When can I sow chard in the UK?

April to July outdoors; March under cloches in southern England. A single April sowing usually crops continuously from June through to the following March or April when the plant bolts. Mid-summer sowings (July) crop from autumn through winter and into the following spring.

Is chard the same as Swiss chard or perpetual spinach?

Same species, all Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla. Swiss chard usually refers to the named cultivars with coloured stems (Bright Lights, Rhubarb chard, Fordhook Giant). Perpetual spinach is a green-stemmed type sold as a spinach alternative — same plant, marketed for the spinach-substitute angle. They're all the same family and grow the same way.

Why does chard not bolt like spinach?

Different species, despite the names. True spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is hard-wired to bolt as summer days lengthen. Chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla) is a biennial — it grows in year one, bolts in year two. So a spring-sown chard gives leaf for 8–10 months before bolting, where spinach gives 4–6 weeks at best.

How long do chard plants last?

About 12–14 months — sown in April, they crop from June, through the winter, and bolt the following March or April. After bolting, replace with a fresh sowing. For continuous supply with no gap, sow a second batch in July; the older plants bolt as the new ones are coming online.

What's the difference between the coloured chards?

Mostly aesthetic. Bright Lights and Five Colours give a rainbow of white, yellow, orange, pink and red stems. Rhubarb chard has uniform deep red stems. Fordhook Giant has thick white stems and is the heaviest-cropping. Flavour differences are subtle; coloured stems tend to be slightly milder; white is more robust. Bright Lights wins on looks in an ornamental kitchen garden.

Can I grow chard in containers in the UK?

Excellent for containers. A 30 cm deep pot grows 3–4 plants. Use peat-free compost; water consistently; feed monthly through summer. The coloured cultivars (Bright Lights) make beautiful patio plants. Slug pressure is much lower in elevated containers than in the ground.

Snijbiet

Beta vulgaris Cicla Group

Zaai snijbietzaad van april tot juli direct in vochtige, vruchtbare grond op een plek in de volle zon of lichte schaduw. Snijbiet is winterhard (RHS H4–H5) en veel betrouwbaarder voor de zomeroogst van bladgroenten in het Verenigd Koninkrijk dan echte spinazie — hij schiet niet zo snel door en levert bij lichte winterbescherming van juni tot het volgende voorjaar een continue oogst op. De Bright Lights-variëteit geeft stengels in wit, geel, oranje en rood; Fordhook Giant is de rijkelijk opbrengende standaardvariëteit met witte stengels; rabarbersnijbiet heeft dieprode stengels. Elk zaadje is een cluster van 2–4 — dun uit tot één per plant op 30 cm afstand van elkaar. Pluk de buitenste stengels en bladeren continu vanaf 8 weken na het zaaien. Slakken zijn de belangrijkste plaag; verder is het een van de gemakkelijkste gewassen in elke Britse moestuin.

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