Bright Lights Swiss Chard - a question

[tam91]

I'm trying to figure out when to start these - I'll be starting them indoors. If they can go out early, that'd be great. I don't want to direct sow them, as I like to grow them up a bit, and pick out the colors.

I have two packets of seeds - some left over from last year, and a new packet this year. One is Livingston, the other from Burpee.

Livingston says "Direct sow after danger of frost and soil warms"
Burpee says "Sow in fertile soil as early in spring as ground can be worked"

Also:

Livingston - germination 4-10 days
Burpee - seedlings emerge in 10-21 days

Livingston - height 36" (I grew these last year, and they were more like 15")
Burpee - height 20"

Both say 60 days to harvest

Quite a difference there! Do I have two different varieties - one frost tolerant and one not? I thought Bright Lights WAS the variety. Or for some reason do they just have different instructions?

I'm trying to figure out if I should start these seeds indoors right away, or wait. And - do I like the Livingston (last year) ones, the Burpee, or are both fine (or the same)

Anyone grown this, and anyone have an idea?

I'm growing them again this year. I don't remember the brands of seed. I haven't had good luck because I've been planting them to late in the spring. This year, I direct sowed them heavily and will simply pull some small plants until I get the color variation I want.

Ted

[tam91]

They did well for me last year, but I started them in flats.

I'd really like to know if these are two different varieties, or one or the another of the seed companies is wierd.

[RayR]

You can plant the seeds early when the ground can be worked like Burpee says but they will take a long time to germinate in cool soil like Burpee says (10-21 days). Mature Swiss Chard plants can handle light frosts, I'm not so sure about seedlings if they get hit with a hard frost in early spring.
I've never planted them too early because they don't grow very fast until the weather and soil warms up anyway. Last year I pre-sprouted the seeds indoors in May, which only took 4 days and then planted the sprouts directly in the garden.

[Ozark Organic]

That's funny, those two wildly different directions. The thing is, they are both true, as it depends on soil, fertility, and climate. When I grew Bright Lights in my greenhouse in very fertile soil in Idaho (cool, cloudy climate), it did get 30" tall. It was gorgeous, with huge leaves. When I grow it outside it never gets taller than two feet no matter how much chicken manure I side dress with.

What RayR says about germination times agrees with my experience. I start mine indoors and it comes up quickly, then plant out while the weather is still cool but after hard frosts. I find that Bright Lights is not as frost tolerant as some other chards.

Ir gets hot early here in the Ozarks, and the chard languishes until fall. With the return of cooler weather it produces nicely until hard freeze. It is a good fall crop in hotter climates.

[biscgolf]

i have had good luck with chard both direct sowing and starting seedlings... it's the only green i can successfully grow all summer long here in central VA. i generally transplant a small early crop and direct seed my main crop a bit later.

[tam91]

How very interesting. Mine really seemed to hate the full sun (yes, I know it isn't supposed to do that) - no matter how much I kept it watered, it'd wilt in the heat of day. But I had some in a container, that only got some morning sun - and it was delighted. So I think I'll be planting it at the ends of the garden, where it'll get some shade from the taller veggies.

I'm still going to so inside, I'm having fun with it, plus then I pick out all the colors I want.

[tjg911]

i start seeds inside around April 20th and put them out around May 12-15. young plants may not tolerate hard freeze but s/b ok with light frosts otherwise i'd wait to memorial day but mature plants sure can handle 15 or 20 degrees. i tried bl one season and went back to fordhook and that's all i grow now.