PlantFiles: Swiss Chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla 'Fordhook Giant'

In Albuquerque, NM it survived two winters but each year leaves were tougher. I planted new seeds early this summer in a new garden with great success. Chard is sweet and can be eaten in any way spinach is used. When cooked, I add onion, celery & bell pepper with butter to both leaf dishes for extra flavor.

I had a small space in the greenhouse that was not in use so I grew chard as an experiment. It is thriving and growing rapidly. As it is growing hydroponically, it does not require the same spacing as outdoors. Fifteen plants are growing in a 3 square foot system and doing remarkably well.

I put in some transplants at the beginning of last summer in sun but somewhat compacted clay soil location and they did not appreciate it and refused to grow to more than 6 inches tall. At the end of the season, I moved them to richer more fertile soil (in full sun) and covered them with plastic Tun'l Covers during the (bitterly cold) winter as an experiment. They did not grow at all during the cold winter, but they did survive with very little damage under the tunnel covers. In early spring, I removed the Tun'l Covers and added a mulch of shredded leaves and a little fertilizer and they are now about 18" tall and growing happily and putting on new leaves every week.

My mother grew the same transplants last summer in a sunny location with great soil and they put on a gorgeous show. With just 6 plants, she had enough to pick huge bunches at least (usually more than) twice a week. Very Prolific!

Intro'd in 1934 by W. Atlee Burpee & Co. Plants usually 24-28" tall with 2 1/2" wide stalks. Reliable producer all season, even after the first light frosts. 50-60 days.

This is the most productive of the Swiss Chard varieties I have grown.The stems are heavier and the leaves more full-Fordhook appears to have much less aphid problems than the colored varieties.I like the flavor of this one the best.