Sementeira
In the final location, with subsequent thinning when the plants have 3 to 4 leaves, or in a seed tray with subsequent transplanting to the final location.
A truly stunning chard, with stems in pink, yellow, orange, red and white that turn any bed into a spectacular display of colour.
About the variety. A selection of green-leaved chards with vividly coloured midribs — as ornamental as it is tasty, and well suited to container growing. It can be harvested very early as baby leaf or left to grow into generous, full-sized stems.
Itinerário técnico
Um guia de cultivo passo a passo, da sementeira à colheita.
In the final location, with subsequent thinning when the plants have 3 to 4 leaves, or in a seed tray with subsequent transplanting to the final location.
Soils should be deep, fertile, well-drained and clay-textured. The pH should be between 6.0 and 7.5. The crop tolerates salinity well.
Prefers locations with mild climates (with temperatures between 15 and 25°C), with good light, avoiding places with very high temperatures.
Compost can be incorporated into the base fertilization, taking care to avoid excess nitrogen, as it leads to excessive vegetative growth.
As a crop with a large leaf mass, the soil should always be kept moist, without excess moisture, making drip irrigation the recommended system.
During the initial stages of the crop cycle, mechanical weeding can be carried out; after this stage, mulching with organic materials is an interesting option that helps prevent competition from weeds.
Mites, aphids and cutworms are the main pests of this crop. For mite control, biological control with predatory mites should be used, in addition to azadirachtin or sulphur dust (if T <28°C). Aphids can be controlled through moderate fertilisation without excess nitrogen, natural limitation with border hedgerows to encourage beneficial insects, biological control with parasitoid and predatory hymenoptera, and, if necessary, application of potassium soap or azadirachtin. For cutworm control, the use of fresh manure should be avoided; bait made with bran + molasses + Bacillus thuringiensis should be applied to the soil near the crop, along with Bacillus thuringiensis spray, biological control with Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes, and, if necessary, application of azadirachtin.
Downy mildew and grey mould are the main diseases of this crop. Downy mildew can be controlled through appropriate crop rotations, avoiding excess water both on the plants and in the soil, using wider plant spacing and, if necessary, by applying copper-based fungicides. Grey mould can be controlled by removing diseased plant debris, avoiding excessive vigour, keeping water off the plants and through regular application of bentonite clay.
It should be kept at a temperature of 0°C and 90% relative humidity, remaining in these conditions for approximately 10-12 days.