Swiss Chard Ruby Red
Swiss Chard
The leaves have a slightly bitter spinach-like flavor and a fresh crunchy texture. This plant produces good yields with dark green shiny leaves with ruby red stems and veins. The plants grow up to 24″ tall, and their delicious leaves with a unique flavor are suitable for salads and are steamed with other vegetables and herbs. It can also be used frozen. The plant produces crops all summer until autumn and ripens in just 55-60 days.The Swiss Chard Red Ruby was introduced to the United States in 1857. Despite the name, it comes from the Mediterranean. The first written mention of this vegetable in the United States is in The American Farmer, where a Baltimore farmer Gideon Smith reported his experimental planting. It remained a curiosity until the end of the Civil War when it gradually gained popularity.
How to grow Swiss Chard Red Ruby from seeds::
- Sowing: Sow Swiss Chard directly one week after the last spring frost, planting it in compost-rich, well-drained soil in full sun. Plant the seeds 1/2 to 1 "deep, 8-10" row spacing, and 18-24 "row spacing. In more temperate regions, plant chard seeds indoors in April. Chard can overwinter in southern climates with the addition of mulch; this variety is sown as two years old, withstands low temperatures up to 15 ℉. Plant more ruby red chard seeds every two weeks for a steady summer harvest.
- Plant Spacing: 4-10″.
- Growing of Swiss Chard Red Ruby: Keep the soil evenly moist and weed-free with a layer of mulch. Moist soil is especially important for seedlings in the early stages of their growth.
- Swiss Chard Red Ruby Soil Requirements for: Keep the soil evenly moist.
- Swiss Chard Red Ruby Seeds Days to Germination: 5-10 days.
- Light Preference of Swiss Chard Red Ruby: Full Sun.
- Life Cycle of Swiss Chard Red Ruby: Annual.
- How and When to Harvest Swiss Chard Red Ruby: Collect individual leaves when they are 6-8 inches tall. Keeping a half-inch of the stem on during pruning can help keep the plant growing and getting the next crop.
- Swiss Chard Red Ruby Days to Maturity: up to 70 days.
- Swiss Chard Red Ruby's Seed Saving: Swiss chard is wind-pollinated, so it should be separated frоm other varieties of chard and beet by at least two miles to maintain its genetic purity. Swiss Chard plants must overwinter to produce seeds. To do this, in warmer climates, mulch the plants, and in cooler temperatures, dig up the roots and store them in the sand in a cool, damp place. Plant them in early spring. When they are completely dry, collect the seed heads and keep Swiss Chard seeds in a cоol, dry place for up to five years.
FАST FACTS:
- Cоmmon Names: Swiss Chard
- Latin Name: Beta vulgaris cicla
- Species Origin: Mediterranean island, Sicily
- Type: Open Pollinated, Heirloom, Cool Season
- Life Cycle: Annual
- USDА Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
- Seeds per Ounce: 1,300
- Sunlight: Full Sun
- Height: 18 Inches
- Color: Red, Green
- Uses: Culinary
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