{"product_id":"swiss-chard-rainbow-seeds-pakistan","title":"Swiss Chard Seeds — Rainbow Mixed Colours","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSwiss Chard — Rainbow Mixed Colours.\u003c\/strong\u003e Stems of crimson, gold, pink and orange under deep green leaves, and one of the few vegetables that looks good enough for a flower bed. Sow once and cut leaves from the same plants all winter long.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdetails open=\"\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600; margin: 4px 0 8px;\"\u003eGrowing guide \u0026amp; FAQs\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy Swiss chard belongs in a Pakistani winter garden\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwiss chard (\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris\u003c\/em\u003e subsp. \u003cem\u003ecicla\u003c\/em\u003e) is a leafy green from the same family as beetroot, grown for its leaves and its thick, brilliantly coloured stems rather than a root. In Pakistan it is still uncommon, which is exactly why it is worth growing — it does everything spinach does, but keeps producing for months instead of bolting after a few cuts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCut-and-come-again.\u003c\/strong\u003e Take the outer leaves and the plant keeps pushing new ones from the centre. One sowing can feed a kitchen through the whole cool season.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIt does not bolt the moment it warms up.\u003c\/strong\u003e Chard is far more heat-tolerant than palak, so it carries on well past the point where spinach has run to seed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIt is beautiful.\u003c\/strong\u003e The Rainbow mix gives red, yellow, pink, orange and white stems from a single packet. Plenty of people grow it in pots on a balcony purely for the colour.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIt is genuinely easy.\u003c\/strong\u003e Large seed, reliable germination, very few pest problems. A good first vegetable for anyone starting out.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow to sow\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDirect sow\u003c\/strong\u003e where the plants will grow — chard has a taproot and resents being moved. Trays work, but transplant early, at the two-leaf stage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDepth:\u003c\/strong\u003e about 1.5 cm (half an inch), watered in well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe seed is a cluster.\u003c\/strong\u003e What looks like one seed is actually a small pod holding two or three seeds, so several seedlings usually come up together. This is normal — thin to the strongest one.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing:\u003c\/strong\u003e thin to 20–25 cm apart for full-size plants, or 10 cm if you want baby leaves.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGermination\u003c\/strong\u003e takes 7–14 days. Soaking the seed for a few hours before sowing speeds it up noticeably.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e full sun in winter. In pots, use a container at least 25 cm deep.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eGrowing on and harvesting\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWater steadily.\u003c\/strong\u003e Chard forgives a lot but dry-then-soaked cycles make the leaves tough and stringy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFeed it.\u003c\/strong\u003e It is a leaf crop, so nitrogen matters — a balanced granular NPK every few weeks, or vermicompost worked into the bed at planting, keeps it producing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFirst harvest in 50–60 days\u003c\/strong\u003e for full leaves, or around 30 days for baby leaves.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCut the outer leaves\u003c\/strong\u003e at the base with a knife, always leaving the central growing point and four or five leaves on the plant. Never strip it bare.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKeep cutting.\u003c\/strong\u003e Regular harvesting is what keeps new leaves coming. A plant left alone slows down.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTreat the leaves like palak and the stems like a separate vegetable. The stems take longer to cook, so slice them and start them a few minutes before the leaves go in. It works in everything spinach works in — bhujia, with daal, in a paratha filling, in soup, or simply sautéed with garlic. Young leaves are good raw in a salad.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNutritionally it is a serious crop: high in vitamins A, K and C, plus iron, magnesium and fibre, for almost no effort.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHonest limits — read this before you buy\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIt is not palak.\u003c\/strong\u003e The flavour is a little earthier and the stems are substantial. Most people prefer it once they have cooked it properly; a few do not.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIt gets big.\u003c\/strong\u003e Full-grown plants take real space. If you have a small bed, grow it for baby leaves at close spacing instead.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIt will not survive a Punjab summer.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a cool-season crop — it runs to seed and turns bitter once the real heat arrives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLeaf miner\u003c\/strong\u003e is the one pest worth watching, as with beetroot. Pick off affected leaves early and it rarely becomes a problem.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs Swiss chard the same as palak?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo. Palak is spinach; chard is a leaf beet, closer to beetroot. Chard lasts far longer in the garden and does not bolt as quickly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I grow it in pots?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, and it looks superb in them. Use a pot at least 25 cm deep and expect to water more often than in a bed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy did three seedlings come up in one spot?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause each \"seed\" is a cluster containing two or three. Thin to the strongest — it is not a fault in the seed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long will one plant keep producing?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough the whole cool season if you keep harvesting the outer leaves and feeding it. Several months from one sowing is normal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAre the coloured stems different in flavour?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBarely. The colour is the point; all of them eat the same.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDelivery and payment\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDelivery is free inside Lahore\u003c\/strong\u003e and Rs 250 anywhere else in Pakistan on parcels under 3 kg, and free on orders over Rs 3,500. Cash on Delivery is available nationwide, and you can also pay before dispatch by JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank transfer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuying for a nursery, farm or restaurant garden? Message us on WhatsApp at 0333-6427336 for bulk pricing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Garden by Chanan Din has been supplying seeds from Lahore since 1932, and every lot is germination tested before it is packed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"The Garden by Channan Din","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54348332695916,"sku":"THG-WIN-SCHD-MIX","price":350.0,"currency_code":"PKR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/9053\/5020\/files\/Swiss-chard1.jpg?v=1789159451","url":"https:\/\/thegardenpk.com\/products\/swiss-chard-rainbow-seeds-pakistan","provider":"The Garden by Chanan Din","version":"1.0","type":"link"}