Eaten raw as a young leafy green, or sautéed as a mature stem & leaf, Chard is an easy-to-grow vegetable that is among the most versatile. It’s also known as Swiss Chard (though the plant originated in the Mediterranean.) Growing in the rainbow-colors available adds a visual pop to any vegetable (or ornamental) garden!
Types of Chard
The varieties of chard available are most often distinguished by their stem thickness and color, and some are known to be more vs. less cold-tolerant.
Variety Selection
Chard is quite versatile and grows spring through fall here in the Tahoe Basin. Early and late season, gardeners may opt to select a variety more likely to be cold-tolerant, as some can handle temperatures as low as 15F. As we approach mid-summer, finding more heat-tolerant chard varieties will allow you to harvest leaves for longer before the plant decides to bolt (i.e. go to seed.).
Chard varieties known to grow well in the Tahoe Basin:
- Argentata (cold-tolerant)
- Bright Lights (both cold and heat-tolerant)
- Fordhook Giant (both cold and heat-tolerant)
- Perpetual Chard (cold-tolerant)
- Rhubarb Supreme (heat-tolerant)
- White Silver (cold-tolerant)
How to Grow
In general Chard grows well from seed, which can be started outdoors as soon as May 1 (depending on the kind of winter-spring we may be having!) Seeds should be buried 1/2’ into always-moist soil, and soaking seeds in water a day before planting leads to quicker germination.
For springtime crops, start seeds indoors or under a cold frame—seeds germinate best from 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Plan to harden off, then plant out after the threat of hard freeze has past, though chard can survive spring freezes so May 1 is a good benchmark.
Thin chard plants to at least 6” spacing, depending on variety. Succession planting, i.e. staggering the date you plant, will give you a more steady stream of harvestable chard (versus a crop that all matures at the same time.)
Chard requires compost-enriched, nutrient-rich moist soil. Amend soil with compost and a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer upon planting, this is usually enough for Chard to thrive to its maturity date (30-55 days.). The root zone should be moist but not wet, manage irrigation to ensure this level of moisture. As chard matures, water more deeply and less frequent to encourage deep rooting.
As the weather warms and sun gets more intense, chard can bolt, or turn its production to seed, sooner than you can harvest its leaves before they turn bitter. Growing in less direct sunlight or installing shade cloth or floating row covers can help extend your harvest window.
In addition to keeping birds, rabbits, and other vertebrate pests away from your chard, this crop is known to attract aphids and leaf miners. Monitoring your plants for leaf miner eggs (small neat rows of yellow oblong eggs, which you can rub off with a fingernail), and squirting bursts of water on aphids can go a long way.
How to Harvest
Chard is another harvest-as-needed crop, you break off stems & leaves as your meals require. Keep an eye on plants, the greens will be tender until a thick center stalk develops, this is a sign that the plant is going to seed, at which time the leaves will become less tasty and more stringy. Consider letting the plant go to seed for next year’s crop, or pull and plant for a second round.
Chard can also be grown as a baby green, using a cut-and-come-again method of harvesting: Cut with scissors or shears 1” above the base of plants, allowing additional flushes of leaves to grow from the center of the plants.
Read more about troubleshooting chard pest problems on the UC IPM Website.