Swiss Chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
Chenopodiaceae · goosefoot family
Origin · Mediterranean · temperate Europe
- Matures
- 2–3 months
- Harvest
- Continuous · Annual
- Sun
- 4–8+ hrs
- Spacing
- 10–12 in
Planting window
When to sow, by microclimate — foggier blocks run a different calendar than sunnier ones.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foggy | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Sunny | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foggy | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ |
| Sunny | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ◐ |
Sunlight
How well it does at each level of direct sun per day.
Soil depth
Root room it needs — useful for sizing raised beds and containers.
Soil pH
The soil acidity it grows best in — most crops sit just below neutral, so this mostly matters for heavily amended or long-reused beds.
- Preferred range
- pH 6.0–7.0
Spacing
Room each plant needs — along the row and between rows — for sizing beds.
- In-row
- 10–12 in
- Between rows
- 18–36 in
Growth habit
The shape it makes in the bed and how tall it gets — what tells you whether to give it a trellis, a stake, or just room.
- Habit
- Upright
- Mature height
- 1–2 ft
Stands on its own; the tallest types appreciate a stake in wind.
Growing in containers
Whether it does well in a pot, planter, or window box — the SF balcony-and-deck question, weighing its footprint, form, and staying power, not just root depth.
Happy in a pot, planter, or window box — no garden bed required.
How to start it
Sow it where it grows, or raise it under cover and set it out — and how far ahead to start the seedlings if it's the latter.
- Usually
- Direct-sow
- Start indoors
- 4 weeks ahead
Sown straight into the bed it will grow in.
Getting started
How it goes in the ground — how deep to sow or set it, and the soil temperature it needs to wake up. The cold-soil floor is the real limiter for direct-sowing in a foggy SF spring.
- Started from
- From seed
- Ideal soil temp
- 65–85°F
- Sow depth
- 1 in
- Time to emerge
- 5–7 days
Germinates between 40–95°F; happiest around 65–85°F.
Watering & feeding
How thirsty and how hungry it is — the water it wants and how much feeding the bed needs to keep it producing. In the fog belt even a thirsty crop drinks less than it would inland.
- Water need
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Moderate feeder
Wants steady, even moisture — roughly an inch a week, a little more in a heat spell.
A balanced feed worked into the bed at planting usually carries it through the season.
Water regularly — swings toughen the leaves and slow growth. A moderate feeder that keeps cutting all season.
Pests & diseases
What tends to trouble this crop — what it is, what you'll see, and what to do about it, least-toxic first.
Pests9
Aphids
- What it is
- Aphids have soft pear-shaped bodies with long legs and antennae and may be green, yellow, brown, red, or black depending on the species and the plants they feed on. A few species appear waxy or woolly due to the secretion of a waxy white or gray substance over their body surface.
- What you'll see
- Low to moderate numbers of leaf-feeding aphids aren't usually damaging in gardens or on trees. However, large populations can turn leaves yellow and stunt shoots; aphids can also produce large quantities of a sticky exudate known as honeydew, which often turns black with the growth of a sooty mold fungus.
- What to do
- Before planting vegetables, check surrounding areas for sources of aphids and remove these sources. On the other hand, these aphid-infested weeds can sometimes provide an early source of aphid natural enemies.
Armyworms
- What it is
- Armyworm larvae feed in groups, which distinguishes them from other vegetable pests such as corn earworms and loopers. Markings on newly hatched armyworms are usually hard to distinguish from those of other caterpillars; older larvae have distinct lengthwise stripes.
- What you'll see
- Armyworms may feed on the crowns of seedlings. On larger plants, armyworm caterpillars skeletonize leaves.
- What to do
- Handpick. Virus diseases, parasites (Hyposoter and Trichogramma), and general predators may be effective on caterpillars.
Cucumber Beetles
- What it is
- Adult beetles are shiny with black heads, long antennae, and about 1/4 inch long. Adults may be striped or spotted, depending upon species.
- What you'll see
- Adults feed on the leaves of many vegetables as well as on soft fruit. Shoots and blossoms may also be consumed.
- What to do
- Management of cucumber beetles is difficult. The best strategy for most vegetable gardens may be to place protective cloth over emerging plants and remove it when plants are old enough to tolerate damage.
Cutworms
- What it is
- Cutworms are dull brown caterpillars ranging in length from 1 to 2 inches when fully grown. They curl into a C-shape when disturbed.
- What you'll see
- Cutworms feed on blossoms and leaves of many ornamental plants and attack most garden crops. They clip off seedling stems near or just below the soil level.
- What to do
- Cutworms are pests mainly in the spring. Destroy crop residues; keep garden weed-free in winter.
