Rainbow chard is not a favourite vegetable of ours to eat alone, but we have found ways to use this easy to grow vegetable. Rainbow chard is very high in vitamin k, vitamin a and full of other vitamins and minerals, so
Rainbow chard is not a favourite vegetable of ours to eat alone, but we have found ways to use this easy to grow vegetable. Rainbow chard is very high in vitamin k, vitamin a and full of other vitamins and minerals, so adding it into your diet has great health benefits. We often add it into curries, soups, casseroles and many other dishes. For the amount we use we find growing between 2 and 3 plants always leaves us with plenty to spare.
How to Plant Your Rainbow Chard
We sow our rainbow chard into seedling trays. It is easiest to sow into seedling trays as you can have complete control over the growing conditions. We sow about 3 seedlings per cell as the germination rate can be poor. After germination we thin this out to one seedling. You can also direct sow the seeds or buy seedlings from a nursery.
When to Plant Your Rainbow Chard
We sow our rainbow chard when the weather starts to cool down which is normally March, then transplant them into the ground in April.
Where to Plant Your Rainbow Chard
Rainbow chard loves full sun, however if you are growing it over the summer, it will need to be shaded otherwise it will go to seed. We normally grow them over the cooler months, however by providing adequate shade we have been able to have our rainbow chard survive for the first time over summer.
Transplanting Your Rainbow Chard Seedlings
The Rainbow Chard seedlings are ready to transplant when they have their first true leaves and are between 5-10cm tall. We plant them with a spacing of 30cm.
Rainbow chard can be grown in the ground, pot or aquaponic. Before transplanting them into the ground or pot we like to give the soil a good freshen up with some compost, manure, mul