Perpetual Swiss Chard

I grew this Swiss chard hydroponically. If you have never eaten Swiss Chard before, do not be afraid to try this! Extremely productive and does not disappoint. It had an 8 month life span. It died because of thrips. Insecticidal soap was used but could not get their life cycle stopped. Cut outer leaves often when they become the size of your hand. Sauté the leaves and add to quiches or pasta dishes. The stem is tasty and can be used similar to celery. Add peanut butter! I have not successfully grown the chard outside yet, though I'm sure it is possible.

Sadly, our spring planting yielded no sprouts. We planted again almost 2 weeks ago and there are 2 sprouts, even though we planted a whole row. Hopefully these two will yield delicious results.

I guess this particular chard is called "perpetual" because the plants don't wimp out when hot weather hits. But when I grew it in a bed at the base of a southwest-facing brick wall, the plants actually overwintered one year, so that we had tasty extra-early greens the following spring. And that was in Zone 5B, with no winter protection except the regular mulch.

The reason I prefer to grow this particular Swiss chard is that it is quite low in oxalic acid. Some people have health problems if they consume too much oxalic acid, so this variety is a great, healthy alternative. The low oxalic acid content also makes Perpetual Spinach considerably more sweet and mild. It's growing beautifully in July, even though we're experiencing super-hot, over 100 degree temperatures here in Northern California, along with the rest of the nation in 2023. Perpetual Spinach is simply a big winner, all the way around!

I planted Victory Seeds Perpetual Chard in early May and to my delight this variety has truly been perpetual even through the hot summer months we typically have here in Virginia. I have never had such a successful harvest from any other vegetables I have ever grown. They just keep on producing delicious dark green leaves four months and running now. The flavor is superb and I love preparing fruity summer salads using this chard. Thank you for such a quality product; I have already purchased more seed for next year keeping it in the refrigerator for optimum storage.