Cannot Grow Swiss Chard - Why?

[irridium]

Tried to grow them in pots, raised bed and flower bed and none have worked for me. They end up staying very small and sometimes, if I leave them long enough, they'll run to seed. Where am I going wrong? I've grown the white and the rainbow version from seed (started indoors and planted out when big enough). Where am I going wrong?

I sow half a dozen seeds in a cell. Home made compost. When big enough to handle, I transfer to 3 inch pots, feed once a week with tomato feed. When they outgrow their pots, I plant 4 in a 12inch square pot, in fresh home made compost. Keep them well watered. Probably not feeding.

I sow them in August for use in the spring “hungry gap”. I have a vague memory that they’re more prone to bolt sown early.

As PP said, under watering will make them tend to go to seed. I don't have much luck with it either, but the sorrel seems to do better, especially if I use it as a cut and come again and rotate the plants I let get bigger.

Mine seems to thrive on benign neglect I just stick the seeds in the ground and leave them to it
Just pulled up some that's been in since last summer. I'd did shelter them slightly over the winter but otherwise left them to it

I think they do best when there's a bit of warmth to be honest. Also, if they go to seed you can still eat the leaves without them being tough, I rather like the sculptural shape when they grow large and completely bonkers.

They can take a bit of time to get going.

are you thinning them out? ie making sure there arent seedlings directly next to each other as they will fight for moisture/nutrients. normally these are really easy, but one lot i did this year havent grown and have gone to seed - i think thats either because i havent watered them or because i didnt thin them out.

Maybe it’s better in a clayey soil? Or in the frozen north? I’d always regarded it as a fail-safe vegetable

Hi all,

Thanks for all your replies.

I sow indoors first in a pot (seed compost) and then prick out into cells and then put out in the greenhouse till they're big enough to plant out. Usually, they are planted singly with enough space around them to grow. But then after weeks and weeks later, they're really not put on much growth. ATM, I've one that's sat in the ground that's probably about 4" tall with about 6 leaves. That was planted about April time. Last year, I had one in a big pot with other small flowers in, but did nothing for the whole year and went to seed in the autumn. I don't usually have much room for my veggies, so they get planted wherever I can find space. I don't have rows of them, only have a few dotted here and there. (My garden is tiny so space is always a premium.)

Here are the answers to your questions:

Soil is loam
Garden and pots all watered regularly
Compost mulched and sometimes chicken manure pellets

I put rainbow chard seeds straight into the ground quite late last year, I was surprised how easily they grew - maybe they don’t like being transplanted.

you say you are short on space. are the seedlings being overshadowed by larger plants that are taking all the sunlight/water/nutrients? chard self seed on my plot and are doing well, other than the ones i sowed which are like yours ( I didnt thin and are too near my raspberries)

No, they're given enough room/light to grow. The soil is amended with compost too.