Hmm! Perennial Swiss Chard in Zone 7 sounds like a wonderful thing. Does it get tough? Of course, chard grows so fast even in mild, cool weather, that it doesn't
need to be perennial.
I bought (but have not yet grown out) some different chards from Franchii ("Seeds from Italy"). I think they have a total of 6 different chards.
http://www.growitalian.com/cat...
These are their descriptions, not my observations:
'Chard Verde da Taglio' - cut & come again
Like a cross between spinach and Swiss chard.
Very thin stems. Sweet, tender leaves as good as spinach for salads.
Overwinter in Z 5 with protection.
'Verde a Costa Blanca' 55 DTM OP
Large head, huge leaves,
thick white stem.
I have grown "Japanese Chard" - Umaina fudansu (Kitazawa #280). I forgot to harvest that patch for a while, and they got HUGE (but not tough). It didn't seem to mind that I grew it in very heavy clay soil.
It seems funny to me that they call it both "Japanese Swiss Chard", but if that's the kind of "Swiss Chard" they grow in Japan, it's as good a name in English as any other. Apparently "fudansu" is the local name for "chard" (
Beta vulgaris var cicla ).
http://www.kitazawaseed.com/se...
