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Choose your climateBased on winter hardiness only.

Vegetable · Amaranthaceae family

Swiss chard

Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (Cicla Group)

Full sun to part shade 11¾ in–1 ft 11⅝ in × 7⅞ in–1 ft 5¾ in Harvest June–October Low maintenance

In short a 10-second read

SunFull sun to part shade
Size11¾ in–1 ft 11⅝ in
spacing 11¾ in
SowingApril–July
HarvestJune–October
Care levelLow maintenance

Where to plant and how much to water

Sun, soil and water.

It grows best in full sun to part shade, in average to moist soil.

Sun

Sun6 hours or more
Part shade3–6 hours
Shadeunder 3 h

Soil

acidic to neutral soil
acidicneutralalkaline
average to moisthumus-richloamy

Watering

Swiss chard — Watering
regularly until establishedonly in dry spellsless when it rains

How much space it takes

Mature size.

The mature plant next to a person (69 in).

19¾ in3 ft 3⅜ in4 ft 11 in11¾ in–1 ft 11⅝ inspread 7⅞ in–1 ft 5¾ in
11¾ in–1 ft 11⅝ in× spread 7⅞ in–1 ft 5¾ in

Plant 11¾ in apart.

How to plant: staggered, 9 in apart

The final size depends on the cultivar and the spot — we give the range from smallest to largest.

Calendar

Through the year.

Typical for a temperate climate (four seasons). The line shows the current month.

The year at a glance

Sowing: JanuarySowing: FebruarySowing: MarchSowing: AprilSowing: MaySowing: JuneSowing: JulySowing: AugustSowing: SeptemberSowing: OctoberSowing: NovemberSowing: DecemberFeeding: JanuaryFeeding: FebruaryFeeding: MarchFeeding: AprilFeeding: MayFeeding: JuneFeeding: JulyFeeding: AugustFeeding: SeptemberFeeding: OctoberFeeding: NovemberFeeding: DecemberHarvest: JanuaryHarvest: FebruaryHarvest: MarchHarvest: AprilHarvest: MayHarvest: JuneHarvest: JulyHarvest: AugustHarvest: SeptemberHarvest: OctoberHarvest: NovemberHarvest: DecemberCheck: JanuaryCheck: FebruaryCheck: MarchCheck: AprilCheck: MayCheck: JuneCheck: JulyCheck: AugustCheck: SeptemberCheck: OctoberCheck: NovemberCheck: DecemberJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
SowingFeedingHarvestCheck
Now, in October: time to harvest. · watch for gray mold.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Sowing

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

direct sowing: April–July

Feeding

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

May

Harvest

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

June–October

Check

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

April–September: Look for clusters of white eggs on the undersides of chard leaves and remove affected leaves.

Feeding

Nutrition.

Horn meal

up to 0.16 oz/sq ft · in 1 dose · May

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Pests and diseases

Common problems and what to do.

The most common problems in Central Europe. Protection is listed from the gentlest option.

Beet leaf miner

Beet leaf miner

Pegomya hyoscyami
pest

What you will see

Large pale blotches (mines) in chard leaves.

When to look

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
April–September

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • Cover plants with fine mesh so flies do not lay eggs, and rotate crops.
  2. By hand mainly early summerRemove affected leaves or squash the larvae in the tunnels with your fingers; look for white eggs on the undersides of leaves.
Beet leaf minerpest · April–September

What you will see

Large pale blotches (mines) in chard leaves.

When to look

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
April–September

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • Cover plants with fine mesh so flies do not lay eggs, and rotate crops.
  2. By hand mainly early summerRemove affected leaves or squash the larvae in the tunnels with your fingers; look for white eggs on the undersides of leaves.

What you will see

Discoloured areas on the top of leaves, with a white, gray or purple coating beneath.

When to look

Mainly summer and fall, especially in damp conditions

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • Do not plant densely; weed so air can circulate.
    • Water in the morning and avoid wetting the leaves in the evening.
    • Rotate crops; soil spores survive.
  2. By hand as soon as it appearsPull off affected leaves and dispose of them (burying, burning, recycling center).
Downy mildewsdisease · mainly summer and fall, especially in damp conditions

What you will see

Discoloured areas on the top of leaves, with a white, gray or purple coating beneath.

When to look

Mainly summer and fall, especially in damp conditions

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • Do not plant densely; weed so air can circulate.
    • Water in the morning and avoid wetting the leaves in the evening.
    • Rotate crops; soil spores survive.
  2. By hand as soon as it appearsPull off affected leaves and dispose of them (burying, burning, recycling center).
More about this problem
Gray mold

Gray mold

Botrytis cinerea
disease
More about this problem

What you will see

Soft, rotting parts covered in a fuzzy gray coating.

