[Weatherwatcher]

Rather like beetroot, chard sends up multiple shoots. Should I leave all the shoots to grow or should I snip all but one from each plant?

[Aidy]

Just use it like cut an come again, pick the leaves you want to use there and then. I generally grow grow two lots through the year, one lot in spring for spring/ summer and then again I do a late summer planting for winter.

[Salmo]

They are best singled to one plant per station. If they are left they can become overcrowded and more prone to things like mildew. A plant about every 4 to 6 inches will soon fill the row. Singling is not as crucial as with their cousins beetroot as you are not interested in the roots.

[noshed]

I plant mine about a foot apart and then use them as Aidy says. Leave a few leaves on to grow for next time. Werks fer me.

[viettaclark]

I found out chard is perennial which means no planting next year as it comes up again in Spring for a nice early crop.

[madcat]

I found out chard is perennial which means no planting next year as it comes up again in Spring for a nice early crop.

In theory - mine tried to grow again this spring, but it was sad stuff that rotted off at the base.     Stank a bit too.  I pulled the whole lot out and replanted.  It wasnt long before I had a good fresh strong crop again.

[Weatherwatcher]

I found out chard is perennial which means no planting next year as it comes up again in Spring for a nice early crop.

Chard is perennial? Terrific! My wife loves it

[Weatherwatcher]

Many thanks to you all for your answers. No wonder I love this forum. I don't think I've ever seen a question asked that hasn't been answered in a positive, helpful way

[Salmo]

I stand to be corrected but I thought chard was biennial like its close relatives leaf beet and beetroot.

I have not grown chard but I have grown leaf beet (so called perennial spinach) which is a close relative of chard. It behaves as follows

If you plant it in the Autumn it goes through the Winter but goes to seed by mid Summer.

If you plant it in the Spring it will go to seed sometime between Autumn and the following Spring.

It can be held back by cutting off stems running to seed but eventually it gives up.

[viettaclark]

You may well be right Salmo. I cut my spring planted chard right down to the earth when cropping in the summer and noticed it was sprouting vigorously again. I got another crop and it's still producing small leaves. Even if I have to plant again next spring it's been a wonderful crop...you can't buy it in the shops and the stalks are really succulent with a bit of butter. It also doesn't get attacked by slugs or caterpillars particularly and you can leave it to get on with it. Well worth growing.
Can't remember where I saw it written that it was perennial....maybe a seed catalogue....?

[sunshineband]

It certainly lasts a long time 

ours was planted on 2nd April and is staill flourishing. I did thin to one per  station as it got a bit mildewy, but it is romping away and provided a couple of good picking a week from eight plants.

Loks fab too on these dark and gloomy mornings 

[Paul Plots]

Is anyone here talking about Swiss Chard - the one with the wide white stem that can be eaten with or without the green leaf?

I find this a great crop - I particularly like the stems as a change from eating the more tender green leaves.

I plant a couple of times a year and nearly always have it as a stand-by crop when there's little else.

Only draw back to eating chard too frequently is that it reduces the body's ability to make use of calcium - I believe. It is, however, high in iron 

[Kristen]

I grew them all this year as a bit of an experiment ... well, mainly because I grew the Ruby Chard first and then read my book which said that Ruby was more prone to bolting, so I sowed Swiss and the Rainbow one too, and did some successional sowings.

The successional sowings were a waste of time - in the sense that the first lot I sowed in the Spring is still going strong! I've taken off the flowering heads of any that bolted and the rest of the plant has seemed to continue to make leaves pretty much as well as its neighbours. They did get a bit of mildew in the Autumn

The White Swiss Chard has not worked - something has eaten the lot (Pigeons I think) but the coloured stuff right next to it hasn't been touched.  I've grown some of all types in the greenhouse for the Winter, so I will have a chance to see if the Swiss Chard tastes better (as my book says ...)

I planted some in the greenhouse very early last year in between where I was planing to put the Tomatoes; that worked well, the outdoor crop came ready just as the Tomatoes were needing the extra space.

[Salmo]

All the beet family have oxalic acid. This should not be a problem in young leaves if you do not eat too many. Older leaves are usually cooked which breaks down the oxalic acid.

[sunshineband]

Is anyone here talking about Swiss Chard - the one with the wide white stem that can be eaten with or without the green leaf?

I find this a great crop - I particularly like the stems as a change from eating the more tender green leaves.

I plant a couple of times a year and nearly always have it as a stand-by crop when there's little else.

Only draw back to eating chard too frequently is that it reduces the body's ability to make use of calcium - I believe. It is, however, high in iron 

Yes it is swiss chard. I have the variety Rainbow Lights.

Didn't know that about calcium uptake