Rainbow Swiss Chard Seeds - (Beta vulgaris ssp. cicla)

Rainbow Swiss Chard - Technicolor Wonder

You might think that a plant named Swiss Chard comes from the rolling hills of Switzerland. That’s a logical conclusion, but it’s a story rooted in shrewd marketing tactics. The truth is, this versatile green is a Mediterranean native, a hardy plant that thrived on ancient coastlines for millennia before it ever had a passport. So how did it get its name? History points to a fascinating tale of 19th-century Dutch seed merchants, who, in a savvy marketing move to compete with French spinach, gave it the "Swiss" moniker. When you grow Rainbow Chard, you aren't just planting a vegetable; you're cultivating a piece of history - from the gardens of Ancient Greece to your garden today, proving that a good story is as enduring as a good seed.

Details

Rainbow Swiss Chard is a stunning biennial, though you will likely grow it as an annual for its beautiful, edible leaves and stalks. It thrives in your garden in full sun to partial shade and is well-suited to a variety of settings, including containers and large pots, making it an ideal choice if you practice "edible landscaping." You can depend on its hardiness in USDA Zones 6-11, as it can tolerate moderate frosts, which will extend your harvest season.

The plant grows in a dense, upright rosette, typically reaching a mature height of 1.5 to 2 feet. You’ll notice its large, glossy leaves for their crinkled or "savoyed" texture, while the celebrated "rainbow" effect comes from its sturdy, ribbed stems which display brilliant shades of crimson, gold, orange, pink, purple, and pure white. This vibrant coloring extends dramatically into the veins, creating an attractive contrast with the dark green leaves. As a biennial, chard produces a flower stalk in its second year, after which the leaves often become bitter. A fascinating secret for you to know is that its knobbly seed is not a single seed at all, but a hard fruit capsule containing up to four individual seeds. This unique trait is the key to its vigorous, clustered sprouting habit.

History

All chards and beets are cultivated descendants of the wild sea beet, Beta maritima, a hardy plant native to the sandy coastlines of the Mediterranean and Atlantic Europe. Chard is believed to be much older than the root beet, with historical records confirming its cultivation in Ancient Rome and Greece. The Greek philosopher Aristotle even mentioned a red-stalked variety in his writings around 350 BCE, confirming that colored chards have been known since antiquity. From its Mediterranean origins, it spread across the continent, appearing in British gardens by at least 1596.

The "Swiss" designation is thought to have been added by 19th-century Dutch seed merchants to distinguish it from popular French spinach varieties competing in the market at the time. "Rainbow" chard celebrates this diverse heritage by combining classic varieties like the green 'Fordhook Giant', white-ribbed 'Lucullus', crimson 'Rhubarb', and 'Golden Chard' into a single, beautiful offering. Demonstrating its resilience and utility, chard was even one of a handful of crops tested by NASA for growing on long-term space missions.

Uses

A versatile performer in the kitchen, Rainbow Swiss Chard provides two different uses from one plant. The tender leaves have a pleasant, earthy flavor that is milder than spinach and becomes gently sweet when cooked, making them excellent for you to wilt into pastas, adding to soups, or simply sautéing with garlic. 

The crisp, colorful stems are milder and sweeter still, with a texture similar to celery or bok choy. These stems require a slightly longer cooking time and are wonderful when chopped and sautéed as a base for other dishes, pickled for a bright condiment, or even grilled for a unique, smoky flavor. You’ll find the young leaves are tender enough for raw salads, while mature leaves develop a robust structure perfect for braising or using as a wrap for fish or other ingredients. In European and North American cuisine, chard is a popular addition to pies, egg dishes like frittatas and quiches, casseroles, and pasta fillings. It pairs well with tomatoes, peppers, artichokes, roasted meats, and cheeses like pecorino and parmesan.

Companion Planting

Chard grows exceptionally well alongside members of the onion family, including bunching onions, leeks, and garlic, whose strong aromas can help deter common pests like aphids and flea beetles. It is also a good neighbor to brassicas such as broccoli and cabbage and benefits from the nitrogen-fixing capabilities of bush beans planted nearby. You can also plant aromatic herbs like mint or dill, as they are beneficial for attracting predatory insects that help manage pest populations.

It is best to avoid planting chard near heavy feeders like potatoes, corn, or cucumbers, which compete for essential soil nutrients.

Planting and Growing Tips

For your first planting, sow seeds directly into well-drained, compost-rich soil approximately two weeks before your area's last expected frost date. Because chard performs well even in summer heat, you can practice succession planting to ensure a continuous supply of tender leaves all season long. Simply sow a new batch of seeds every three weeks from spring through until late summer or early fall, depending on your local frost expectations.

Plant seeds a half-inch deep and two to three inches apart. Because the knobbly chard seed is a fruit cluster containing multiple seeds, you should expect vigorous, clustered germination. Once your seedlings are a few inches tall, you will need to thin them to their final spacing of 8-12 inches to allow for mature heads. Provide consistent moisture, especially during hot weather, to prevent the leaves from becoming tough. Once your plants are established, applying a two- to three-inch layer of organic mulch like straw or shredded leaves helps conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and keep the soil cool. As a heavy feeder, your chard will benefit from soil amended with compost before planting and a side-dressing of balanced organic fertilizer mid-season to encourage continuous growth.

Harvest Tips

The best time of day to harvest is in the early morning when the leaves are at their peak crispness and flavor. You can begin harvesting as soon as the outer leaves are large enough to eat, often within 30 days for tender baby greens perfect for salads. For a prolonged harvest, use the "cut-and-come-again" method by snipping the outer leaves one to two inches from the base, always leaving the smaller, central leaves untouched. This practice stimulates the plant to produce new growth from its crown. If you harvest regularly, you will encourage a steady supply and prevent older leaves from becoming tough. In milder climates, chard can overwinter and provide an early spring harvest before the plant bolts and its energy shifts to seed production. 

Learn More

• Chard of Many Colors
• Cool Season Vegetables to Love

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