How to grow Swiss chard in the UK
Rainbow stems in red, yellow and pink. Keeps going for months.
- DifficultyEasy peasy
- WhereBeds or Pots
- Grows to50cm
- Spacing30cm
- Time to first pickabout 8 weeks
When to sow, plant and harvest swiss chard
| Sow indoors | mid March to mid July |
|---|---|
| Sow outdoors | early April to mid August |
| Plant out | mid April to late August |
| Pick | early June to late November |
Dates are for central England. Sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland, and up to two weeks earlier in the south and south west. Get the dates for your postcode.
Starting it indoors
- Fill a small pot or tray with seed compost
- Push the seeds in (2cm deep) - a couple per pot
- Water gently, then put them on a bright windowsill
- Keep the compost damp but not soggy - check it every day
- When they have 2 proper leaves, give each seedling its own pot
Sowing it outdoors
- Pull out any weeds and rake the top of your bed until it's crumbly, like cake crumbs
- Make a little line in the soil (2cm deep) with your finger or a stick
- Drop the seeds in, about 30cm apart each way
- Gently cover them with soil and pat it down
- Water with a watering can that has a sprinkler head
- Push in a label so you remember what's there
Planting it out
- Toughen them up ('hardening off'): put them outside in the day for a week, bring them in at night
- Dig a hole a bit bigger than the pot
- Tip the plant out gently, holding the leaves, not the stem
- Pop it in the hole, firm the soil around it, and water well
- Space the plants about 30cm apart each way
Top tips for growing swiss chard
- Choose 'Bright Lights' for rainbow colours .
Soil and feeding
Moist soil with plenty of compost. Leafy crops like steady water and a bit of goodness. Compost plus a sprinkle of chicken manure pellets is plenty.
Pests and problems
- Blackbirds & sparrows: peck seedlings, pull out onion sets and steal ripe fruit
- Slugs & snails: munch seedlings overnight, worst in wet weather
- Bend canes or plastic pipe into hoops over the row
- Stretch netting over the hoops, pulled tight so birds can't get tangled
- Peg or weigh down the edges so nothing can sneak underneath
- Check it every day
Harvesting and eating swiss chard
Pick a few outside leaves at a time. It keeps growing new ones in the middle.
How to eat them: Chop and fry the stems first, then add the leaves for a minute.
Storing swiss chard
Keeps 3-5 days.
- Keep in a bag in the fridge
Freeze the leaves: blanch them (dip in boiling water for 2 minutes, then straight into icy water - ask a grown-up to help), squeeze out the water and bag.
Good varieties of swiss chard
- Bright Lights: Stems in red, pink, orange and yellow - like a rainbow.
- Fordhook Giant: Big, thick white stems.
- Rhubarb Chard: Deep red stems.
Companion planting
Grows well with
- French beans: they share space well
- Sweet alyssum: hoverflies that eat greenfly
- Coriander: brings hoverflies
Saving your own swiss chard seed
It only makes seed in its second summer.
- This plant flowers in its second year, so leave one or two strong plants in the ground over winter
- Next summer they grow tall and flower - bees love them
- Cut the seed heads when they're brown and dry, and shake out the seeds
- Cabbage-family plants cross with each other, so seed may not come true
Things to build for swiss chard
Where to buy swiss chard seeds
Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · Amazon
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Swiss chard questions
When should I sow swiss chard in the UK?
In the UK, sow swiss chard indoors from mid March to mid July or outdoors from early April to mid August. These dates suit central England; sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland and up to two weeks earlier in the mild south and south west.
When do I plant out swiss chard?
Plant swiss chard out from mid April to late August.
When can I pick swiss chard?
Swiss chard is ready from early June to late November. Pick a few outside leaves at a time. It keeps growing new ones in the middle.
How long do swiss chard take to grow?
Roughly 8 weeks from sowing or planting until the first harvest.
Are swiss chard easy to grow?
Swiss chard are rated 'easy peasy' for beginners, and can be grown in the ground or a raised bed or in pots and containers.
Plan your own garden: it tells you what to do and when, for your postcode.
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