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Swiss chard

Cut-and-come-again leaves from one sowing for eight months or more, in heat and in frost.

1. Soak the corky seed clusters for 2 hours before sowing, it speeds germination.
2. Sow 2 cm deep, 3 seeds every 30 cm, or start in modules and plant out at 5 leaves.
3. Thin to one strong plant per station, each cluster gives 2 or 3 seedlings.
4. Water in and mulch 5 cm to keep the roots cool.
5. Start picking outer leaves once the plant has 8 or more, never strip it bare.
6. Cut the whole plant back to 5 cm in late summer for a fresh flush of autumn leaves.
7. Leave the plants in over winter in mild zones for an early spring pick before they bolt.

Soil

Any reasonable soil with compost dug in, pH 6.0 to 7.5. Tolerates salty and poor ground better than spinach.

Sun

Full sun in cool seasons, afternoon shade in Mediterranean and arid summers.

Water

20 mm a week. Deep watering keeps the stems tender.

Spacing

30 cm apart, rows 40 cm

Depth

2 cm deep

Care

['Feed a nitrogen-rich liquid feed every 3 weeks while you are picking hard.', 'Take the outer third of the leaves at most in any one cut.', 'Remove any yellow or slug-chewed leaves at each pick so the plant stays clean.', 'In Mediterranean summers shade it at 35 C and the plant sails through instead of stalling.']

Harvesting

Snap or cut outer leaves at the base, taking the oldest first. A healthy plant gives 4 to 6 leaves a week through the season. Cook the thick stems a few minutes before the leaves.

Storing

5 to 7 days in the fridge in a bag. Blanch 2 minutes and freeze for 8 months. Stems and leaves freeze better separated.

Grow it next to

Beans, onions and brassicas. Keep away from beetroot, they are the same species and share pests.

Problems

[{'cause': 'Leaf miner larvae', 'fix': 'Pick and bin affected leaves, and cover new growth with fine mesh. The plant keeps producing.', 'symptom': 'Pale blotchy tunnels inside the leaves'}, {'cause': 'Bolting after a cold check or in long summer days', 'fix': 'Cut it out and keep picking, or resow. Autumn sowings bolt far less.', 'symptom': 'Plant throws a tall flower stalk'}, {'cause': 'Slugs and snails, especially on young plants', 'fix': 'Beer traps or evening hand-picking. Established plants outgrow the damage.', 'symptom': 'Leaves shredded overnight'}, {'cause': 'Leaves left on the plant too long or grown dry', 'fix': 'Pick weekly and water deeply.', 'symptom': 'Stringy tough stems'}]

Saving your own seed

Biennial. It crosses readily with beetroot and other chard, so flower only one at a time. Let the seed stalk dry on the plant and strip off the clusters.

Containers

Excellent in a 30 cm deep pot, one or two plants. Pick outer leaves weekly and it will run for months on a balcony.