| Description | A colorful edible vegetable that can find a place in your annual garden. Pull off the outer young leaves and eat in a salad or cook like spinach. Old leaves can become tough. |
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| Pronunciation | (BET-uh)(vul-GAIR-iss) |
| Plant Type | All Plants, Edibles Vegetables |
| Sunlight | full, mostly sun |
| Moisture | aveage |
| Soil & Site | average |
| Temperature | tolerates cold temperatures |
| Flowers | I have never had Swiss Chard bloom in my garden. I am assuming if they bolt (bloom) the taste will become bitter, like many leaf vegetables do. |
| Leaves | dark green leaves, bright yellow/orange petiole (leaf stalk) |
| Dimensions | depending on variety but usually around 12 inches |
| Maintenance | By removing just a few leaves at a time, the plants can produce most of the summer. |
| Propagation | Since we need only 6 or more plants in our garden, I like to start indoors 2-3 weeks, in plantable containers before they will be set out. It can be direct seeded into the garden. |
| Author's Notes | Tastes a lot like "spinach", just easier to grow. Will tolerate hotter weather than spinach, extending the growing season. We have grown this many times and enjoy the harvest. |
| Notes & Reference | Harvest the outside leaves and the plant will continue to grow. Can be boiled or mixed with other dishes. Also can be eaten raw in salads. To many Swiss Chard is an "acquired taste". |
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