Swiss chard is a colourful, versatile vegetable that looks great in the garden and on your plate. With bright stems and leafy greens, it can be harvested over a long season. Here’s how to grow Swiss chard.
What is Swiss Chard?
Swiss chard—also simply called chard—is very closely related to beets and spinach. Swiss chard offers a wide variety of colours, from white to yellow, orange to red. This is an easy plant to grow and you can harvest Swiss chard over a long period, making it one of the favourite plants for both novice and expert gardeners.
How to Grow Swiss Chard
Ground Preparation
Swiss chard thrives in rich, moisture-retentive, free-draining soil. Plant this vegetable in a sunny or partially shaded part of your garden. Add organic matter, such as homemade compost, before sowing or planting.
Sowing Swiss Chard Seeds
Swiss chard can be sown directly into the ground from early spring to mid-summer. Create a drill roughly 2.5cm deep in rows 10cm apart. Cover with soil and keep the soil moist. For an early start, sow indoors in modular trays filled with seed compost from early spring. Harden off by gradually acclimatizing after the last frost, when they’re about 5cm tall.
Care
Swiss chard is a low-maintenance plant. Thin the seedlings to 30cm apart, or to 5cm for mini-leaves. Water young plants regularly until established. Mature plants are drought tolerant but appreciate consistent moisture during dry periods. Mulch around plants to keep the soil moist and to suppress weeds.
Harvesting Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is a cut-and-come-again crop, you can harvest the tender leaves on a regular basis. To harvest, cut young leaves when they are about 5 cm for salad, or larger for cooking. Regular cutting encourages new growth and the plants will re-sprout and give several harvests over the season. For a continuous supply, sow seed every few weeks from March to August.
Pests and Diseases
Swiss chard is a robust and generally trouble-free crop. Protect young plants from slug and snail damage, particularly in wet weather. Birds can also be a problem, so you may want to cover the plants with netting.
Varieties
Chard Bright Lights is a popular variety of Swiss chard to grow. With a stunning variety of colours, this variety was bred especially for beauty and taste.