Swiss Chard

Growers sow clusters of chard seed directly, typically between June and October in the Northern Hemisphere, timing the planting to match when they want to begin harvesting.

Leaves can be picked young and tender or left until the plant matures, when they grow larger and the stems become slightly tougher. Because the plant keeps producing new growth, harvesting is treated as an ongoing process, with most plantings yielding three or more successive pickings.

Culinary: The large leaf stalks of Swiss chard are often cooked separately from the leaf blade, and the crop has been used in cooking for centuries. It appears in Swiss cuisine, for example in capuns, a traditional dish from the canton of Grisons.

Chard is a cultivated descendant of the sea beet, Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima, native to the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Europe. Beta vulgaris has been cultivated since at least the 1st century CE, with its leafy and root forms, including chard, developing from this wild ancestor over time.