Latest / The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners / Episode 38 – Swiss Chard – Colorful, Tough, and Tasty

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Episode 38 – Swiss Chard – Colorful, Tough, and Tasty · The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners

• 0:29
  Welcome back to the Beanstalk, fellow Beans.
• 0:32
  My name is John, your neighborhood garden buddy, and
• 0:36
  today we're talking about one of the most underrated workhorses
• 0:40
  in the garden. Swiss Chard is one of those
• 0:44
  plants that quietly does its job all season long while looking
• 0:48
  absolutely fantastic doing it. If you've ever wanted a crop
• 0:54
  that's forgiving, productive, and pretty enough to almost pass
• 0:58
  as an ornamental, this one's for you.
• 1:02
  It's a plant that doesn't get nearly enough love compared to
• 1:06
  kale or spinach, and honestly, that's a shame.
• 1:12
  By the end of this episode, I think you'll see why Swiss Chard
• 1:15
  deserves a permanent spot in your garden beds.
• 1:21
  Swiss Chard is one of the most reliable leafy greens you can
• 1:25
  grow, especially if you want something that doesn't quit at
• 1:28
  the first sign of heat or cold. Unlike spinach, which bolts the
• 1:34
  moment summer shows up, charred just keeps on trucking through
• 1:39
  warm weather, and even tolerates light frosts in the fall.
• 1:45
  It's incredibly productive, giving you repeated harvest from
• 1:49
  the same plant over months instead of weeks.
• 1:53
  Flavor wise, it's mild, slightly earthy, and adaptable, which
• 1:59
  means it works just as well sauteed, tossed into soups, or
• 2:03
  eaten young and fresh. On top of all that, Swiss Chard
• 2:09
  brings serious visual appeal to the garden, especially rainbow
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  varieties with red, yellow, pink and white stems that look like
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  stained glass in plant form. It's one of those crops that
• 2:25
  feeds both your eyes and your kitchen.
• 2:30
  Growing Swiss Chard is refreshingly straightforward,
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  which makes it great for beginners and seasoned gardeners
• 2:38
  alike. It prefers full sun, but will
• 2:42
  happily tolerate partial shade, especially in hotter climates
• 2:48
  where a little afternoon protection actually helps.
• 2:53
  Charred grows best in rich, well draining soil with consistent
• 2:57
  moisture, though it's surprisingly forgiving.
• 3:01
  If conditions aren't perfect, you can direct sow seeds in
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  early spring once the soil can be worked, and then again in
• 3:10
  late summer for a fall crop. One thing to keep in mind is
• 3:16
  that each charred seed is actually a cluster, so thinning
• 3:21
  is important to give plants enough space to mature properly.
• 3:26
  Once established, Charred doesn't ask for much beyond
• 3:30
  regular watering and the occasional feeding, and it
• 3:34
  rewards you with steady growth all season long.
• 3:41
  Harvesting Swiss Chard is where this plant really shines.
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  Instead of pulling the whole plant, you harvest the outer
• 3:49
  leaves and let the center continue producing new growth.
• 3:55
  When leaves reach about 8 to 12 inches tall, they're ready to
• 3:59
  go, and you can cut them near the base with a knife or snap
• 4:04
  them cleanly off by hand. Younger leaves are tender and
• 4:09
  great for salads, while larger leaves hold up better to
• 4:13
  cooking. As long as you don't remove more
• 4:16
  than about 1/3 of the plant at a time, it will keep producing for
• 4:21
  months. In cooler weather, growth slows
• 4:26
  down a bit, but the flavor often improves, making fall charred
• 4:31
  especially satisfying to harvest.
• 4:36
  One of the most common pests you'll encounter with Swiss
• 4:39
  Chard is leaf miners, which are small larvae the tunnel through
• 4:44
  the leaves, leaving squiggly white lines behind.
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  The damage is mostly cosmetic, but heavy infestations can
• 4:53
  weaken plants and make leaves less appealing to eat.
• 4:59
  Leaf miners show up because adult flies lay eggs on the
• 5:02
  leaf's surface, especially in cooler weather.
• 5:08
  Removing and destroying affected leaves early and using row
• 5:11
  covers can help break their life cycle.
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  Aphids are another frequent visitor, clustering on stems and
• 5:21
  undersides of leaves where they suck.
• 5:23
  Plant juices cause curling or stunted growth.
• 5:28
  They tend to appear when plants are stressed or during rapid
• 5:32
  growth spurts. A strong spray of water or
• 5:36
  insecticidal soap usually takes care of them without much
• 5:39
  trouble. Fungal issues like downy mildew
• 5:45
  can pop up in cool, damp conditions, causing yellow
• 5:49
  patches on leaves and grayish growth underneath.
• 5:54
  This happens when air circulation is poor and moisture
• 5:58
  lingers on foliage. Spacing plants properly and
• 6:03
  watering at the soil level rather than overhead helps
• 6:06
  prevent it. Another occasional problem is
• 6:10
  bolting, though charred is much slower to bolt than many greens.
• 6:15
  Bolting usually happens during extreme heat or drought stress,
• 6:20
  and keeping plants well watered helps delay it significantly.
