How to stop Swiss chard from dampening off

[Jaleena]

This is our second attempt to grow Swiss chard, lost the first batch to dampening off. Any advice? We wash the trays before planting and use quality organic soil. They are in our window right now. Thanks!

 

[Chuck]

This is our second attempt to grow Swiss chard, lost the first batch to dampening off. Any advice? We wash the trays before planting and use quality organic soil. They are in our window right now. Thanks!

Before and immediately after the seed germinates sprinkle horticultural/whole ground cornmeal on the soil. Just enough to lightly cover the soil. Cornmeal is the favorite growing medium for Trichoderma fungi. This fungi eats harmful fungi such as what causes damping off disease. I have used it for years sprouting all of my seeds and I haven't lost a seedling in a long time to damping off.

 

[SteveSteve]

This is our second attempt to grow Swiss chard, lost the first batch to dampening off. Any advice? We wash the trays before planting and use quality organic soil. They are in our window right now. Thanks!

how are your plants going?... I am new... I built a raised bed and direct sowed 6 different plants... Swiss Chard being one of em... All my stuff germinated although, once they did, they've just been stuck at that stage... for maybe 6-7 days now. I have no idea why...

 

[Tetters]

Your seedlings are looking for light. It would be better if they were out in the open. It is time to prick them out into either small pots or adequate trays.

 

[Nath]

This is our second attempt to grow Swiss chard, lost the first batch to dampening off. Any advice? We wash the trays before planting and use quality organic soil. They are in our window right now. Thanks!

Swiss Chard or Acelga as we call it in México is very easy to grow, I never find it very successful starting it off in seed trays and then planting on, I sow directly into the ground and you get much stronger plants, even since we moved here to the UK I do the same, as soon as the soil starts warming up you can sow seeds and you will be eating nice tender leaves in about 4 to 5 weeks. Lots of water and a tomato feed will keep the plants healthy and putting up new leaves to replace the ones you’ve taken. We Love it wrapped around bacon or made into parcels stuffed with cheese, ham and mashed potatoes, then battered and covered in a hot chilli salsa delicious

 

[Durgan]

I now grow three types of kale instead of the swiss chard. I find it a fine all season replacement for swiss hard. Kale doesn't run away like swiss hard or bolting. The leaves just get bigger. I remove the central stem when steaming.