Flea Beetles
- What it is
- Their small size, enlarged back legs, characteristic shot-hole damage, and habit of jumping when disturbed make flea beetles easy to identify. There are numerous flea beetle species.
- What you'll see
- Adults feed mostly on leaves, leaving tiny pits or small holes at their feeding sites. Flea beetles feeding together can cover leaves with bleached, pitted areas or ragged holes.
- What to do
- Remove debris in the fall to remove any overwintering beetles. Reflective mulches applied very soon after planting and before plants become infected can be helpful.
Leafhoppers
- What it is
- Leaf stippling (bleached specks) is commonly the most obvious indication that leafhoppers or certain other arthropods that suck plant juices are present. Because discolored spots or overall bleaching of leaves are also caused by lace bugs, plant bugs and other true bugs, spider mites, and thrips, examine the underside of leaves for the arthropods themselves to distinguish the cause of damage.
- What you'll see
- Leafhopper feeding causes leaves to develop pale specks (stippling). Leaves and shoot tips fed upon by an abundance of leafhoppers may turn yellow then brown and curl and die.
- What to do
- In most situations, leafhoppers are just an annoyance or curiosity and do not threaten plant survival. Leafhoppers have many natural enemies, including assassin bugs, brown lacewings, damsel bugs, green lacewings, lady beetles, minute pirate bugs, and spiders.
Snails and Slugs
- What you'll see
- Snails and slugs feed on a variety of living plants and on decaying plant matter. They create irregular holes with smooth edges on leaves and flowers by scraping with their rasp-like tongues.
- What to do
- It will not be possible to eliminate some shelters, such as low ledges on fences, the undersides of wooden decks, and water meter boxes, so make a regular practice of trapping and removing snails and slugs from these areas. The survivors congregate in the remaining shelters, where you can more easily locate and remove them.
Thrips
- What it is
- Most adult thrips are elongate, slender, minute (less than 1/20 inch long), and have long fringes on the margins of both pairs of their long, narrow wings. Immatures (called larvae or nymphs) are oblong or slender and elongate and lack wings.
- What you'll see
- Thrips feeding on plants can damage fruit, leaves, and shoots and very noticeably affect plants’ cosmetic appearance. However, thrips rarely kill or threaten the survival of trees and shrubs.
- What to do
- Thrips species that feed on many different plant species often move into gardens and landscapes when plants in weedy areas or grasslands begin to dry in spring or summer. Avoid planting susceptible plants next to these areas, and control nearby weeds that are alternate hosts of pest thrips.
Vegetable Leafminers
- What it is
- Adult leafminers are small, active, black flies often with a prominent yellow triangle between the bases of the wings. The head behind the eyes is mostly black.
- What you'll see
- Leafminers attack many different vegetable and flower hosts, including cole crops, cucurbits, tomatoes, peas, beans, aster, begonia, dahlia, impatiens, lily, marigold, petunia, and verbena. Adult female leafminers puncture leaves and sometimes petals to feed on exuding sap.
- What to do
- Leafminers rarely require treatment in gardens. Clip off and remove older infested leaves.
Diseases1
Curly Top
- What you'll see
- Plants infected with the curly top virus show a striking down-cupping, puckering, and wrinkling of infected leaves. The leaves become thick and brittle and may turn dark green.
- What to do
- Plant varieties that are resistant or tolerant to the curly top virus if curly top is in your area. Control of leafhoppers with insecticides will not reduce the incidence of disease.
Harvest & storage
How to tell it's ready to pick, and how to keep it once it's in.
- Keeps
- DaysBest eaten within a few days of picking.
- Ready to harvest
- Cut the outer leaves above the growing point at about 12-18 in and the inner leaves keep coming.
- Storing
- Refrigerate and use within a few days; the leaves wilt quickly.
Culinary use & nutrition
What it's for in the kitchen, and the nutrients a 100 g raw serving is a notable source of.
In the kitchen
- Raw
- Boiled / steamed
Nutrition highlights
- Excellent source
- Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
- Good source
- Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, Vitamin E, Iron
Share of the Daily Value in a 100 g raw serving (USDA FoodData Central).
Pollinators & wildlife
What this crop offers the garden's wildlife once it flowers — often the payoff for letting a bolting plant stand.
No notable draw for pollinators — its flowers offer them little.
Chard is the same species as the beet and shares its habits: wind-pollinated and biennial, so a plant cut for leaves through one season is pulled long before it blooms.
Sources
Growing data on this page is drawn from Cornell University Home Gardening, UC Master Gardeners, San Mateo–SF Counties, and the other references on our sources page.