Farm & Ranch
The Garden Guy: Swiss Chard – Ornamental, Wonderfully Edible
By Norman Winter
It seems wherever I go, I’m seeing Swiss chard. This showy cool-season plant, so-etimes called a beet without a bottom, is showing up in the landscape, in mixed containers and there it is available in the local grocery store.
Is it an ornamental or an edible, you might ask. The answer is both. Then you might wonder, do you eat it fresh or do you cook it? Again, the answer would be both.
It has been almost 20 years since the All-American Selections Bright Lights showed up on the scene. There was nothing to not love about this plant that had multicolored stems that were so ornamental looking yet provided that glorious glossy foliage that became a fresh spinach substitute. Swiss chard is known botanically as Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris, showing it is indeed a leafy beet.
Holy cow, now you look at a catalogue and you’ll see Bright Lights there but also single colors like Oriole, El Dorado, Magenta Sunset, Ruby Red, and the bi-colored Peppermint.
The same thing can be found at your grocer. You will probably have three to four varieties to choose from for your culinary artistry in the kitchen.
Swiss chard is ready to harvest baby green within 30 days or a mature harvest in 60. Cut or break off the outer leaves when they are 12 to 18 inches tall. You may cut them when they are smaller and more tender.
Like many plants, it seems production is lengthened by harvesting. The stalks can be cooked like asparagus. Cut the stems into two- or three-inch lengths and simmer in boiling salted water until tender. The leaves can be cooked or eaten fresh in tossed salads.
You may be thinking, perish the thought, you simply want the texture and color in the landscape or designer-styled container.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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