Chard Growing Guide
Chard, also known as Swiss chard, perpetual spinach, or leaf beat, is a versatile, easy, and productive leaf crop closely related to beetroot. It features large, lush foliage and brightly colored stems, making it an attractive addition to vegetable plots, large containers, or even flower borders. Its nutritious leaves can be harvested over a long season; young leaves are suitable for raw salads, while larger leaves can be cooked like spinach.
This guidance applies to the crop in general. Individual varieties and local conditions can differ.
Planting information
Chard seeds can be sown outdoors from April through to July, or indoors in modular trays from early spring for an earlier crop. For outdoor sowing, make a drill 2.5cm deep, water the base, then space seeds 10cm apart along the drill. Cover with soil and water again if dry. Space additional rows 45cm apart. Thin outdoor seedlings gradually to 30cm apart for full size, or 5cm apart for mini-leaves. For indoor sowing, sow one or two seeds per module filled with peat-free seed compost, cover with 2.5cm of compost, and water well. For containers, sow from April to July, spacing seeds 10cm apart and covering with 2.5cm of compost, then thin to 30cm or 5cm for baby leaves. Young chard plants, either grown from seed indoors or bought as modules, can be planted outdoors once they are at least 5cm tall and have been gradually acclimatized (hardened off). Choose a sunny planting site, possibly with light shade in summer. Gently remove plants from their modules and plant them 30cm apart for full-sized plants, or 5cm apart for cut-and-come-again salad leaves. Water them in well and protect from slugs and snails. For container planting, use a container at least 40cm wide and deep, filled with peat-free multi-purpose compost, using the same spacing guidelines.
Harvesting information
Chard provides pickings for several months, with spring and mid-summer sowings potentially offering harvests for most of the year. Leaves can grow quite large, up to 30cm tall. For repeated harvests, pick only the outer leaves by cutting them cleanly at the base of the stalk, leaving several central leaves to grow. Take regular light pickings whenever plants have ample leaves. From established plants (at least 20cm tall), you can cut all the leaves at once, ensuring to cut at least 5cm above the base to allow for regrowth. Young leaves (up to about 5cm long) can be used raw in salads. Larger leaves can be steamed like spinach or added to stir-fries, stews, and pasta sauces. The thick stems can also be lightly steamed.