(59 days) Open-pollinated. Deep crimson stalks, dark green leaves. Very hardy. Beautiful for edible landscapes. Heirloom from Europe goes back to 1857. ⑤
Items shipping from our garden seeds warehouse take 1–3 business days to process.
Orders with subtotals $1,200 and above receive bulk pricing.
If you have placed orders totaling at least $1,200 within the past 12 months, additional orders qualify for bulk pricing.
Potatoes and onion sets begin shipping in late March.
Items shipping from our garden seeds warehouse take 1–3 business days to process.
Items shipping from our growing supplies warehouse take 2-4 business days to process.
Orders with subtotals $1,200 and above receive bulk pricing.
If you have placed orders totaling at least $1,200 within the past 12 months, additional orders qualify for bulk pricing.
Items shipping from our garden seeds warehouse take 1–3 business days to process.
Culture: When to harvest greens? Research from trials conducted in England and Kenya showed looseleaf lettuce, red chard and arugula harvested in the evening had a longer shelf life than when picked in the morning.
Salzer’s 1915 catalog opines, “Swiss chard produces more food for the table than almost any other vegetable and it also requires less care; it yields a constant crop from July to winter.” Same species as beets.
Culture: Hardy and easy to grow. Can be sown almost as soon as ground can be worked in spring. Minimum germination temperature 40°, optimum range 50–85°. Space according to use—can be direct-seeded 2" apart for baby-leaf harvest; thin to 12–16" apart for large leaves. Soften thick ribs of chard, beets and other greens by braising. Also used for microgreens.
Disease: Cercospora Leaf Spot (CLS) looks like someone shot small target-like circles in mature foliage. Prolonged periods of rain and high humidity exacerbate this disease. Rotating crops, removing plant debris, and wider row spacing for adequate air circulation are preventive measures.
For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.
All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.