Swiss chard brings the color of a flower border into the vegetable garden, with broad green leaves rising on stems of white, gold, pink, orange, or deep crimson. Closely related to beets, it was selected over generations for generous leaves and tender stalks rather than swollen roots.
Chard is a cool-season biennial usually grown as an annual, yet it handles summer warmth better than many leafy greens. One spring planting can provide armfuls of leaves from mild weather through the first hard freezes.
Growing Guide
Timing
Direct sow Swiss chard about 2–3 weeks before the expected last spring frost, once the soil can be worked and has warmed to around 50°F. It may also be started indoors about 4–6 weeks before transplanting.
Chard tolerates light frost and continues producing through warm weather if moisture remains steady. Sow again in midsummer where a fresh fall crop is desired, allowing about 50–60 days before the first hard freeze.
Sowing & Starting
Sow seed clusters about ½–¾ inch deep and keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings emerge. Because each cluster may contain several true seeds, more than one seedling often appears in the same spot.
Thin or transplant plants to about 6–10 inches apart for full-sized leaves. Closer spacing works for baby-leaf harvests. Young thinnings are edible and can be added to salads or cooked as tender greens.
Returns details
Show customers how much time they have for testing your products
