When to Plant Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is a half-hardy cool-season vegetable. It takes light frosts but not a hard freeze.
Start seeds indoors 5 to 7 weeks before the last spring frost, and plant out from 2 weeks before the last frost to 1 week after it. Or sow it where it will grow, from 3 weeks before the last spring frost to 2 weeks after it. For a fall crop, sow 8 to 11 weeks before the first fall frost. The first harvest comes about 55 to 65 days after sowing.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start seeds indoors | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 |
| Harden off | Feb 22 – 28 | Mar 25 – 31 | Apr 24 – 30 |
| Plant out | Mar 1 – 22 | Apr 1 – 22 | May 1 – 22 |
| Harvest | Mar 21 – Jul 11 | Apr 21 – Aug 11 | May 21 – Sep 10 |
| Direct-sown: Sow outdoors | Feb 22 – Mar 29 | Mar 25 – Apr 29 | Apr 24 – May 29 |
| Direct-sown: Harvest | Apr 18 – Aug 8 | May 19 – Sep 8 | Jun 18 – Oct 8 |
| Fall: Sow outdoors | Aug 30 – Sep 20 | Aug 9 – 30 | Jul 15 – Aug 5 |
| Fall: Harvest | Oct 24 – Feb 13 | Oct 3 – Jan 23 | Sep 8 – Dec 29 |
Growing Swiss chard
Harvest outer stalks and leave the centre growing; one planting keeps producing from early summer to hard frost.
- Spacing: 9 in apart, in rows 18 in apart. In a raised bed, 4 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 55 to 65 from sowing, then about 16 weeks of picking.
- Rotation: Swiss chard is in the beet family. Plant it where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.
- Traditional companions: broccoli, brussels sprouts, bush bean, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, green onion, kale, kohlrabi, onion (bulb), pole bean. See companion plants for Swiss chard.
Plan your beds with these dates
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Open the garden plannerQuestions
When do I start Swiss chard indoors?
5 to 7 weeks before the last spring frost: with a last frost of April 15, that's Feb 25 – Mar 11. Enter your ZIP code above for your own dates.
Can Swiss chard go in before the last frost?
Yes. Swiss chard is half-hardy: plant it out from 2 weeks before the last spring frost to 1 week after it.
How long does Swiss chard take to grow?
About 55 to 65 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 16 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
Can I grow Swiss chard in fall?
Yes. Sow 8 to 11 weeks before the first fall frost. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331 / SPES-673P, 2025)
- University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
- UNH Cooperative Extension: Growing Vegetables: When to Plant your Vegetable Garden (2016)
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Vegetable Planting and Harvesting Times (chart, central Iowa)
- Iowa State: Fall Planting of Vegetables
- Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah
- Montana State University Extension: Can I Grow That Here? Vegetable Seed and Transplant Schedules (MontGuide MT199308AG, rev. 2018)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Small-Scale Gardening (square-foot planting guide)
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)