LUKULUS Open Pollinated Swiss Chard Seed

Beta vulgaris is an early-maturing variety, ready in 60 days.
It is a favorite ancestral variety.
The leaves are light green, deeply blistered, on long, smooth white stems.
It produces an abundant crop with a mild, sweet flavor.
This variety is hardy and ornamental.
The seeds are open-pollinated, natural, untreated and non-GMO.

To obtain large leaves for cooking, sow seeds with wide spacing. Avoid sowing too early to prevent early flowering.

To harvest large leaves, sow twice a year: once in mid-spring for summer and autumn, and once in mid-summer for autumn and the following spring. Use string to mark the bed and dig a 2 cm trench along it. Sow seeds at 10 cm intervals, cover with soil, water and label. Space the rows 38-45 cm apart. You can also sow the seeds in cells or on a windowsill for transplanting once they are 5 cm tall. When transplanting, hold the plants by the root ball or leaves rather than by the stem.

For young salad leaves, sow successively between early spring and midsummer, every 2-3 weeks. Sow seeds 2 cm deep, in rows 5 cm apart, with rows 20 cm apart. You can also sow in wide 15 cm trenches, spacing the seeds 5 cm apart in each direction.

Gradually thin out Swiss chard seedlings to a distance of 30 cm for mature plants or 5 cm for young leaves. After transplanting, thin out the seedlings into cells so that there is only one plant per cell.

For planting, harden indoor seedlings over 7 to 10 days. Plant them 30 cm apart in rows 38-45 cm apart for broad leaves, or 5 cm apart in rows 20 cm apart for young leaves.

As for watering, Swiss chard has deep roots and can withstand periods of drought. However, thorough watering every week during the summer will encourage increased leaf production. Potted plants require regular watering. Mulching helps conserve moisture and prevent weeds. Be careful when watering red-stemmed varieties, as they are prone to bolting.

For protection, use barriers and traps for slugs and snails. Birds can damage seedlings, so cover them with netting or horticultural fleece if necessary. For best-quality leaves in winter, use horticultural fleece tunnels to cover the rows.

The broad leaves are ready about 12 weeks after sowing. Start picking them from the outside of each plant by breaking or cutting off the base of each stem. Remove any flowering stems that form to prolong harvesting. Harvest progressively as needed, cutting or breaking off outer stems. Harvest mature plants in one go, cutting stems at the base.