About
Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens 'Rhubarb Chard' is a biennial plant that forms a rosette and can be cultivated for culinary or decorative purposes. Its leaves are large, broadly triangular, and deeply textured, exhibiting a dark green hue with purple highlights, complemented by vivid red stems and midribs. The young leaves can be harvested for salads, while mature leaves are suitable for cooking; the stems can be utilized similarly to celery, and the leaf blades can be prepared like spinach. When allowed to mature into a second year, the plant produces tall stems bearing narrow, conical clusters of small green flowers, typically blooming in the spring or summer.
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
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- If sown in mid-spring and mid-summer can crop almost year round, with some winter protection. Grows best in rich, light but moisture retentive soil in sun or semi-shade. Water well in dry spells. See Grow your own chard
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to beet leaf miner
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to downy mildews and grey moulds