Over-wintered chard starting to bolt – is this par for the course?

[Rhys]

Charles

I tried growing chard over the winter for a spring crop for the first time and the spring growth has been magnificent. We harvested using pick and come again as the overall cabbage+chard crop was more than expected/anticipated and, as a result, we have quite tall plants now which look like they may be about to bolt.

I was wondering whether over-wintered chard always goes to seed at the beginning of June (and hence plan next year as a crop solely for harvest) or whether, with better husbandry, we could pick and come again for a longer season? In our garden, that PACA season is about 5 weeks this year………

We were able to pick the spring-grown chard in the autumn and a few more in early-to-mid-spring this year, however the summer-sown plants gave more luscious eating material this spring.

Any insights on this much appreciated……..

[charles]

Yes they flower in June, its their time, so best remove them to the compost heap and for continuity, sow chard mid April to be cropping now.
I also notice that July sown chard crops better in spring than the previous April’s sowing.
Chard is just so productive.

[devonstew]

We just removed our over wintered chard (and perpetual spinach) today as its long since bolted and we’ve pretty much eaten it all now…..but in addition our spring sown leaves are ready to eat now anyway and are far more tender and lovely…
We have two successions – a small one early in spring to eat from now until when ever, as it does have a tendency to bolt through a hot summer, and then later in the summer we will sow a bigger second succession to take us through from autumn to spring. It works well.

[Author]

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