Swiss Chard — FarmPal
Beautiful, productive, and nearly indestructible. The most forgiving leafy green.
Sun
full
Water
moderate
Spacing
6-12 inches apart
Days to Harvest
Baby: 25-30 days. Full: 50-60 days
Planting Depth
1/2 inch deep
Companion Plants
Beans
Cabbage family
Onions
Lettuce
Avoid Planting Near
Corn
Cucumbers
Melons
Common Pests
Leaf miners
Aphids
Slugs
Diseases to Watch
Cercospora leaf spot
Downy mildew
Growing Tips
- •Each seed produces multiple plants thin to strongest
- •Tolerates both heat and cold (unlike lettuce or spinach)
- •Cut-and-come-again for months of harvest
- •Can overwinter in mild climates for early spring greens
- •Beautiful enough for flower beds try Bright Lights!
Harvesting
- •Harvest outer leaves first, leaving inner ones to grow
- •Cut stems at base, don't tear
- •Both leaves and stems are edible cook separately
- •Never harvest more than 1/3 of plant at once
Storage
Refrigerator 5-7 days. Blanch and freeze for long-term.
Varieties
Bright Lights
Rainbow stems red, gold, orange, pink, white. Stunning.
Fordhook Giant
Classic white-stemmed. Very productive.
Rhubarb
Deep red stems. Attractive and delicious.
Perpetual Spinach
Actually chard. Spinach-like leaves. Heat tolerant.