This leafy vegetable is a voracious feeder that calls for quite a lot of nitrogen, and will have to be secure from frost and eelworm, says Invoice Kerr.
Picture: Invoice Kerr
To procure a excellent yield from Swiss chard, it is important to pay shut consideration to a few key facets: fertilisation, eelworm and frost. Let’s read about each and every of those in flip.
Swiss chard is a leafy crop this is harvested a number of instances. Because of this, it’s an overly heavy feeder that calls for quite a lot of fertiliser, specifically nitrogenous fertiliser (LAN).
READ Swiss chard: seeds or seedlings?
Observe LAN in excellent time to be sure that plant grows vigorously and the leaves keep a dark-green color.
Take into accout that, with Swiss chard, the next crop continuously doesn’t do in addition to anticipated.
Even if I haven’t any evidence, I believe that the primary crop has an allelopathic impact at the following vegetation. Because of this it releases chemical compounds within the soil to suppress different vegetation.
Swiss chard (like beetroot) may be delicate to low ranges of boron.
As a result of boron availability varies in keeping with local weather and soil prerequisites, it’s a good suggestion to hold out a few boron sprays at the crop to verify there may be enough for the crop’s necessities.
In truth, you’ll be able to play it secure and practice a boron spray calmly to the leaves (at a price of 1kg/ha) even supposing the degrees are ok.
Boron will also be added to the soil and integrated, nevertheless it’s tough to use this small quantity lightly over the entire house; a foliar spray is handy and economical.
Make sure, too, to handle the extent of potassium within the soil; this will likely assist to verify wholesome, fine quality leaves.
Maintaining the plant neatly fed may even decrease the possibilities of the illness.
Eelworm
Ahead of planting, you want to test for eelworm, which is able to end up devastating to the crop. Have the soil analysed for this pest and in addition take a look at the roots of the former crop.
Swiss chard draws beet cyst eelworm (Heterodera schachtii), knot eelworm (Meloidogyne spp) and lesion nematode (Pratylenchus spp).
READ Different Swiss chard pests
As discussed, Swiss chard is generally harvested at common periods and can subsequently soak up a large number of vitamins from the soil.
The eelworm inhabitants will build up on the identical time, which may impact the next crop.
Because of this, believe disposing of the crop as quickly because the yield and high quality begin to become worse. Have the following crop in a position to reap on the identical time.
Frost
At the Highveld, many spaces turn into too chilly for increasing Swiss chard in wintry weather. The crop won’t die, however would possibly broaden scorched leaves or produce smaller, slow-growing leaves.
In the event you’re primarily based in such a space, plant your wintry weather crop at the warmest lands of the farm.
If this isn’t an choice, use frost quilt to offer protection to the crop, preferably draped over twine hoops to forestall the leaves from entering touch with the material.
This calls for extra effort and is costlier, however will save you the information of the leaves from growing frost burn, which is able to motive the produce to be downgraded.
Harvesting
Stay up for the leaves to succeed in complete measurement ahead of harvesting. Be extraordinarily cautious no longer to take away too many leaves at one time.
The leaves seize daylight, which gives the plant with power.
If there aren’t sufficient younger leaves at the plant, the regrowth shall be a lot slower, as there’s a restricted quantity of power the plant can seize to stimulate regrowth.
I come throughout ‘overharvesting’ a ways too continuously.
Invoice Kerr is a vegetable specialist and breeder.