Growing Instructions for Spinach (Chard)

Season: 

Summer and Winter 

Chard is mostly grown as a cool weather crop and thus grown in winter, but can also be grown in Summer. 

 

Position: 

Semi-shade (summer) and Full sun (winter) 

In winter, Chard can be planted in full sun, but in summer, it should be grown in semi-shade or under a 30% or 40% shade netting. 

 

Soil ph: 

Between 6 and 7 

 

Watering needs: 

In summer, water regularly – at least 3 times a week. In winter, once or twice a week should be sufficient. 

 

Possible pests & problems: 

Powdery Mildew 

Aphids (very rare) 

 

Maintenance & extras: 

Spinach is very easy to grow and does not need a whole lot of extra maintenance. 

Bird netting might be needed. 

 

Additional fertilizers: 

Foliar feed (once a month) 

Root feed (once a month) 

 

Harvest: 

You can wait for your plant to fully mature before you harvest, or you can start harvesting individual leaves when the plant reaches about 20 to 30 cm in height. Always pick the outer leaves first, as the new leaves form from the middle of the plant. 

 

Cultivars: 

Chard is not really a true spinach, but in South Africa, when we speak about spinach, we usually mean “Swiss Chard”, which is actually part of the Beet Family! The Latin binomial name for CHARD is Beta Vulgaris and the Latin binomial name for SPINACH is Spinacia Oleracea. Spinach is a cool weather crop and therefore ONLY grown in winter, whereas Chard can be grown in winter and summer. The most used cultivars in South Africa are Fordhook Giant and Green Lucullus. These are the “standard” green leaves with white stems. But Chard is also available in an array of other stem colours (which we just put under one umbrella: Rainbow Spinach). The Swiss Chard “Bright Lights”, for instance, are best known for their colourful stems: red, orange, green, white and yellow. There are many more varieties available: Ruby Red, Flamingo, Peppermint, Orange Fantasia, etc. 

 

General: 

On very hot days, your spinach plant might get a bit limp. They usually stand up straight again later in the evening, when temperatures drop. Be careful not to overwater during the heat of the day. During summer months, always water your spinach plants early in the morning or in the evening. To keep the roots cool, use a thick layer of mulch in your garden beds. 

Chard can be grown in containers of at least 30 cm deep. 

Chard can be planted with beans, beetroot, cabbage, celery, dill, brinjal, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes and asparagus.