I thought I had some kind of insect eating my chard. However today I noticed that the culprits were my goldfinches! I know the goldfinches don't eat insects and I definitely saw them tearing out the tender portions of the chard between the veins. Not that I mind too much I have enough but I'd never seen this before.
I only had my cell phone camera so I didn't get the birds but this is what the chard looks like.
Anyone else ever notice them eating swiss chard?
Hi grik, A small amount of their diet does consist of insects mainly aphids. I don't have swiss chard but thats an interesting observation.
Grik - I have also noticed this. We have a thistle feeder in front of our living room window, which is surrounded by a shrub/perennial garden, and I planted a few extra chard starts there just for kicks, and one fine summer day I was surprised to watch the goldfinches tear off little chunks of chard and eat them.
Just saw this thread. I luv Swiss Chard and grow it as well but had never noticed the goldfinches eating it here. And we are loaded with goldfinches. I have a thistle feeder too and they also love the sunflower seed feeder. This year has been so warm though that I think they have been able to get at least nibbles of green things all winter. I wonder if weather has anything to do with it ... or if they just have good taste and love chard. :)
They like other leafy veggies too, like Spinach
Last year in 2012 when my chard were farther up, I saw goldfinches on them, eating. I though they might be eating the slugs or some insect, but they seemed to have torn the leaves.
I've grown Swiss Chard for years. I love the stuff. Never had any problem with it until this year. About mid-summer the goldfinches attacked it and they've been at it ever since. I have a 4 foot row of it and they've shredded every bit of it!
I see the Goldfinches doing the same thing on my Swiss Chard. I thought it was beetles or grasshoppers. They do pick at something, that must be the leaves.
Deer ate my Swiss Chard.
Edited to correct spelling.
This message was edited Sep 13, 2017 1:34 PM
This topic made me look twice. I first read it as goldfish eating my chard. The goldfinch love my purple coneflowers. I only noticed them among the flowers.
