Who doesn’t love a dark leafy green? Swiss chard is a great source of Vitamin C, fiber and iron.

Great in salads, smoothies and stir frys, here’s how to grow it in your very own garden.

Step 1 – Prepare your garden bed

The first thing you will need to do is prepare a space for your Swiss chard to grow. You have a few options here: a vegetable garden plot in your backyard, planter boxes, or just flower pots on your balcony. An important thing to remember when using planters or pots is to ensure that they have proper drainage, so that excess water can flow out. Like other leafy greens, Swiss chard likes a soil with a bit of compost, so if you have access to that, mix it into your soil before planting.

Step 2: Get ready to plant

You can buy Swiss chard seeds or seedlings at your local garden center. Remember, if you’re using seeds, they do take some time to sprout and can be more temperamental. For rookie gardeners, seedlings are recommended. Additionally, Swiss chard can tolerate pretty cold temperatures, so you can get your seedlings into the ground quite early on, so you can plant them about a week or two after your last frost in the spring.

Step 3: Planting

Plant your seedlings about 8”-10” apart, so they have enough room to grow. If you’re planting seeds, place a few seeds into the same hole at about a ½” deep. Water them right after planting, and then twice daily for about a week. Once they’re established you can water a bit less frequently.

Step 4: Harvesting

After about 2 months (or less for seedlings) your chard will be ready to harvest! Take a few leaves at a time, and you will have fresh Swiss chard all summer long.

Check out this video for more info!

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