Crop type: Chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens ‘Rhubarb Chard’
Common name: Chard ‘Rhubarb Chard’
Crop slug: chard
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Rhubarb Chard’ is a rosette-forming biennial grown both as an edible leaf crop and for ornamental effect. Large, broadly triangular leaves are deeply puckered, dark green and tinged with purple. Their brilliant red midribs continue into equally vivid stalks, giving the plant the rhubarb-like appearance behind its common name. Young leaves can be picked for salads; mature blades are cooked like spinach and the fleshy stems used much like celery.
Plants are normally harvested through their first growing season. If left for a second year, they send up tall leafy stems with narrow conical sprays of small green flowers in spring or summer. ‘Ruby Chard’ is recorded as a synonym. The cultivar holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit and is particularly useful where a productive vegetable must also contribute strong colour to a border or container.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.5–1 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1–2 years
Allow enough room for the broad basal rosette. Plants grown only for young leaves can be spaced more closely and harvested before reaching their full dimensions.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Chalk, clay, loam and sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral or alkaline
The cultivar is tolerant of many soil types but performs best in rich, light ground that retains moisture without becoming waterlogged. Incorporate organic matter before sowing or planting, and water thoroughly during dry spells to maintain tender leaf growth.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun or partial shade
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H3 — hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK, tolerating approximately -5°C to 1°C
Full sun develops strong stem colour, while some afternoon shade can reduce water stress in hot weather. A spring sowing followed by another in midsummer can provide leaves for much of the year when winter protection is available.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
The plant carries dark-green to purple-tinged foliage with intense red veins, midribs and stems. Its combination of large puckered leaves and brilliant stalks gives a bold ornamental display through the main growing season. Second-year plants may produce small green flowers, but vegetable crops are usually removed once they bolt because leaf production and quality decline.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Amaranthaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Name status
- Accepted
- Synonym
- Beta vulgaris ‘Ruby Chard’
Genus
Beta includes annual, biennial and perennial plants, commonly with basal rosettes and thick fleshy roots. The genus includes wild species and cultivated food crops such as beetroot, sugar beet and chard.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Sow in mid-spring and again in midsummer for a succession of leaves that can continue almost year-round with some winter protection. Grow in rich, light but moisture-retentive soil in sun or semi-shade. Thin or transplant full-sized plants so their leaves have room to develop, and water well through dry periods. Harvest the outer leaves at their base while leaving the centre of the rosette to continue growing.
Young leaves are suitable for salads, while larger leaf blades and stems can be cooked separately. The strong red colouring also makes plants useful in cottage gardens, informal borders, bedding schemes and large patio containers, provided the compost is kept evenly moist.
Propagation
Propagate by seed.
Pruning
No pruning is required. Regular harvesting removes usable outer leaves; cut out flower stems if they appear and continued leaf production is still wanted.
Suggested planting locations
Suitable for coastal gardens, cottage and informal gardens, patio containers, bedding, flower borders and vegetable plots.
Pests
May be susceptible to beet leaf miner. Remove affected leaves or protect young crops with insect-proof mesh used alongside crop rotation.
Diseases
May be susceptible to downy mildews and grey moulds. Maintain good spacing and airflow, avoid persistent wetness around the crown and remove damaged or decaying foliage.