Swiss Chard
Vulcan Swiss Chard is an improved rhubarb chard developed in Switzerland, prized for its strikingly uniform deep red stems and leaves. This hardy heirloom reaches harvest maturity in just 60 days, making it one of the faster chards available. The plants produce tender stems and leaves that are both visually stunning and exceptionally flavorful, reaching 6, 8 inches in length, and they're hardy enough to tolerate frost, extending your harvest well into the cooler months.
Full Sun
Moderate
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Biennial
Moderate
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What sets Vulcan apart is its remarkable uniformity and visual appeal, seed companies specifically praise it as excellent for marketing because every plant looks nearly identical. The combination of hardiness, speed to maturity, and genuine flavor depth makes it far more than just a pretty chard. You'll be harvesting tender, delicious stems within two months, and the plants keep producing as you pick from the outside in throughout the season.
Vulcan Swiss Chard is harvested for its tender stems and nutrient-dense leaves, which are enjoyed raw in salads when young or cooked in sautés, braises, and traditional chard preparations. The deep red stems make it particularly striking in fresh preparations where color matters, farmers markets and home gardeners prize it for both nutrition and visual drama on the plate.
Direct sow Vulcan seeds outdoors approximately 14–21 days before your target harvest date, planting them at a depth of 1/2 inch in moist soil. For continuous harvest, succession sow every 2–3 weeks throughout the growing season.
Begin harvesting outer stems and leaves once plants are well-established and stems reach 6, 8 inches in length, typically around 60 days from sowing. Pinch or cut the outer leaves at the base, always working from the outside of the plant inward, which encourages continued branching and production from the center. Young, tender leaves can be harvested earlier for salads, while mature stems are best for cooking preparations.
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“Vulcan Swiss Chard traces its roots to Switzerland, where it was developed as an improved version of traditional rhubarb chard types. This cultivar represents generations of selection for both aesthetic consistency and culinary quality, Swiss growers recognized that a uniform, attractive red chard would appeal to both home gardeners and commercial producers. The variety has been preserved and distributed through heirloom seed networks, maintaining its original character while earning its reputation as a reliable producer.”