Chard, a joyful and colourful addition to your Patch! There are lots of interesting things to think about when planting out and Charles Dowding is here to tell us all about it... Dibber at the ready!

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Plenty of varieties to try & they will grow enormous shiny leaves & thick big stems. They can also grow for a long period of time, so if you're looking for your Chard to stay in place and grow mighty, be sure to give each plant lots of space.

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Big leaves are tasty cooked in a curry, but chard also has delicious young leaves for salad so keep the spacing smaller for more frequent picking of smaller leaves.

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Plant out Chard plants in twos and threes as there are bound to be some weaker ones. For a happy medium, try spacing out every 30cm. They fill a big area quite quickly, which is a good thing to take into consideration when designing your patch.

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Leave enough room from the edge of your No Dig bed, as the plant will spread out and grow onto your paths.

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Be mindful that Chard and Beetroot are popular with sparrows, they are attracted to the red stems, so we must protect your plants with netting while they establish themselves.

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This is a great crop that grows really fast into something to eat! May is a perfect month for growing Chard, any earlier & the colder conditions will make it think it is winter and go to seed.