Elevate your usual stir-fries with this delicious crop
Rainbow Chard is a beautiful and nutritious vegetable; its shiny leaves and glistening leaf stalks make it both visually appealing and delicious to eat. Tender baby leaves can brighten salads, while larger leaves can be cooked similarly to spinach, and their crispy leaf stalks give a vibrant touch to stir-fries.
STEP 1: Get Started Growing
If you are starting from seed:
Sow seeds 1 cm deep and 2.5cm apart in each direction, spreading them evenly across the container and watering the seeds with a fine spray. Seeds germinate in about seven days, plus or minus a few days, depending on the weather
Once the seedlings have grown, thin them out to a spacing of 5–8 cm between plants.
If you are starting from seedlings:
Seedlings are ready to be transplanted in about 4 weeks after planting, and they would usually have 2–3 sets of healthy leaves by then.
STEP 2: Transplant Time!
Rainbow chard has shallow roots; thus, the container you use doesn’t need to be very deep — 20 centimeters is more than enough. Ensure you use a potting mix that is free draining so it remains moist but not waterlogged. As it is a cool season crop, it would benefit from being in a partially shaded spot such as along apartment corridors.
STEP 3: Keeping it growing
While Rainbow Chard can tolerate drought-like conditions, it will not grow new leaves or enlarge existing leaves during dry spells. Ensure it is watered regularly, about once every 2 days. If it will be exposed to the elements, ensure you mulch the surface to ensure the soil remains cool and protected from the harsh sun and rain. While they are not demanding in terms of fertilizer needs, they would benefit from a bi-weekly feed of diluted seaweed solution.
Common pests
Snails LOVE these tasty leaves, as do caterpillars, leaf miners and aphids. Use a diluted neem oil solution once a week as a preventive spray against these pests, and remove snails manually. Companion planting with strong smelling herbs like Mint and Garlic Chives can also help with pest management.
Step 4: Getting Your Harvest
Begin harvesting around 45–60 days after planting, when the plants are around 10–15 cm in height. If you want baby leaves, the rainbow chard is ready to harvest 30 days after sowing.
Rainbow Chard are ‘cut-and-grow-again’ crops. Simply harvest the older outer leaves and allow the center of the plant to continue sending out new leaves. Ensure there’s at least 4 leaves on the plant so it can continue growing. You would want to harvest the leaves when they are younger, so the plant never has a chance to mature . It also prevents the leaves from becoming bitter.
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