When can I plant swiss chard outside?

Direct sow or transplant 2 weeks before your last spring frost.

How long until swiss chard is ready to harvest?

50-60 days. Outer leaves are 8-12 inches tall; harvest by cutting at base of stalk; leave inner leaves to continue growing

Lawn Guardian

When to Plant Swiss Chard

Beta vulgaris var. cicla

vegetableZones 3–11beginner

Colorful, heat-tolerant green with rainbow-colored stems. Related to beets but grown for its leaves. Cut-and-come-again harvesting provides months of greens.

Planting calendar

Direct sow / transplant

2 weeks before your last spring frost.

Fall planting

8 weeks before your first fall frost.

Very heat tolerant for a green; can produce from spring through fall in most zones

Spacing & harvest

Plant spacing: 8-12 inches
Row spacing: 18-24 inches
Days to harvest: 50-60 days
Ready when: Outer leaves are 8-12 inches tall; harvest by cutting at base of stalk; leave inner leaves to continue growing

Companion planting

Plant near

Green Bean — Beans fix nitrogen for chard
Onion — Deters leaf-eating pests

Get swiss chard planting dates for your exact zone

Lawn Guardian turns this guidance into a schedule timed to your USDA zone and this week's actual weather — and adapts every time you log what you've done.

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Sources: Purdue University Turfgrass Science: Use Growing Degree Days to Better Time Your Applications · University of Missouri Extension: Cool-Season Grasses: Lawn Maintenance Calendar · University of Minnesota Extension: Pre-emergent Herbicides for Crabgrass Control in Lawns