Crops › Swiss Chard
How to grow Swiss Chard
in the US
Sow March to September, plant out October, harvest May to November. About 55 days from seed to plate. You can sow it this month.
Shown for zone 6. Zone table further down.
Swiss Chard, or just chard as some folks call it, is one of those cracking vegetables that's proper easy to grow and looks brilliant on the plot. It's a member of the Amaranthaceae family, like spinach and beets, and it gives you a long harvest of lovely leaves and colorful stems. You can't really go wrong with it, to be honest.
Sowing
Right, for sowing Swiss Chard, the timing really depends on where you are, you know, your USDA zone. My GrowMore CookMore app gives you the exact dates for zones 5-7, but you'll want to adjust for your local last frost. Generally, you can sow seeds indoors a few weeks before your last frost, or directly outdoors after all danger has passed. Plant them about half an inch (1 cm) deep, and if you're sowing direct, aim for about 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) apart, thinning them out later. You can do succession sowings every few weeks until mid-summer for a continuous harvest, or later in zones with a long growing season.
Growing on
If you started your chard indoors, once the seedlings have two proper leaves, you'll need to prick them out gently and pot them up into bigger pots. They're not keen on root disturbance, so be careful. Before planting out, harden them off for a week or two, gradually getting them used to the outdoors. Plant them out about 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) apart, or a bit closer if you want baby leaves. They'll grow well in containers too, as long as they get enough space and good compost, like I say.
Looking after it
Swiss Chard is pretty low maintenance, which is why I'm chuffed with it. Keep them watered, especially in dry spells, to stop them from bolting and to keep the leaves tender. A good mulch around the base will help keep the moisture in and keep the weeds down. They don't need a lot of feeding, but a bit of balanced liquid feed now and then won't hurt, particularly if they're in pots.
What goes wrong
Now, even easy-going chard can have a few issues. Slugs love the young leaves, so keep an eye out and use your preferred method to deter them. Aphids can sometimes be a bother, especially on the undersides of the leaves; a strong jet of water can knock them off, or a bit of insecticidal soap if it's really bad. Proper plant spacing helps with good airflow, too, keeping things healthier.
Harvest
You'll be harvesting your Swiss Chard in about 55 days from sowing, sometimes quicker for baby leaves. You can pick the outer leaves as you need them, leaving the inner ones to grow on; this "cut-and-come-again" method works a treat. Just snap or cut the stems cleanly near the base. If you have a glut, you can blanch and freeze the leaves, or chop them up and use them in all sorts of stews and stir-fries. Refrigerate fresh leaves in a bag for up to a week, you know what I mean.
One thing I always do on my plot is sow a few extra chard seeds, just in case the slugs have a proper feast on the first lot of seedlings. Better safe than sorry, eh?
Dates for your plot
Type your zone and the plant-out advice shifts to your frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Bright Lights Bright Lights Swiss Chard gives you a proper splash of color in the garden, with those lovely bright stems. It's a reliable performer, really easy to grow, making it great for beginners and for cheering up your plot. | No club votes yet |
| Fordhook Giant Fordhook Giant is a classic for a reason, you get some cracking big leaves from this one. It's super reliable and brilliant for those who want a proper harvest to feed the family. | No club votes yet |
| Rhubarb Chard Rhubarb Chard stands out with its lovely reddish stems, adding a bit of visual interest to your plot. It's a really reliable variety, good for getting an early start if you sow undercover. | No club votes yet |
| Ruby Red Ruby Red is another one that brings a bit of color, with its deep red stems and veins. It's a dependable choice that looks great and tastes even better in your kitchen. | No club votes yet |
| Peppermint Peppermint Chard is a real stunner, with its pretty pink and white striped stems, looks like a sweetie. You can sow this one direct outside, and it's a solid, reliable performer that'll make you chuffed. | No club votes yet |
| Flamingo Flamingo Chard gives you vibrant pink stems, proper eye-catching in the garden or on your plate. Starting it undercover helps get a good head start for a long harvest season. | No club votes yet |
| Lucullus Lucullus is a lovely, crinkly-leafed green chard, a proper traditional type. Sow this one indoors and you'll get a cracking, consistent crop that holds up well. | No club votes yet |
| Silverado Silverado is a very strong and reliable white-stemmed chard, good for big harvests. It's a no-nonsense choice you can sow straight into the ground and expect good things. | No club votes yet |
| Perpetual Perpetual Chard, sometimes called spinach beet, is a fantastic cut-and-come-again variety that just keeps on giving. Start it undercover and you'll have a long season of fresh leaves for cooking. | No club votes yet |
| Barese Barese is a nice compact Swiss Chard, great if you're a bit short on space or want to grow in containers. It's a reliable little grower that still gives you plenty of tasty leaves. | No club votes yet |
| Golden Sunrise Golden Sunrise offers beautiful golden-yellow stems, really brightens up the plot, doesn't it? This one's a reliable performer that you can sow direct for a sunny harvest. | No club votes yet |
| Orange Fantasia Orange Fantasia is another vibrant one, with those striking orange stems. Getting it started undercover means you can be enjoying these colorful leaves sooner in the season. | No club votes yet |
| Magenta Sunset Magenta Sunset brings a deep, rich magenta color to your garden, making it a proper show-stopper. It's a reliable choice that adds both beauty and good eating to your kitchen. | No club votes yet |
| Canary Yellow Canary Yellow chard really pops with its bright yellow stems, like a bit of sunshine in the veggie patch. You can sow this one direct, and it's a dependable grower for a cheerful crop. | No club votes yet |
| Pink Passion Pink Passion has lovely bright pink stems, a really pretty chard to have on your plot. Getting it going undercover can help you get a good, strong start for a healthy plant. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Swiss Chard seeds
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Sowing by USDA zone
| Zone | Sow / plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May to July | July to September |
| Zone 4 | April to July | June to September |
| Zone 5 | April to August | June to October |
| Zone 6 | March to September | May to November |
| Zone 7 | March to September | May to November |
| Zone 8 | February to October | April to December |
| Zone 9 | January to November | March to December |
| Zone 10 | September to April | February to December |
Cook the harvest
Jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy ricotta and Swiss chard filling, baked in a simple tomato sauce with a blanket of melted mozzarella on top. A crowd-pleasing pasta bake that can be assembled ahead and popped in the oven when needed.
65 min · mediumTender Swiss chard blanketed in a silky béchamel sauce and baked under a golden, crunchy breadcrumb and Gruyère topping — the kind of bubbling, comforting gratin that turns a vegetable into the star of the table. The creamy sauce and crispy top are the perfect counterpoint to the earthy, slightly bitter chard beneath.
55 min · mediumA luxurious gratin of tender Swiss chard blanketed in a creamy béchamel sauce and crowned with a golden, bubbling crust of Gruyère and breadcrumbs. Rich enough to be the centerpiece of a vegetarian dinner and impressive enough to serve at any gathering.
55 min · mediumA hearty, nourishing Tuscan-style soup that brings together silky Swiss chard, creamy white beans, and a rich tomato broth fragrant with garlic and rosemary. A big pot of this feeds a family and gets better with each passing day.
40 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: marigolds, nasturtium
Questions people ask
When do you sow Swiss Chard in the US?
Sow Swiss Chard from March to September in zone 6, earlier or later by zone. Plant out October, after the last frost.
How long does Swiss Chard take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 55 days, with the harvest May to November.
Which Swiss Chard varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Bright Lights, Fordhook Giant, Rhubarb Chard, Ruby Red and more.
Track your Swiss Chard from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.