Description

'Ruby Red' chard will beautify your garden as well as your plate! An 1850s vigorous grower with a long growing season, it will provide fresh greens from early summer into fall, and year-round in mild climates. Packed with vitamins and minerals, young leaves are great for salads. Any size leaves can be steamed, stir-fried, added to lasagna, omelets, soups, and stews, and mixed with other greens. Good container variety.

Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
Days to Maturity: 50–60 days
Family: Amaranthaceae
Native: Mediterranean region, Europe
Hardiness: Biennial; fairly cold tolerant. Will overwinter in mild climates and withstand light to moderate freezes.
Plant Dimensions: 24″ tall, 18″ wide
Variety Information: Dark green crinkled leaves with red veins and stalks and sometimes with reddish coloring in the leaves.

When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 40°F, ideally 75°–90°F. Sow as late as 2 months before first fall frost. Mild Climates: Sow in fall.
When to Start Inside: 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting out, 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date (protect from heavy freezes).
Days to Emerge: 5–10 days
Seed Depth: ½”
Seed Spacing: A group of 2 seeds every 8″
Row Spacing: 18″
Thinning: When ½” tall, thin to 1 every 8″

Harvesting: Pick up to 1/3 of the outer leaves as needed, and let more leaves grow from the center of the plant; or, if desired, harvest the whole plant 2″ above ground, and it will grow back. Pick very young leaves, at 2″-4″ for using fresh in salads.

This packet sows up to 48 feet. 140 seeds.