Organic Swiss Chard Seeds - Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard Heirloom Seeds

Organic Swiss Chard Seeds- Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard Seeds Plant Basics: Days to Harvest: 60 days Size: 2ft tall, 9in wide Plant Depth: 1/2 inch Spacing: 8in plants, 12in rows Sun: Full sun, Part shade Germination: 7-14 days (Organic Variety) Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard can grow leaves over two feet long, although they can be harvested as soon as the leaves are large enough to eat and the stems have become tender. Leaves are dark green on thick white stems. This variety is excellent for gardeners looking to produce huge amounts of high quality crop. Either harvest as an entire heard, or harvest outer leaves individually to keep the plant producing all season. Swiss Chard is an excellent salad base and great steamed with a little butter! Growing Instructions: 1) Direct sow: After last frost date or threat of frost has passed. In early fall when temperatures cool. Plant seeds seeds 1/2 inch deep about 1-2 inches apart in rows 12in apart. Keep soil evenly moist but not overly wet. Thin to one plant every 8in when seedling is about 2in tall. 2) Transplant: Start seeds indoors in spring around 2-3 weeks before last frost date. Plant 1/4 inch deep in starting mix in a container or tray. Cover the container with lid or loosely with plastic to retain moisture. Place in a warm spot. (Placing heating mats under plants helps speed up germination time.) After seeds germinate, remove plastic covering and continue to keep soil moist but not overly wet. Grow lights are a good addition at this point, especially if seedlings do not receive a lot of direct sunlight. Keep plants as close to grow lights as possible but not closer than 2-3 inches. Move plants to larger containers after they've grown 2 sets of true leaves. At this point, I like to use a tabletop fan pointed at the plants help prepare them for outdoor conditions. About 1-2 weeks before you plan to transplant outdoors, start to harden the plants off by placing them outside. Start in the shade for an hour or two and extend the time each day, gradually exposing them to more sunlight, until they can be left outside for several hours in direct sunlight. Transplant after threat of frost has passed and soil temp is around 60-65 degrees. All of our seeds are: •GMO Free •Open Pollinator •American grown FREE SHIPPING - orders of $35+ $3.99 flat-rate shipping on all orders under $35. Additional growing instructions, tips and recipes on our website. Growing information provided for informational purposes only. Please message with any questions.