When to Plant Swiss Chard
Sow Swiss chard outside from 2 weeks before to 3 weeks after your last frost.
Swiss chard at a glance
- Sow outside
- from 2 weeks before to 3 weeks after your last frost
- Time to harvest
- 50 to 60 days from sowing
- Harvest lasts
- about 24 weeks
- Spacing
- 4 per square foot
- Frost
- Takes a light frost
Growing Swiss chard
Chard is a close cousin of the beet and one of the most forgiving greens. Sow the corky seeds half an inch deep; like beet seeds, each can sprout several seedlings, so thin them. Red, yellow and white stems make it as pretty as it is useful.
Dates by hardiness zone
Typical dates for each zone; your ZIP code gives your own.
| Zone | Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | May 14 – Jun 18 | Jul 3 – Sep 28 |
| Zone 3b | May 3 – Jun 7 | Jun 22 – Oct 9 |
| Zone 4a | Apr 28 – Jun 2 | Jun 17 – Oct 12 |
| Zone 4b | Apr 24 – May 29 | Jun 13 – Oct 15 |
| Zone 5a | Apr 19 – May 24 | Jun 8 – Oct 19 |
| Zone 5b | Apr 17 – May 22 | Jun 6 – Oct 24 |
| Zone 6a | Apr 15 – May 20 | Jun 4 – Oct 30 |
| Zone 6b | Apr 9 – May 14 | May 29 – Nov 5 |
| Zone 7a | Apr 2 – May 7 | May 22 – Nov 6 |
| Zone 7b | Mar 22 – Apr 26 | May 11 – Oct 26 |
| Zone 8a | Mar 15 – Apr 19 | May 4 – Oct 19 |
| Zone 8b | Mar 3 – Apr 7 | Apr 22 – Oct 7 |
| Zone 9a | Feb 16 – Mar 23 | Apr 7 – Sep 22 |
| Zone 9b | Jan 18 – Feb 22 | Mar 9 – Aug 24 |
| Zone 10a | Jan 10 – Feb 14 | Mar 1 – Aug 16 |
| Zones 10b–11b | Frost is rare here, so grow Swiss chard in the cooler months, from fall to early spring. | |
Questions about Swiss chard
Does chard take frost?
Light frosts, yes. Chard keeps going into late fall, and in mild places through winter; a hard freeze ends it.
Can I eat chard stems?
Yes. The colorful stems are tender when cooked; chop them and give them a few minutes longer than the leaves.
