Is Swiss Chard hard to grow?
No, not at all. Swiss chard, a member of the beet family, but it provides lots of spinach type leafs when grown in a nutrient-rich soil. Also called sea kale and Indian spinach, chard and its relative leaf beet are utilized where spinach is difficult to grow. Prepare the soil with lots of compost and additional greensand, or a 5-10-5 fertilizer, before planting. Thin the sprouts to about a foot apart, provide lots of water and you will have an abundant crop. Chard has few pests other than leaf miners and slugs. Grow it under row covers if these pests are a problem. Some varieties of Swiss chard have smooth leaves while others have dark, thick, crinkled leaves. There is a red variety called ‘Rhubarb Chard’ that spices up any garden. ‘Perpetual’ is an old variety of leaf beet that is tough, drought tolerant, and seems to resist bolting during the heat of summer. Other types to try are ‘Erbette’, a tender-leaved form that keeps on producing, and ‘Southern European’, a light-colored chard
