Growing Swiss Chard

Swiss chard can either be sown directly or transplanted. Both methods have their pros and cons. For example, many areas I visit are infected with beet cyst eelworm, and direct-sowing Swiss chard here can result in the plants being attacked when the young roots start growing. This not only stunts the seedlings, but allows an extra generation of eelworm to breed.

- Bill Kerr

You can argue that you have to fumigate or apply some other treatment in any case, but eelworm cannot be eliminated entirely, and the survivors end up attacking the crop for a longer period with direct sowing.

Direct sowing also means that you have to pay more attention to creating a suitable seedbed, controlling weeds around delicate young seedlings, and generally taking extra care until the crop is well established.