Think about planting Swiss chard and maybe use as an accent plant in a container if nothing else.

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Think about planting Swiss Chard and maybe use as an accent plant in a container.  

GOOD morning.  Record high today of 80F(27C).  Enjoy today as the rest of the week will be cooler and we will have moisture.  There might even be a little snow in the air.  I know all are disappointed, but it is just the end of March and the first of April.  This is our spring weather. Stay cool, then stay warm and dry.  Stay safe. 
 
Australia family and friends Tuesday March 31 high of 78F(26C) looks like a great fall day for them.  Stay safe and enjoy yourself.  I know that Evelyn had planted Swiss Chard in her gardens.  She has several wicking beds which is a concept I haven’t seen here.  I will have to have that as one of my postings.  They work when it is dry and helps with the watering. 
 
We are in full production planting so lots of growing is going on at Becky’s Greenhouse.  We do have seed potatoes in if you think you can plant on Good Friday.  It might be too wet; the ground might be too cold.  We will have to see, but we have them in.  One vegetable I just love to see in the garden or containers is Swiss Chard.  Give it a try this year.  I think it would make a great accent plant in your containers. 
 
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Swiss Chard  Written By: Catherine Boeckmann
Why should flowers have all the fun? With stems in ruby red, sunshine yellow, and neon pink, Swiss chard brings a whole bouquet of color and nutrition to your garden beds and your dinner plate. This cool-weather super green isn’t just easy on the eyes—it’s easy to grow, too! Swiss chard is a cheerful and dependable garden MVP. Let’s dig into how to grow your own rainbow of leafy goodness!
Similar to beets, Swiss chard’s stems and leaves can be eaten cooked or raw. It is prolific—leave plenty of room in the garden bed! Its mild flavor adds nutrition and color to salads, pasta, pizzas, quiches, sandwiches, and more.
Swiss chard is very easy to grow, incredibly hardy, and a great choice for beginner gardeners. And it looks beautiful in the garden, with broad, thick stems available in colors ranging from pure white to golden yellow and even hot pink!
Typically grown as a cool-season crop because it grows quickly and easily during the cooler temperatures of spring and fall, chard is quite tolerant of hotter temperatures, too. Its growth will slow down in summer, but chard’s higher heat tolerance makes it a great salad green to grow when it gets too hot out for the others.
Chard is a superfood, high in vitamins A, C, and K. It doesn’t have the bitter taste that many other greens have, and it makes a good substitute for spinach or kale if you’re not a fan of those superfoods.
On top of all its virtues as a garden vegetable, chard is a lovely edible ornamental plant, coming in many different colors to mix with landscaping or in containers. Why, you could even use chard in a vase or bouquet, mixed with flowers, or on its own. Why should flowers have all the fun?
Chard will tolerate partial sun, but it grows best in full sun. It prefers a location with moderately fertile, well-draining soil and a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). Before planting, mix aged manure and/or compost into the soil to boost soil fertility. Scatter a general-purpose organic fertilizer on the soil one week before sowing, then rake the soil to a fine tilth.
When to Plant Swiss Chard
For the spring season, plant chard seeds 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost date.  For us that is May 1st to May 15th for the last frost day. 
This would be important to do.  Soak seeds in water for 24 hours before planting to speed germination.
How to Plant Swiss Chard
When ready to plant, apply 5-10-10 fertilizer to the area.  Sow seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep, 2 to 6 inches apart, in rows 18 inches apart.  Continue planting seeds at 10-day intervals for a month.
You can also start chard off in pots for transplanting later, which has the benefit of helping to prevent slugs from eating the young seedlings. This is also useful for succession planting while you wait for space to become available in the garden. Once you’ve cleared out the previous crop, transplant the sturdy chard seedlings in the garden one foot apart, leaving 16 inches between rows.
Growing
When plants are 3 to 4 inches tall, thin to 4 to 6 inches apart, or 6 to 12 inches if plants are large.  Use scissors to avoid disturbing nearby plant roots. You can eat the cuttings.
Chard usually does just fine without the use of fertilizer, but if yours seems to be staying small, consider applying a balanced fertilizer halfway through the season.
Water evenly and consistently to help it grow better. Water plants often during dry spells in the summer. Water regularly to promote plenty of fresh leafy growth and to stop the plants from running to seed, or ‘bolting,’ in dry weather. If they do bolt, they’ll no longer produce new leaves, so dig them up and add them to your compost pile.
Mulch the plants to help conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Keep your chard weeded using a hoe.
When plants are about 1 foot tall, cut leaves back to 3 to 5 inches to encourage new tender growth; if chard plants become overgrown, they become less flavorful.
Harvesting
Begin to harvest when the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall, depending on which size leaves you desire.
Cut off outer leaves 1-1/2 inches above the ground with a sharp knife. Avoid damaging the plant’s center. Eat what you cut.
Harvest regularly, and the plants will produce continually. Use the “cut-and-come-again” harvesting technique, taking the largest, oldest leaves and leaving the young ones to continue growing.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/swiss-chard
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Beckysgreenhouse.com  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Becky’s Greenhouse