RHS Growing Guides
Our detailed growing guide will help you with each step in successfully growing Chard.
1
Getting Started
Section 1 of 7
Chard, or Swiss chard, is an attractive leafy vegetable, with stalks in an array of bright colours. Itâs similar to spinach, but easier to grow as itâs less likely to go to seed in dry weather and one sowing gives you harvests over many months.
Different varieties offer a choice of vibrant stem colours and leaf veining, in shades of red, pink, purple, orange, yellow or pure white. The glossy leaves may be green or tinted with deep red.
With its large, lush foliage and bright stems, chard makes an attractive crop in a veg plot or large container. In fact, it looks good enough to grow in borders and works particularly well in tropical-style plantings.
Sow seeds outdoors in spring or early summer for repeated harvests through summer into autumn, then sow a second batch in mid-summer that will overwinter outdoors and provide early harvests the following spring. For mini-leaves to use in salads, you can sow small batches regularly and harvest young leaves repeatedly.
Month by Month
Jobs to do now
- Sow seeds outdoors
- Thin seedlings from earlier sowings
- Harvest leaves from mature plants
- Sow seeds outdoors
- Thin seedlings from earlier sowings
- Harvest leaves from mature plants
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
| Plant Out | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Harvest | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
2
Choosing
Section 2 of 7
There are several varieties of chard, varying in colour rather than flavour, so choosing which to grow is primarily a visual pleasure. Itâs the thick leaf stems, mid-ribs and veins that provide most of the colour, although the green leaves may also be blushed with red. Stem colours are mainly hot shades of ruby, crimson, pink, orange or yellow, or cool pure white. The best-known variety, âBright Lightsâ, offers a mix of eye-catching hues, while other varieties are a single uniform colour.
White-stemmed varieties tend to be hardiest, so are a good choice in colder locations, although all chard is hardy.
Varieties with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) should grow and crop reliably, having performed well in RHS trials â see our list of AGM fruit and veg.
What and where to buy
Youâll find a selection of chard seeds in garden centres and from online suppliers.
A few suppliers also sell young plants in spring and early summer, for immediate planting outdoors.
Recommended Varieties
'Bright Lights'
Produces a rainbow of coloured stems, ideal for a flower border. Mild, sweet flavoured and capable of over-wintering.
The RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) helps gardeners choose the best plants for their garden.
Wild bees and other pollinators are in decline. The Plants for Pollinators initiative helps gardeners easily identify plants that encourage them back into the garden
âBright Yellowâ
Bright golden-yellow stalks (petioles) with mid-green puckered leaves.
The RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) helps gardeners choose the best plants for their garden.
Wild bees and other pollinators are in decline. The Plants for Pollinators initiative helps gardeners easily identify plants that encourage them back into the garden
âCharlotteâ
Striking red stems and veins, upright leaves and neat habit.
The RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) helps gardeners choose the best plants for their garden.
Wild bees and other pollinators are in decline. The Plants for Pollinators initiative helps gardeners easily identify plants that encourage them back into the garden
Showing 3 out of 5 varieties
3
Preparing the Ground
Section 3 of 7
Chard grows best in an open, sunny site, although it can tolerate some shade in summer. It prefers rich, moisture-retentive, free-draining soil.
Add organic matter, such as home-made garden compost, to improve drainage and enrich the soil, ideally in autumn or winter prior to sowing.
Just before you sow, weed the ground thoroughly. Then rake in a high potassium general fertiliser, such as Vitax Q4, at a rate of two handfuls per square metre/yard.
4
Sowing
Section 4 of 7
Chard seeds are large and easy to sow. They are usually sown straight into the ground, from early spring to mid-summer, but can also be sown in modules indoors to produce an early crop.
Related RHS Guides
Sowing indoors
For an early crop, more reliable germination or to protect young seedlings from slugs and snails, sow indoors from early spring onwards, into modular trays filled with seed compost.
Sow one or two seeds per module (later thinning to one if necessary), cover with 2.5cm (1in) of compost, then water well.
Transplant outside after the last frost, when about 5cm (2in) tall. Gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions first byhardening off. Then gently remove from the module without disturbing the roots and plant straight into prepared soil (see above), 30cm (1ft) apart, or 5cm (2in) apart for mini-leaves.
Related RHS Guides
Sowing outdoors
Chard seeds are easy to sow outdoors, from April through to July, into prepared ground (see above).
