Anyone have a favorite chard variety?
I ordered Verde da Taglio chard for fall planting, it sounds great with more tender stems and it’s “cut and come again” growth habit.
Anyone tried it?
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Let us know how they work. Tried Swiss and a Ruby chard here. Guess the stems go woody fast here. Greens were great though. We switched back to beets.
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I’ve grown a bunch and the bright colored ones are fun, but I think the best I’ve grown is a variety once suggested to me by @alan called sea foam.
https://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu/main/detail.php?variety_id=7160
It is very hard to find these days though. Fordhook is also pretty good.
I’ve grown taglio and the very similar perpetual spinach and they are very good in their own way, but aren’t really what I think of when I think of Swiss chard. I missed the giant leaves and more importantly the big thick stems that I like for the varied texture when chopped up and sautéed with the greens.
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Pine Tree Garden Seeds AKA Superseeds.
Looks like they no longer carry sea foam, but I wonder if someone renamed this one “sea foam”:
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That looks sort of similar, but I’m not sure. I may ask a neighbor to add a pack for me when he orders from them next time, since he is a regular customer for them.
This chard chat has gotten me thinking it is time to plant it again. Rabbits have moved into my community garden in a big way and just destroyed a row of edamame I thought I had protected. They pretty much left the kale alone. Does anyone know if chard is a regular rabbit snack or might it be safe? I know I can’t grow it at my house since it is a deer favorite.
Since I can’t find Sea Foam any more I might pick up Fordhook and Lucullus from Southern Exposure.
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I found that one too - looks like it is plant starts rather than seed.
How can we verify that Seafoam is a “real” variety and not re-branded?
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Verde da Taglio is the only Chard I would buy or grow for my own consumption. It really is tender and more mild just as it’s reported to be.
I bought some years ago from Bakers Creek.
I’m the only one that would eat Chard in the house though, so I only grew it for one year and never again. I still would highly recommend it.
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Good to know, thanks!
I like the regular chard too - but the Verde da Taglio looked appealing as I am also a huge spinach fan.
FYI, you get more seeds for a better price if you get Franchi brand seeds from Italy.
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I am almost positive that rabbits would love to eat chard, but my dogs love to eat rabbits, so that problem solves itself.
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fordhook is the best tasting variety to me by far. the stalk is bigger and juicer than rainbow chard, has a really good salty flavor, almost like celery.
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I am a big fan of perpetual spinach.
The leaves are a good size and they taste like a deep flavored spinach rather than a beet green. The stems are smaller and taste like a more mild chard. I am growing two plants and they give me enough for me and my wife to eat for about 3 times a week.
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Looks delicious!
Thank you for the variety recommendation.
Good to know, thanks!