{"title":"Swiss Chard","description":"Swiss chard variety seeds.","products":[{"product_id":"semences-bette-carde-rose-ecologique","title":"Red Swiss Chard","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris subsp. cicla.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the oldest vegetable garden plants of the Mediterranean basin, already described by the Greek naturalists in the 4th century BC, and which has accompanied European cuisine without interruption ever since. Botanically, it's a very close cousin of the beet — same species, different selection — that develops spectacular leaves and stalks rather than a fleshy root.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe red selection unfurls stems and veins of a deep crimson, sometimes almost violet, that contrast magnificently with the dark green, puckered leaf blade — a stained-glass effect in the vegetable garden when low sun cuts through them. Mild, earthy flavour, lightly sweet for the stalks, more marked for the leaves. Excellent sautéed with garlic and olive oil, slipped into a frittata, in pasta with currants and pine nuts Sicilian-style, in a cheese gratin, or cooked separately leaves then stalks to respect their distinct cooking times. Continuous harvest from July to the first serious frosts — take outer leaves as needed, and the plant produces new ones from the centre for months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like the beet, each \"seed\" is a glomerule containing several seeds — thin early and without mercy, or the plants compete and stay stunted. Chard is one of the rare leafy greens that doesn't bolt in summer heat — it sails through the summer unfazed where spinach and lettuces give up. To intensify the stalk colour, give it bright sun and resist the urge to over-fertilize with nitrogen — balanced soil gives more vivid colours than soil overfed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial — flowering only occurs in the second year. Wind-pollinated; crosses with beets and other chards — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 45 to 60 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 50 to 60 days (young leaves from 30 days).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun to part shade.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, deep, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Thin to 25-30 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (early May in Québec). A single planting produces until hard frost — no need for successive sowings. Tolerates light frost at season's end.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"80","offer_id":41725276192940,"sku":"GC-O-SWICHP-80","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400","offer_id":41725276225708,"sku":"GC-O-SWICHP-400","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2000","offer_id":41725276258476,"sku":"GC-O-SWICHP-2000","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000","offer_id":44223892127916,"sku":"GC-O-SWICHP-10000","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/scr_697e0189-7df6-4f82-89b6-e4858e765201.jpg?v=1698701556"},{"product_id":"bette-carde-pinard-perpetuel-ancestrale","title":"Perpetual Spinach Chard Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris subsp. cicla.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA somewhat mysterious plant, poorly known because it doesn't bear the right name: not really a spinach despite its nickname, not entirely a Swiss chard despite its lineage. It's in fact an old leaf-chard variety (subspecies \u003cem\u003ecicla\u003c\/em\u003e of the same \u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris\u003c\/em\u003e as the beet), selected over the centuries not for spectacular stalks but for its tender, fine leaves with a flavour astonishingly close to spinach. The \"perpetual\" in its name comes from its main feature: unlike true spinach, which bolts as soon as heat and the long days of June arrive, this chard imperturbably resists bolting and produces fresh leaves throughout the whole season, from spring to hard fall frosts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeaves wider and milder than those of spinach, with a more discreet central vein than on classic Swiss chard, and a more delicate taste — which makes it, for many gardeners, the best all-purpose leaf of the vegetable garden. All spinach uses suit it: wilted in the pan with garlic and butter, in a lasagna or quiche, as a stand-in for a nettle soup when you don't have nettles on hand, in creamy almond pesto, in pasta with salmon, in a frittata. The harvest is by continuous picking: take outer leaves as needed and the plant produces new ones from the centre for months. A single well-sown row feeds a family in green leaves all summer — impossible with true spinach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all chards, each \"seed\" is a glomerule containing several seeds fused — sow less densely than you think and thin early. Biennial — most plants sail through the summer unflinching, then bolt the following spring. In Québec, under good mulch, several gardeners succeed in overwintering plants for an ultra-early spring harvest before bolting. Otherwise, re-sow each year — a single spring sowing carries the whole season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial — flowering only occurs in the second year. Wind-pollinated; crosses with beets and other chards — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 30 to 50 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 50 to 60 days for full leaves; young leaves from 30 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun to part shade.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, deep, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Thin to 20-25 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (early May in Québec). A single planting produces until hard frost. Tolerates light fall frosts well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":42528801980588,"sku":"GC-H-SCHPEP-40","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":42528802013356,"sku":"GC-H-SCHPEP-200","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42528802046124,"sku":"GC-H-SCHPEP-1K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42878097391788,"sku":"GC-H-SCHPEP-5K","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/pspin_1243cac5-157b-4ed5-8316-3decf6d80c54.jpg?v=1681515229"},{"product_id":"bette-a-carde-melange-arc-en-ciel-ancestrale","title":"Rainbow Swiss Chard Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris subsp. cicla.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pretty Swiss chard mix that displays a palette of brilliant colours, from bright red to yellow, through white, mauve, orange and pink. The coloured stalks and dark green leaves add an attractive visual dimension to gardens and plates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to its aesthetic look, the rainbow mix Swiss chard offers a delicate flavour and tender texture, making it a versatile vegetable loved in salads, stir-fries and other culinary preparations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrows in ~60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":42902640918700,"sku":"JV-A-BACAEC-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":42902640951468,"sku":"JV-A-BACAEC-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":42902640984236,"sku":"JV-A-BACAEC-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500","offer_id":42902641017004,"sku":"JV-A-BACAEC-2500","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/files\/rsc.jpg?v=1701458268"}],"url":"https:\/\/joualvert.ca\/en\/collections\/swiss-chard.oembed","provider":"Joual Vert","version":"1.0","type":"link"}