• 6:26
  Swiss Chard gets along with most garden neighbors and doesn't
• 6:29
  tend to cause problems. It pairs well with onions,
• 6:33
  garlic and herbs that help deter pests without competing heavily
• 6:38
  for nutrients. Because it has relatively
• 6:42
  shallow roots, it can share space with deeper rooted plants
• 6:45
  comfortably. Avoid crowding it with
• 6:49
  aggressive growers that might shade it out completely since
• 6:53
  good airflow and light help keep leaves healthy.
• 6:58
  Chart also works well tucked into mixed beds where it fills
• 7:01
  gaps and keeps producing while other crops come and go.
• 7:08
  Saving seeds from Swiss Chard requires patience.
• 7:12
  Since it's a biennial plant, that means it won't flower and
• 7:16
  produce seeds until its second year of growth.
• 7:20
  To save seeds, you'll need to overwinter healthy plants and
• 7:24
  allow them to bolt the following season.
• 7:28
  Chard is closely related to beets and can cross pollinate
• 7:32
  with them, so isolation is important if you want pure seed.
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  Once seed stalks dry and turn brown, you can harvest them and
• 7:42
  let them finish drying before threshing.
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  It's a longer process, but it's rewarding if you're interested
• 7:51
  in preserving a favorite variety.
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  One of the biggest pros of Swiss Chard is its long harvest
• 7:59
  window. Since a single planting can feed
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  you for months, it's also tolerant of a wide range of
• 8:08
  conditions and doesn't demand constant attention.
• 8:13
  The visual appeal of colorful stems is another bonus that few
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  vegetables can match. On the downside, the leaves can
• 8:22
  be tough if harvested too late, and some people find the flavor
• 8:27
  less exciting than spinach or kale on its own.
• 8:31
  Still, it's reliability and versatility make it a solid
• 8:35
  choice for almost any garden. One of the better ways to use
• 8:42
  Swiss Chard is in a simple, garlicky saute that works as a
• 8:46
  side dish or a base for just about anything.
• 8:51
  You'll need one large bunch of Swiss Chard, about two
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  tablespoons of olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic, Slice thin,
• 9:01
  half a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and a
• 9:07
  squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Start by washing the jar
• 9:12
  thoroughly and separating the stems from the leaves, chopping
• 9:16
  the stems into small pieces and roughly tearing the leaves.
• 9:22
  Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the
• 9:26
  garlic, letting it cook just until fragrant.
• 9:32
  Toss in the chopped stems 1st and saute for a few minutes
• 9:35
  until they begin to soften. Then add the leaves, a handful
• 9:40
  at a time, until they wilt down. Season with salt and pepper,
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  Finish with a squeeze of lemon and serve warm.
• 9:51
  It's simple, fast, and lets the Chard speak for itself.
• 9:58
  Despite its name, Swiss Chard isn't actually from Switzerland,
• 10:04
  though it was named that way to distinguish it from French
• 10:07
  spinach varieties. The colorful stems and rainbow
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  Chard come from selective breeding and don't change the
• 10:15
  flavor, but they do make harvesting feel a little more
• 10:19
  exciting. Swiss Chard is closely related
• 10:24
  to beets, and if you let it grow long enough, the resemblance
• 10:28
  becomes obvious when it bolts. Ancient Romans were known to
• 10:34
  grow and eat charred, making it a truly ancient vegetable.
• 10:41
  Charred leaves contain oxalic acid, which is why they soften
• 10:45
  and mellow so nicely when cooked.
• 10:49
  And unlike many greens, charred can handle both heat and cold,
• 10:54
  making it one of the most adaptable leafy crops you can
• 10:58
  grow. And now for the Gardenerd
• 11:02
  corner, fellow beans. Botanically speaking, Swiss
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  Chard is beta vulgaris, the same species that gives us beets and
• 11:12
  sugar beets, which makes it a fascinating example of selective
• 11:17
  breeding. Instead of focusing on roots,
• 11:21
  Chard was developed for its leaves and stems, showing how
• 11:25
  human preferences shape plant evolution.
• 11:30
  The pigments that give Chard its bright stems are beta Leyans,
• 11:34
  which are the same compounds responsible for beet coloration.
• 11:40
  These pigments also have antioxidant properties, adding
• 11:44
  to charge nutritional value. Chard's ability to tolerate
• 11:49
  temperature swings comes from its efficient leaf structure and
• 11:53
  water regulation. In other words, this plant is
• 11:56
  quietly built like a tank. Next time on the Beanstalk,
• 12:02
  we'll be tackling cauliflower, a crop that's equal parts
• 12:06
  rewarding and frustrating. We'll talk about why it has a
• 12:10
  reputation for being finicky and how to stack the odds in your
• 12:14
  favor. From blanching to timing,
• 12:18
  there's a lot going on with this one.
• 12:21
  It's a great next step if you're feeling confident and ready for
• 12:24
  a bit of a challenge. Thanks again for hanging out
• 12:29
  with me today on the Beanstalk, Fellow Beans.
• 12:34
  If you want to keep the conversation going, we've got a
• 12:36
  growing community over at the Beanstalk Garden Club on
• 12:40
  Facebook. Come join us, share your garden
• 12:44
  photos, swap ideas, and dig a little deeper into all things
• 12:48
  that grow together. If you're enjoying the podcast,
• 12:53
  don't forget to hit follow on Spotify so you never miss an
• 12:57
  episode. We'd also love to hear your
• 13:01
  feedback or questions for future shows.
• 13:05
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• 13:07
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• 13:11
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• 13:14
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• 13:18
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• 13:22
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• 13:28
  Keep on client.