Swiss Chard 'Bright Lights Mix'

Beta vulgaris — Bright Lights Swiss Chard
Bright Lights is a colourful chard mix, producing glossy green and bronze leaves with stems in vivid shades of yellow, orange, pink, red, and white. Tender and mild in flavour, the leaves can be harvested young for salads or grown to full size for cooking. Hardy and ornamental, Bright Lights is both productive and decorative, thriving from spring through fall and tolerating light frosts.

DETAILS:

QTY: 75

SITE: Part Sun - Cool Season

TYPE: Annual

DEPTH: 1/2"

GERMINATION: 4-7 Days at 7-35°C

MATURITY: 55 Days Bunching

SPACING: See below

HOW TO GROW:
Soil pH should be over 6.0. Cool and mild weather is preferred, though chard has some heat tolerance. Seeds germinate in soil temperatures from 7–35°C with an optimum of 30°C. Seedlings will tolerate light frosts, and mature plants will tolerate moderate frosts. Some varieties may experience bolting pressure if seedlings are exposed to prolonged temperatures in the low 10s or below. Swiss chard may overwinter in mild areas.

TRANSPLANTING: Sow seed in a cold frame or indoors in early spring, about 5–6 weeks before transplanting out after heavy frosts become infrequent. Sow 1/2" deep, 2–3 seeds per cell in 72- or 128-cell flats. Thin to 1–2 plants per cell. Transplant out 4–6" apart in rows 12–18" apart.

DIRECT SEEDING: Bunching: Sow about 6 seeds/ft., 1/2" deep, rows 12–18" apart from midspring and on into midsummer (fall where winter is mild). Thin to 4–6" apart for larger leaves. Baby Leaf: Sow 1/4– 1/2" deep at 1–2 seeds/inch in rows at least 2" apart from midspring into late summer (fall where winter is mild). Planting too densely can lead to overcrowding and stunted growth. When planting more seeds per inch, be sure to plant rows farther apart.