Leaf beet / chard - How many plants?

I know this is an impossible question, but I was wondering how many leaf beet plants I will need, to produce enough enough of the stuff to feed me, the missus and the lad.

Trouble is, we don't know if we even like it, having never tried it.

Does anyone have a rough figure, where if I said I was growing X number, people would laugh and ask if I was planning to live off them, or if I said I was growing Y number, then people would laugh and point out that it wouldn't feed a fly?

As it happens, I have 18 plants on the go so far, but I was thinking of sowing another batch this weekend.

 

I have about 100 (clumps of muliple plants) leaf beet that have overwintered from last year and I've sown three 20x modular cell trays that have sprouted, sowed another three trays today and I'll also be sowing a few rows direct in open ground next week.

But I have hungry hens who adore it.

 

I should think about a dozen plants. Try "Bright Lights" Pick a couple of leaves off each. Lots of different colours and nice to see in the cold winter.

Cheers, Tony.

 

I've just had a look at the packet, it seems it is 'Bright Lights' that I picked up

 

Bright Lights always seem (for me) to grow much smaller than normal green varieties (which I've had over 7 feet high when going to seed.

 

We usually have 4-5 plants of Swiss Chard plus the same of Leaf Beet (Perpetual spinach) - Sown about now will give a crop this year and over-winter for a good crop very early next year.

a-a

 

Small is good, but that reminds me, how tall do they typically grow?

I'm planning on putting mine in the front garden, where all passers-by will be able to see it, so I want it to look pretty, and not look like veg (not out of snobbery, I don't want people pinching it just for the sake of it).

Wow. 7ft? That's impressive. Will mine do that or is it really a different plant? In my veg book it lists chard and leaf beet as more or less the same thing although it does mention in passing that really they are different plants. I guess mine wont reach 7ft but I'd love to see how tall I can get some. I'd keep most of them small by regular picking, but I might be tempted to neglect one or two plants to see what they do

 

We do much the same, though really ought to sow in late August/September too for an early crop of fresh stuff.

 

Does this mean I should save some of the seeds to sow in late summer/early autumn, ready for next year, or will the ones I've already started just keep going? I've read conflicting accounts. Lots of people seem to say that if you protect them from the worst of the cold, they will keep producing indefinitely as they are evergreen perennials, but then I've ready other opinions that they should be growing from seed every year.

 

Think you'll do fine with 18 plants Clueless, we had around 6 or 7 for two of us last year and I'm doubling up this year.

Ours was rainbow chard and grew to around 2.5 foot, some will be going in our flower garden at home as it's colourful

Steve...

[Edit] Pic from last year showing the rainbow chard bottom right, big colourful stems!

 

The ones you sow now will survive winter but in Autumn and early Spring will start setting seed, develop thick main stems and won't develop large leaves, though you'll still get some small ones to pick. If you make a late sowing you'll get nice tender fresh leaves to pick early the following year.

 

I think 18 plants will be fine, we grow 20 plants for the Summer and I put 40 in the greenhouse in the Winter for early Spring crops (less heat & light for growing over winter, obviously ), planted "loosely" so that I can fit Sweetcorn in between, and when that gets too large I rip the Chard out.

I grow a mix of Ruby, Bright Lights and White (I think that is also called "Swiss Chard" but the name definitions are all a muddle IMHO). I think the Bright Lights crops the least. Supposedly the Ruby tends to bolt to seed more readily, but I can't say I've noticed that, and the White has (for me) the biggest stalks and leaves, but is also the only one that the birds eat ...

The leafy part, for picking, won't grow more than knee-high, its only when they go to seed that they get taller.

East Ruston Old Vicarage have a vegetable garden that is much ornamental as productive, and last year they let a few Chard plants go to seed, deliberately, to create some "interest", so something you might consider in your front garden if you want it looking a bit more ornamental?

 

I've sown my 'Bright lights' on your recomendationif all goes to plan my 'girls' will be well pleased that it's thanks to Uncle Scrungee:WINK1:

 

Pigeons have been eating my chard for the first time ever this spring, so I now not only have to fence the rabbits out, but have to net over them. Must remember to plant them out in net size blocks rather than rows.

I normally plant my rows blocks so some plants at the ends can be left to go to seed without mucking up plans for subsequent crops, providing all the seeds I'll need for the next couple of years, all the other going to seed plants being pulled up a few at a time and hung up for the hens to peck at.