Chard 'Fordhook Giant'

Fordhook Giant likes a position of full sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Fordhook Giant is thought of as very hardy, so this plant will tend to survive through freezing conditions. Ensure your soil is loamy and clay and has a ph of between 6.1 and 7.5 as Chard is a weakly acidic soil to weakly alkaline soil loving plant.

If transplanting, be very careful not to disturb the roots. Best to direct sew on the last frost date.

Ensure a distance of 0.39 inches (1.0 cm) between seeds when sowing - look to sow at a depth of approximately 0.39 inches (1.0 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 10°C / 50°F to ensure good germination.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Fordhook Giant is a very hardy plant.

Leaves are 20 – 30 cm in length, 15 – 18 cm wide, dark green with white mid-rib and stem. Harvest is 40-60 days after sowing depending on weather conditions, but can be used as a “cut-and-come-again” crop for continual harvesting.

The species name vulgaris is from the Latin vulgus (“the multitude, the masses”) +‎ -āris, and means “common”, “usual”, or “commonly known” ¹.

Swiss Chard

¹ Wiktionary entry for vulgaris