Gone To Seed: Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is a biennial, which means that it grows roots and leaves in its first year. Following the winter, the plant stretches up towards the sky, its pretty stalks contort and seed heads form. Right now my Swiss chard is bolting (i.e going to seed). The only problem? I planted it this spring. Thankfully, I can blame my problem on the weather.
In general Swiss chard is remarkably bolt resistant in its first year. It produces a generous amount of leaves long after spinach and lettuce give up the ghost. But when Swiss chard is exposed to long periods of temperatures below 50 degrees, or wildly fluctuating temperatures, it gets confused and thinks that it lived through the winter. Transplanted seedlings are more prone to bolting than directly sown plants, and varieties with red or pink stalks are more vulnerable to premature bolting than ones with white stalks.
Swiss chard readily self sows, which means that when its seed drops to the ground it will germinate all on its own when the conditions are right (usually the following spring). And leaves from bolted chard do not develop a harsh or bitter taste like bolted spinach. So, unless you need to pull the bolting plants to make way for another crop, I encourage you to let the Swiss chard set its seed. You’ll get a new crop next year—or maybe even this fall if you are lucky—without any extra work on your part!
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