Swiss Chard: How to Grow and When to Plant in Your Backyard or Patio Garden!

How to Grow:

Swiss Chard is a cool season crop that is planted 7 weeks before your last spring frost and 4-5 weeks before your last spring frost. You can see specific dates for your location using our FREE iOS, Android, and Universal Web App.

Swiss Chard seeds are planted 1/2 inch deep, 4 per square foot, in full sun to part shade. Take care to notice what plants are around the area as well, see the companion plant section below. Swiss Chard seeds will sprout within 5-10 days with consistent moisture.

Companion Plants:

Companion planting is a vital part of organic gardening. Companion plants assist in the growth of others by attracting beneficial insects, repelling pests, or providing nutrients, shade, or support. There are also plants that do not like being next to each other. Some plants get too tall and can provide too much shade for your plant. Sometimes certain plants attract the same pests, so it is important to try and separate these.

 See companion plants for 100+ foods in our FREE iOS, Android, and Universal Web app!

Pests:

Pests can be one of the most difficult challenges you face in the garden. We strive to grow food without the use of pesticide and luckily there are natural solutions for most of these nasty pests! The pests listed below are common ones for swiss chard:

• Cutworms
• Deer
• Groundhogs/Woodchucks
• Leaf Miners
• Rabbits
• Slugs/Snails

Learn more about how to manage pests and attract beneficial insects in our FREE iOS, Android, and Universal Web App!

Harvesting:

Swiss Chard will be ready to harvest in around 25-50 days. Swiss Chard can start to be harvested when leaves are 6 inches tall. Cut the outer leaves for harvest and the inner leaves will continue to grow. For the best taste, don’t let the leaves get too big!

Cooking & Eating!