Crop guide
Growing Swiss chard
Growing Swiss chard means matching type, timing, and spacing on the cited sheets. There is no single national planting date.
Growing guidance is general information. Timing, spacing, and care depend on cultivar, weather, soil, and local conditions. Check the sources and adjust the plan for your garden.
Steps (range, not a promise)
- 01Know the type on the cited sheet. Cool-season notes stay source-specific.
- 02Plant on the cited sheet’s timing. Regional dates stay on their own cards.
- 03Use in-row depth and spacing from one cited source.
- 04Log the bed so next season is not a guess.
Illustrative photograph — types, timing, and spacing stay on the cited sheets.
The season, on your ground
Save this bed — freeWhen to plantCareWhen to harvestGarden pests
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina)
Beta vulgaris. Leaf crop. Beet exclusion. Cooler spring or fall. Direct sow spring or late summer. Rows 18–36 in. Plants 6–18 in. Seed ¼–½ in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) is grown for its leaves. Same species as beet without the swollen root (cited exclusion — not a beet page). Cooler weather of spring or fall. Type notes — not a cultivar mill.
Timing
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): sow Swiss chard directly into the garden in spring or late summer. Timing on their sheet — not a national plant date.
Spacing
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): plant transplants in rows 18 to 36 inches apart. Space plants 6 to 18 inches apart on the row. Direct seed about ¼ to ½ inch deep.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 1329. Leaf-crop wording and 6–18 in stay Clemson. Not fertilizer.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
Beta vulgaris var. cicla. Beet exclusion. Semi-hardy (light frost, attributed). Biennial treated as annual. Early spring and late summer. Seed 2 in. Thin 4 in. Larger 8–12 in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
Maryland Extension (Maryland): Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) is in the same species as garden beet except it lacks the swollen storage root. Semi-hardy (light frost, attributed). Biennial treated as an annual. Type notes — not a mill.
Timing
Maryland Extension (Maryland): direct seed into the garden in early spring and late summer. Seeds can also be started indoors 5 to 6 weeks prior to transplanting. Maryland timing — not a national plant date.
Spacing
Maryland Extension (Maryland): space seeds 2 inches apart in all directions, cover with ½ inch of fine soil. Thin plants to 4 inches apart when they are about 2 inches high. For larger plants, 8 to 12 inches.
Limit
Maryland Swiss chard garden page. Semi-hardy wording stays Maryland. Not fertilizer.
UMN Extension (Minnesota)
Beta vulgaris. Beet exclusion. Shared chard/spinach sheet is a cited exclusion. Early to mid-May. Indoor early April / 4 weeks. Fall indoor June. Seed ¼–½ in. Rows 18–30 in. Thin 4–6 in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
UMN Extension (Minnesota): chard (Beta vulgaris) is the same species as beet. Its shared chard/spinach sheet is a cited exclusion — not a spinach page.
Timing
UMN Extension (Minnesota): start chard in early to mid-May. For summer crops, plant seed indoors in early April or about four weeks before transplanting. For fall crops, sow seed indoors in June. Minnesota timing — not a national plant date.
Spacing
UMN Extension (Minnesota): plant seeds one-fourth to one-half inch deep, in rows 18 to 30 inches apart. Thin Swiss chard to four to six inches apart.
Limit
Minnesota chard/spinach sheet. Chard timing and 4–6 in stay Minnesota. Not a spinach page.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
Early to mid-spring direct seed. Indoor or cold frame early spring. ½–¾ in deep. 8–10 seeds/ft. Thin 4–6 in, or 2–3 in then 9–12 in.
Details and limits (3)
Timing
Illinois Extension (Illinois): chard can be directly seeded into the garden in early spring to mid-spring. Sow seed indoors or in a cold frame in early spring. Illinois timing — not a national plant date.
Spacing
Illinois Extension (Illinois): plant seeds ½ to ¾ inches deep (8 to 10 seeds per foot of row). Thin seedlings to 4 to 6 inches apart. Alternative: thin to 2 to 3 inches, then a final spacing of 9 to 12 inches.
Limit
Illinois chard page. Early-spring timing and 4–6 in stay Illinois. Not fertilizer.
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
Sources differ
When do you plant Swiss chard?
Compare timing on the cited sheets. Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): direct sow in spring or late summer. Maryland: early spring and late summer direct seed, or indoor 5 to 6 weeks. Minnesota: early to mid-May; indoor early April or about four weeks; fall indoor June. Illinois: early to mid-spring direct seed, or indoor or cold frame in early spring. Not a national plant date.
How far apart do you plant Swiss chard?
The sheets do not agree on one grid. Clemson: rows 18 to 36 inches, plants 6 to 18 inches. Maryland: seed 2 inches, thin to 4 inches, larger plants 8 to 12 inches. Minnesota: rows 18 to 30 inches, thin 4 to 6 inches. Illinois: 8 to 10 seeds per foot, thin 4 to 6 inches, or 2 to 3 inches then 9 to 12 inches.
What to record in the Field Book
Save the bed with the crop and the date. You may add a photo and notes. Compare entries you have recorded with each other — not with a diagnosis from this page. If you want an identification, bring the record to local Extension.
Verified suppliers only
No supplier on this page
When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.