Problems Growing Red Swiss Chard.

[StevePots]

Let's start with the basics.
Zone 10a (and loving it)
Growing in a large pot. The type you see nurseries keep their trees in.
Soil - 1/3 compost, 1/3 potting soil ( VIGORO Organics) and 1/3 local sandy soil from my garden.
Additives = 1/4 pound Azomite mixed into the potting soil, generous amount of Perlite mixed with the compost.
Soil was layered with the compost at the bottom and potting soil at the top.

I planted the seeds 1/2" deep 8 to 10 inches apart.

Problem: The Ruby Red Swiss Chard germinate real easy with"1 to 1 1/2" thin stalks with two leaves on top. They are very frail and are easily knocked over with rain. I have tried several times to grow the plants but never get past the size I mentioned. Every time I go out there to look they are all on their sides with the fragile stems bent and bruised. The plants die soon after.
Should I grow these indoors and transplant them later?

[applestar]

It sounds like they are damping off.

It's possible you would have better luck indoors with less fungal pressure.

[imafan26]

I agree start them off in smaller pots first. It is a problem with over potting. When plants are young they need to be watered less when they are in a large pot, otherwise the soil holds too much water and causes the plants to rot. Later on the plants will fill the pot and the opposite will be true and you may have to water more. I have fewer problems when I use a terra cotta pot, because it breathes, but it has to be in the right place, because once it is filled, it is too heavy to move.

Just be sure you keep an eye on the plants in the smaller pots and pot them up before they get setback. Vegetables need to be constantly growing.

[StevePots]

Thanks for the help. We have had a lot of rain lately and the large pots do take long to dry out with the high humidity we have down here in Florida. I have a area where I can put them indoors until they bulk up a bit.

[Taiji]

I noticed the same thing with my red swiss chard I just planted for the fall/winter garden. I have to water here to keep new seedlings damp, so I think I was using a bit too much hose pressure. I replanted a few that keeled over, tho most of them came back up. Now, I'm more careful in watering them, and laying off of it for a day or two. Different situation than you have though, me with an arid climate, you with a wet one! This is the rainy season here, but it hasn't done much for a few days.