Swiss Chard – Colorful, Easy to Grow, & Temperature Tolerant

Swiss Chard is a leafy green that has a fun array of red, yellow, & sometimes purplish-colored stems. The leaf has a similar flavor profile to spinach & the stems are slightly sweet! 

It’s fairly easy to grow, produces for an extended time, & can be enjoyed in salads, sandwiches, sauteed, & more. Because of this, it’s one of our garden favorites! Every fall, winter, & early spring you’re almost guaranteed to see it growing in our own raised garden beds featured on our social channels! So, with that said, here are some tips to grow your own!

• Swiss chard is grown 4 plants per Garden Grid™ watering system square.
• It prefers mild to cold weather (~32 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit), but it can withstand light frost if temps dip below 32 F. 
• Harvest leaves (with their stem) when they reach 4 inches or larger, but keep enough so the plant can continue to grow & produce more throughout the season. 
• If you expect a hard freeze (consistent temps in the 20s for more than 4 or 5 hours) harvest the entire plant as it won’t survive without frost protection measures (here are tips on doing that) 
• Watering – Seeds & seedlings,  water daily until established (here are tips on that). Mature plants water often enough to keep the soil moist ~2″ below the surface. 
• Swiss Chard does best in moderate to full sun, so make sure it’s grown in an area that has 6+ hours of sun exposure per day.

Questions or Comments? Share below & we’ll answer!