everlasting , if you bite into a leaf and reckon the little red worm once creep inside ) .
you may place netting over your container in the bound and early summertime when the pests emerge and start up to eat , or you may keep your plant indoors . If you’regrowing in the fallandwinter , you do n’t need to worry about this particular problem .
show more about controlling folio miners here .
Entire Leaves or Chunks Missing
Slugs attack so many unlike type of plants in the garden , and they wo n’t be discourage by a container . They ’ll just go up up and in .
The good intelligence is , it ’s a little easier to control slugs in container gardens since the area you need to police is normally a bit more , ahem , contained .
First , check under your pots and pick and smoosh any despicable creatures you come across . Do this regularly . you’re able to also commit a slug trap in or near your container garden .
Read more about dealing with slugs in the garden here .
Flowers Forming
Bolting happens when the atmospheric condition gets too warm or too insensate , particularly if you are n’t diligent about watering .
Swiss chard prefers cooler temperature , so once the thermometer climbs up past 75 ° degree Fahrenheit or devolve below freezing , your plant may gobble . That said , chard run to defy run off much better than other leafy William Green like Spinacia oleracea .
The beauty of growing yours in a container is that you could move it to a cooler berth to prevent this . If things heat up in an unexpected heatwave , some afternoon specter will go a long way towards extend the life of your plant .
Are you experience a serious blast of oestrus ? convey your plant indoors for a bit .
Indoor Plant Problems
It ’s a pitiful fact that many plants develop indoors are often attack by aphids and wanderer mite . Chard is n’t free from this trouble .
Aphids , from the family Aphididae , are familiar to most gardeners . These tiny insects take up the sap out of your plant and leave a fresh residue called honeydew melon behind .
The 1/8th - inch red , inglorious , tan , brown , orange , or yellow pests wish to fall out on the undersides of leaves , and if you see ants visiting your container , it ’s a probable star sign that you have aphids , since ants have a go at it that honeydew .
I care to bond my container in the bathtub and expend the rain shower head to blast my chard leaves to pink the bug loose . Then , rinse them down the drain . Do this a few times andyour aphid job will be over .
Spider mitesusually scuttle around on plants unnoticed until you see the mulct webbing that they weave . The two - spotted spider mite ( Tetranychus urticae ) is the one that most gardener encounter .
While you’re able to depend for the tiny calamitous and tan arachnids , if you see the webbing , it ’s meter to take military action . An infestation can rapidly ruin your foliage and defeat your flora as they lactate the juices out .
You might have to prune aside any hard infested or web - covered leave-taking . Then , spray plant with water in the same way you would do for aphids .
Since spider mite are a little tough to get free of , you’re able to turn to the big guns if you ca n’t get rid of them .
Once a calendar week , treat plants with neem oil , whichyou can find at Arbico Organics .
You just mix the product with some water according to software instructions in a spray bottle and give it to the foliation of your leaf beet .
call back that you should expect at least a day after spray to feed your crop , and you should be sure to rinse the leafage well before digging in .
You Don’t Need a Big Garden to Grow Swiss Chard
It ’s nice to make love that even if you do n’t have a massive garden , you may still grow some veggies to feed yourself . In fact , with some eccentric like chard , you do n’t even need outside space .
Still , even if you do have plenty of garden infinite , Swiss chard is practically begging to be a focal point in a potted display .
It ’s one of those plant that can be too pretty to demote to some forgotten garden corner .
And for more entropy aboutgrowing Swiss chardin your garden , check out these usher next :
Photos by Kristine Lofgren © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Originally publish September 15th , 2020 . Last updated August 13th , 2023 . mathematical product photos via Burpee , Eden Brothers , and honest Leaf Market . Uncredited photo : Shutterstock .
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Kristine Lofgren
