Vegetable growing guide
Swiss chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla
Sun
Sun to part shade
Season
Cool
Maturity
50 to 60 days
Water
Moderate
Soil pH
6.0 to 7.0
Spacing
8 to 12 in
Planting swiss chard
Sow 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost, or in late summer for a fall crop. Unlike spinach it keeps producing through summer heat.
Planting details
- Spacing: 8 to 12 inches; wider spacing grows larger leaves
- Seed depth: about 1/2 inch
- A single sowing can feed you for months
Growing requirements
Chard wants fertile soil and steady moisture but forgives a lot: light shade, frost, and summer heat that finishes spinach and lettuce.
Harvesting and care
Cut outer leaves once they pass 6 inches and let the center keep growing. Remove any flower stalk that forms, though chard rarely bolts its first year.
Common mistakes
- Crowding plants, which keeps leaves small and thin
- Cutting the central crown, which stops regrowth
- Pulling the whole plant when outer-leaf harvests would feed you for months
Companion plants
Chard fits beside beans, onions, and lettuce, and holds its own at the edge of flower beds where the colored stems earn their keep.