When to look

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
April–October

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • Keep things clean: remove dead and diseased parts.
    • Ventilate polytunnels and greenhouses.
  2. By hand as soon as it appearsCarefully remove affected parts into a bag (spores spread easily) and dispose of them.
Gray molddisease · April–October

What you will see

Soft, rotting parts covered in a fuzzy gray coating.

When to look

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
April–October

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • Keep things clean: remove dead and diseased parts.
    • Ventilate polytunnels and greenhouses.
  2. By hand as soon as it appearsCarefully remove affected parts into a bag (spores spread easily) and dispose of them.
More about this problem

What you will see

Irregular holes in soft leaves and young shoots and slime trails; they feed at night.

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • Plant sturdy potted plants, not delicate young seedlings.
    • Water in the morning, not the evening (evening watering helps them move around).
    • Encourage their natural enemies: birds, hedgehogs, toads, ground beetles.
  2. By hand evening, after rainPick them off by hand on damp evenings and take them far away. Traps: hollowed-out citrus halves placed cut side down, or sunken containers of beer; check in the morning.
  3. Biological when the soil is warm and moistSlug-specific nematodes (from a biological control supplier) are watered into the soil.
  4. Chemical — only when nothing else helps according to the product labelLast resort only: a product authorized in your country against slugs and snails. Try non-chemical methods first.
Slugs and snailspest

What you will see

Irregular holes in soft leaves and young shoots and slime trails; they feed at night.

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • Plant sturdy potted plants, not delicate young seedlings.
    • Water in the morning, not the evening (evening watering helps them move around).
    • Encourage their natural enemies: birds, hedgehogs, toads, ground beetles.
  2. By hand evening, after rainPick them off by hand on damp evenings and take them far away. Traps: hollowed-out citrus halves placed cut side down, or sunken containers of beer; check in the morning.
  3. Biological when the soil is warm and moistSlug-specific nematodes (from a biological control supplier) are watered into the soil.
  4. Chemical — only when nothing else helps according to the product labelLast resort only: a product authorized in your country against slugs and snails. Try non-chemical methods first.
More about this problem

What you will see

It transmits the bacteria SBR and stolbur: leaves change color and wilt, taste and quality change, storage roots become soft and rubbery. Some affected plants show no symptoms. Nymphs develop in the soil.

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • Keep to crop rotation.
    • Use crop nets.
    • Bare fallow can reduce pest pressure.
  2. Chemical — only when nothing else helps according to the regional plant protection warning serviceIn Bavaria only emergency authorizations for spraying against the planthopper were granted for the 2026 season; protection strategies and the course of the infection are still unclear. Use only a product authorized in your country against planthoppers on the crop in question.
Reed planthopper (vector of SBR and stolbur)pest

What you will see

It transmits the bacteria SBR and stolbur: leaves change color and wilt, taste and quality change, storage roots become soft and rubbery. Some affected plants show no symptoms. Nymphs develop in the soil.

How to protect

  1. Prevention
    • Keep to crop rotation.
    • Use crop nets.
    • Bare fallow can reduce pest pressure.
  2. Chemical — only when nothing else helps according to the regional plant protection warning serviceIn Bavaria only emergency authorizations for spraying against the planthopper were granted for the 2026 season; protection strategies and the course of the infection are still unclear. Use only a product authorized in your country against planthoppers on the crop in question.
More about this problem
Sources (6)

Bed neighbors

Good and bad neighbors.

Each neighbor shows how we know it.

✓Good neighbors

✕Bad neighbors

Frequently asked

Quick answers.

When do I sow Swiss chard?

In April–July (direct sowing).

When is Swiss chard harvested?

In June–October.

Does Swiss chard tolerate shade?

It tolerates part shade (3–6 hours of sun), but not full shade.

How much space does Swiss chard need?

At maturity 7⅞ in–1 ft 5¾ in wide and 11¾ in–1 ft 11⅝ in tall; recommended spacing 11¾ in.

Beet leaf miner — what can you do?

Cover plants with fine mesh so flies do not lay eggs, and rotate crops. Remove affected leaves or squash the larvae in the tunnels with your fingers; look for white eggs on the undersides of leaves.

Downy mildews — what can you do?

Do not plant densely; weed so air can circulate. Pull off affected leaves and dispose of them (burying, burning, recycling center).

Sources (6) Checked 27 October 2026

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