Make a drill 2.5cm (1in) deep, water along the base, then sow the seeds 10cm (4in) apart along its length. Cover with soil and water again if dry. Space any additional rows 45cm (18in) apart.
Two sowings â one in April and the second in July â are usually sufficient. The July sowing provides leaves the following spring when growth resumes.
Alternatively, for regular pickings of baby leaves for salads, sow small batches every few weeks from March to August.
Sowing outdoors in containers
Chard can also be sown in large containers, at least 40cm (16in) wide and deep, filled with multi-purpose compost, from April through to July.
Sow the seeds 10cm (4in) apart, then cover with about 2.5cm (1in) of compost. Water thoroughly but gently to avoid dislodging the seeds.
Place the container in a warm, sunny spot and water regularly.
Related RHS Guides
5
Plant Care
Section 5 of 7
Chard needs little maintenance, apart from watering in dry spells and weeding, especially when plants are young. Protect in winter to keep plants in good condition.
Thinning out seedlings
Thin out the seedlings once theyâre large enough to handle, to 30cm (1ft) apart, or 5cm (2in) apart for mini-leaves. You can use the thinnings in salads.
Watering
Water young plants regularly until theyâre well established. More mature plants are fairly drought tolerant, but for the best crop of leaves, ensure the soil stays moist, watering during dry spells.
Plants in containers need regular watering throughout their growing period, as the limited amount of compost dries out quickly.
Related RHS Guides
Mulching
Spread a thick layer of mulch, such as garden compost, around chard plants when the soil is warm and damp, to help hold in moisture and suppress weeds. Leave a gap around the base of each plant, to ensure the stems donât rot.
Related RHS Guides
Weeding
Weed regularly to reduce competition for water and nutrients â this is particularly important while plants are young, when weeds could easily overwhelm them.
Bolting
In hot weather, plants may bolt (start to flower). Cut off any flower stems that form, and plants should continue to produce tasty leaves for a while longer. Once flowering gets under way in earnest, the plants should be removed and composted.
Winter protection
In October, to keep plants in good condition over winter, cover them with cloches or protect the crown with straw, or similar material, then cover with fleece.
Chard is hardy, so should survive outdoors without protection, but the leaves may become quite tatty. In very cold locations, choose white-stemmed varieties, which tend to be hardier than red and yellow ones.
Plants will produce few, if any, new leaves over winter, except in mild conditions. However, overwintered plants will start into growth again in early spring, cropping before new sowings.
Plants growing in large containers can be taken into a greenhouse over winter, and may provide some light harvests.
6
Harvesting
Section 6 of 7
Individual plants can provide pickings for several months, and if you sow in spring and again in mid-summer, you should have harvests for most of the year. Protect plants with cloches over winter â in mild spells they may produce a few leaves, but will mainly provide valuable early harvests the following spring.
Chard gives repeated or cut-and-come-again harvests. Regular picking encourages more leaves to form. You can either take just a few leaves from each plant or, with an established plant, cut all the leaves in one go:
When taking a few leaves from each plant along the row, wait until theyâre at least 5cm (2in) tall, then pick the outer leaves first, when still young and tender, working towards the centre. Keep several central leaves in place to grow and provide the next harvest few weeks later. Take regular light pickings whenever plants have plenty of leaves.
You can take all the leaves from more established plants (at least 10cm/4in tall) if you prefer, as they have a sturdy root that will resprout a new set of replacement leaves. Allow longer between pickings with this method, and cut the leaves at least 5cm (2in) above the base to ensure regrowth. Plants should provide several harvests across the season.
Young leaves can be used raw in salads, while larger leaves can be steamed like spinach or added to stir-fries. The stems and mid-ribs need to be cooked for slightly longer, so are best removed and cooked first.
For salads, harvest baby leaves up to about 5cm (2in) long, and preferably eat them the same day, as they donât keep well in the fridge.
Raw or cooked leaves can also be frozen for later use in various dishes.
7
Problems
Section 7 of 7
Once established, chard is a robust and reliable crop that suffers few pests and diseases. You may need to protect seedlings from slugs and snails, especially in damp weather, and from birds using fleece. Leaf miners can cause cosmetic damage to foliage, but affected leaves can just be removed. In damp weather or overcrowded conditions, fungal diseases such as downy mildew and grey mould may affect the leaves.
