Sunday, 17 August 2025

Growing Beetroot Vegetables Which Are Really Swiss Chard.

 You know how "Algarve' and "Portugal " my beloved polytunnels plastic were ripped and torn by the Atlantic gales?

We still haven't got round to building my new sturdy potting shed/man cave yet.

I bought quite a few of our vegetable seedlings in trays from a garden centre up in  County Kerry.  Their vegetable plantss are excellent.

Unfortunately they had not labelled the seedlings and veg plants.  I had even remembered to bring my Lidl reading glasses with me

Old Clever Clogs (me) jumped in with my size 11 boots and picked what I thought (" I taught I saw a puddy tat") were beetroot.

I have been watching them growing with caution and wondering why no beetroots were not forming under the leaves?🤔

I was weeding the repurposed plastic tanks yesterday and the penny finally dropped:

"They're Swiss chard".

Yes I know they are related to each other in the vegetable family.  Same factory, different department:



Swiss chard with some Nasturtiums invaders.

Anyone else grow Swiss chard?  Do you eat it raw or cook it?  I believe it's a good idea to cut out the hard spine before cooking or eating it?

2 comments:

  1. I eat young tender chard fresh in salads, steam or stir fry mature leaves and stalks (chopped and precooked a little but still have texture). Also enjoy 'perpetual spinach', a non bolting heat resistant chard almost to winter. Healthy stuff, since I can't eat kale. Enjoy your blog! Kris in Ohio

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  2. Hi Kris. Thanks for the Swiss chard advice. I have read that you will get three crops if you cut it back and let it grow again. I like kale, swedes, leeks and Brussel sprouts in winter.

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Growing Beetroot Vegetables Which Are Really Swiss Chard.

 You know how "Algarve' and "Portugal " my beloved polytunnels plastic were ripped and torn by the Atlantic gales? We sti...