Does Swiss Chard Come Back After Picking?

Growth

• Like lettuce (Latuca sativa), cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), the edible leaves of Swiss chard arise from a structure in the center of the plant’s base. The structure is called a terminal bud. As leaves grow and elongate, new leaves form at the terminal bud, making chard an ever-bearing crop for the duration of its stay in the garden. Chard leaves growing on the plant's outer edges can be harvested any time by snipping them about 2 inches above the ground. Tender leaves fewer than 4 inches long are used as baby greens in salads while mature leaves have thick midribs and tougher texture that are better suited to braising or sauteing. As long as the terminal bud is undamaged, chard continues to produce new leaves.

Rejuvenation

• After several months of growth, and especially in the midst of summer, chard can begin to look rather ratty and tired. That appearance doesn’t mean the plant is ready to give up. Rather than pulling the entire plant from the ground and waiting until late summer to replant, cut back the entire plant so it is 2 to 3 inches tall. While cutting, avoid damaging the all-important terminal bud. In several weeks, as long as the weather is not terribly hot, a new crop of tender young leaves will have sprung up, allowing the harvest to continue.

Planting Times

• Chard seeds can be sown in a garden as early as two to three weeks before the last frost, which ranges from late March to early May in many U.S. areas. While one planting is generally sufficient to furnish the garden with ample chard for the growing season, some gardeners prefer to sow several successions of chard seeds, with the plantings several weeks apart, for a continuous harvest of varying sizes of greens. Chard seed can be planted in late summer, from mid-July to early September, for a fall harvest.

Culture

• Chard needs full-sun exposure, well-drained, nutrient-rich soil and plenty of water as it grows. A chard plant grows to an average height of 2 feet when allowed to mature fully, and it needs daily light watering or weekly deep watering to maintain its vigor. Adequately watered soil is moist to the depth of 2 inches, or knuckle-deep. Because each chard seed is actually a cluster of several seeds, chard plants require thinning -- the removal of some plants -- after they sprout; the young sprouts that are removed for thinning can be used as greens in salads. Most chard varieties tolerate a light frost, or a temperature to about 25 degrees Fahrenheit. In areas where chard survives winter, expect the plant to bolt, or go to seed, when the weather warms the following spring.