Category: Vegetables

Revive tired-looking leaves in a bowl of cold water with a splash of vinegar. After 20 minutes or so, the leaves should perk up. Can chard be toxic? Swiss chard is loaded with a natural toxin called oxalate. Just one half-cup of steamed white-stalked swiss chard has about 500 mg of oxalate and ½ cup […]

Rinse the fresh greens under cold running water to clean them, then use a sharp paring knife or your hands to separate the Swiss chard leaves from the stalk. 2. Blanch your chard. Blanching Swiss chard before freezing preserves the flavor and stops the enzymes that cause browning after long storage periods. How do you […]

While you can eat young, tender chard leaves raw in salads for the full nutritional benefit, they tend to have a bitter taste and are more often cooked in order to mellow out the bitterness and make them easier to digest. How do you get the bitterness out of Swiss chard? How Do You Get […]

Often, the culprit behind bitter Swiss chard is a hot, dry spell. Chard is in the same family as beets and spinach and prefers cool weather. Less than ideal growing conditions may cause Swiss chard to bolt, or flower. Does chard get bitter in heat? Chard will usually bolt in any extreme temperature conditions like […]

If you have more mature chard leaves, cut them into ribbons and, before adding to a salad, gently massage the dressing into the leaves with your hands to help tenderize them. Why is my chard tough? Answer: If the plants are subjected to fluctuations in water, the leaves of the chard can become tough. How […]

Swiss chard performs best in full sun but will also tolerate a little shade. The soil should be well drained and amended with plenty of organic matter, namely compost. Further amend the soil with a slow-release organic nitrogen fertilizer, such as blood meal, feather meal or cottonseed meal. Does Swiss chard need fertilizer? Fertilizer Requirements […]

Cabbage is widely cited in companion planting literature as a suitable buddy for chard. Other members of the cabbage family – such as broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, turnips, and radishes – make good neighbors too. Can you plant Swiss chard and kale together? Answer: Kale and Swiss chard have similar maintenance needs, so they make very […]

If you are using Swiss chard stalks in cooked dishes, you can parboil or blanch them before using them and discard the water (or let the water cool down and give your plants a drink). You can also use Swiss chard in more heavily spiced or seasoned dishes, which will mask the earthy geosmin. Why […]

Tomatoes, one of the most popular vegetables, do quite well when paired with chard. Also, everything in the cabbage or Brassica family takes to growing with chard quite well, as does anything in the Allium family. Beans are excellent chard companion plants. What is best to plant with Swiss chard? Brassicas: Members of the cabbage […]

Also known simply as ‘chard’, Swiss chard has large, fleshy, tender, deep-green leaves and thick, crisp stalks. Although they’re unrelated, chard is similar to spinach, but with a stronger, more assertive (or, as some think, bitter) flavour. Can Swiss chard be substituted for spinach? Swiss chard is similar to beet greens, spinach and kale, and […]

In fact, chard is basically a beet that has been bred to have fat, juicy stems and big leaves instead of channeling most of its energy into big roots. Some ancient Sicilians who loved beet greens are credited with creating the plant. Are beets and chard the same plant? Chard (Beta vulgaris) is also known […]

Swiss chard not only grows well in the hot temperatures of summer, but it also tolerates frost. In fact, chard may actually taste better when it’s grown in cold weather. However, plants will be killed by temperatures below 15 degrees F. (-9 C.). What is the lowest temperature Swiss chard tolerate? 15°FSwiss chard can survive […]

Swiss Chard Among vegetables, leafy greens are the most tolerant of shade, including kale, lettuce, spinach, arugula and chard. Which vegetable can grow without sunlight? But if you do not have a garden in the best location or have a large periphery with less light, there are plenty of vegetables that will grow well without […]

Like all vegetables, Swiss chard does best with a nice, even supply of water. Water regularly, applying 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week if it doesn’t rain. Can you overwater Swiss chard? Chard likes moisture and will taste bad after a drought, but standing water can increase the chances of infection. Avoid over-watering […]

They may be suffering from one of the many common garden molds or mildews that lurk in the soil and thrive in high humidity environments, like the ones that are created near the ground when tightly-packed crops are regularly watered. Powdery mildew, rust, and leaf spots are pretty easy to resolve. What does Overwatered Swiss […]

Swiss chard has edible dark green leaves with prominent magenta veins. Rhubarb, on the other hand, has light green leaves. They are not edible due to the high content of oxalic acid. The only factor that makes both of them look similar is the edible red or magenta stems. How do you identify Swiss chard? […]

chard is also has an abundance of antioxidants as well as phytonutrient antioxidants. Why are these phytonutrient antioxidants so special? These antioxidants have been shown to have great anti-inflammatory properties. These phytonutrients can be found in the plant’s leaves, and colorful stems. Does Swiss chard cause inflammation? Research shows that vitexin, another flavonoid found in […]

Dogs can eat swiss chard: Cooked as an ingredient in a homemade meal that’s balanced with a good source of protein. Steamed and given to your dog as a treat on occasion. Chopped finely or blended and sprinkled on top of their dog food. Does Swiss chard need to be cooked? Keep in mind: Swiss […]

Swiss chard is tempting to slugs, but if the plant is healthy, it will outgrow these battles. More of a problem, particularly if you like to eat only the soft green parts, is beet leaf miner, which produces unpleasant blisters with a wriggling maggot in the middle. Do slugs like chard? Slugs do not like […]

Brassicas: Members of the cabbage family (Brassica) are some of the best Swiss chard companion plants. This includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, turnips, kohlrabi, and collard greens. Can you plant kale and Swiss chard together? Answer: Kale and Swiss chard have similar maintenance needs, so they make very suitable companion plants that can be grown close […]