Fordhook Giant is a faster growing Swiss chard variety. It has white petioles with large, semi-savoy, green leaves. It is a bolt tolerant variety and has an …
CHARD SOWING AND PLANTING TIPS
• Chard can be grown from seeds or transplants.
• Direct-sow chard seeds in the garden 5 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost; chard can be started indoors or in a plastic tunnel or cold frame 10 to 8 weeks before the last frost in spring.
• Soak seeds overnight before sowing to hasten germination.
• Seed germinates in 5 to 7 days at or near 16-18°C—but sometimes seed can take up to 3 weeks to germinate if the soil is cold. Germination will not occur in soil chillier than 10°C.
• Keep the soil evenly moist until seeds germinate.
• Sow seed 10 to 13mm deep.
• Sow seeds 2.5cm apart; later thin seedlings to 15cm apart; use the thinnings in salads.
• Space plants 20-25 cm apart in a staggered pattern or rows.
• Chard grows best in full sun but can tolerate light shade.
• Chard prefers a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
• Add aged compost to planting beds in advance of sowing; compost will feed the soil and aide moisture retention.
• Keep the soil moist until seedlings are well established; once plants are established mulch with straw to keep the roots cool and moist.
• Chard can tolerate light frosts in the spring and moderate freezes in the autumn.
• Avoid planting chard where beets, spinach, or ochre has recently grown. Plant chard where beans have just grown if you can.
• Fertilize with an organic fertilizer such as fish emulsion at half strength.
• Cut plants back to about 7 cm above the soil in late summer; the plant will produce new leaves for autumn harvest.
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