About
This robust and highly productive variety of Swiss chard features lush dark green foliage and crunchy white stems, offering a rich, earthy taste. When planted in July, the leaves are ready for harvest during the winter months and can be collected until March. 'Fordhook Giant' is a heritage cultivar that was first introduced in 1934.
About the genus
Beta comprises annual, biennial, or perennial plants characterized by rosettes of basal foliage and robust, fleshy roots. This genus encompasses various wild species alongside cultivated varieties like beetroot, chard, and sugar beet.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in fertile soil in full sun or partial shade. Add compost or well-rotted manure in the autumn and keep watered in dry conditions. See chard cultivation for further advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required. Remove outer leaves when large enough
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to birds, cutworms, lettuce root maggot, root aphid, root knot eelworm and slugs and snails
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to grey mould, lettuce downy mildew, mosaic virus and ring spot