Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
One recognizes by the flowers and seeds that beets and Swiss chard are of the same species.
The fire-red stalks of spinach beet 'Roter Vulkan' (red volcano)
Red, orange, pink, and yellow varieties of Swiss chard are not as winter hardy as those with green
and white stalks, the latter in some cases overwintering in zone 5. Swiss chard is otherwise considered
to be hardy to zone 6, where it can be overwintered outdoors.
HARVEST
As for beets.
SELECTION CHARACTERISTICS
• Swiss chard: shape and size of leaves, consistent leaf color (light green, yellow-green, green, dark
green, silver-green, orange, red, purple, violet), crimped or shiny-smooth leaf surface
• spinach beet: length and thickness of stalk; the development of large, tender individual stalks or of a
compact plant that is harvested all at once; stalk color (white, silvery white, yellow, orange, red,
purple)
• do not harvest seed from plants with cercospora leaf spot disease
• do not harvest seed from plants that bolt in the first year (Swiss chard and red spinach beets espe-
cially tend to bolt as the weather gets colder in autumn)
