Leaf miners tunneling inside. Remove and destroy affected leaves; use row cover.

Old or heat-stressed. Harvest young; keep evenly watered.

Maturity or temperature swings. Normal in year two; sow fresh each spring for steady leaves.

Gardening

How to grow Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)

A cut-and-come-again green that shrugs off heat and frost. One sowing feeds you for months.

When to plant swiss chard where you live

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Sun

Full sun

Hardiness zones

Zones 3–11

Spacing

8–12 in apart, rows 18 in apart.

Soil

Rich, well-draining soil; pH 6.0–7.0.

Watering

Even 1–1.5 in/week keeps leaves tender and fast.

Plant / sow (typical)

Apr – May

Harvest (typical)

Jun – Oct

Starting

Direct sow or transplant. Harvest outer stalks at the base and the center keeps producing; one planting can crop spring through hard frost.

Companions

Good with Bush bean, Onion, Cabbage. Keep apart from Pole bean, Corn.

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Common problems

Pale, mottled leaves. Leaf miners tunneling inside. Remove and destroy affected leaves; use row cover.
Bitter leaves. Old or heat-stressed. Harvest young; keep evenly watered.
Bolting to seed. Maturity or temperature swings. Normal in year two; sow fresh each spring for steady leaves.