How to grow Swiss chard

Growing chard is easy. Make a shallow drill in well-prepared soil in a sunny spot and sow your Swiss chard seeds thinly, approximately 1.5cm deep. Cover seeds with soil and water well. Sow in rows 40cm apart. You can sow chard from March to September. To get crops throughout the year, sow in spring and again in July. Chard can be left over winter to provide early pickings in spring.

How to plant Swiss chard

Plant out Swiss chard seedlings once they are about 5cm tall. Harden the plants off first for about two weeks, placing seedlings outside during the day and bringing them in at night. Plant chard seedlings in the ground, around 30cm apart. Growing chard in pots is also straightforward. Plant chard seedlings into a container filled with peat-free multipurpose compost. Choose a large container if possible, around 40cm wide and at least 25cm deep.

Watch Monty Don plant Swiss chard, with broccoli and kale, in this clip from Gardeners' World:

Looking after Swiss chard

As the seedlings begin to grow, thin out the plants so that they're 25-30cm apart. Water well after thinning. Keep an eye out for pests, but apart from watering, this is an easy vegetable to look after. Sow seeds every few weeks for a continuous crop that'll see you through the winter months, with just a little protection.

Swiss chard can be grown successfully in containers and even in among your flower borders, where it will complement the hot colours of late summer flowers.

Pests and diseases

Swiss chard is a relatively trouble-free vegetable apart from attacks on seedlings by slugs and snails, so do put some protection in place after sowing.

Some varieties, particularly the ones with red stems can be prone to bolting.

Beet leaf miner can also affect chard. These are flies whose maggots tunnel inside the leaves creating blotches that eventually turn brown and affect the growth of the plant, particularly early in the season. The best way to deal with this problem is to try to squash the maggots in the blotchy areas or to net crops. Crop rotation is also important as this can help prevent overwintering leaf miner larvae from affecting your chard crop.

Harvesting Swiss chard

Young chard leaves are delicious eaten fresh and you can use early thinnings for salads. The fully-formed leaves will be ready to harvest about 10-12 weeks after sowing, but late summer sowings may take a little longer. Cut individual leaves as you need them and the plant will keep producing new growth.

Check out this advice on harvesting Swiss chard, carrots and beetroot.

Storing, preparing and using Swiss chard

Swiss chard is best eaten soon after picking. However, leaves can be blanched and frozen for later use in soups. Cook the stems and leaves separately, as the stems are tougher. When preparing the leaves, you may need to remove the ribs from the largest leaves as these can also be tough. Both the leaves and stems can be boiled, steamed or stir fried. Cook the stems for a couple of extra minutes. Chard is a delicious ingredient in dishes such as gratins, pies, stews, soups and stir fries.

Looking for inspiration on how to use your crop? Our friends at olive have curated a delicious collection of chard recipes, including their delicious crispy salmon and chard pie.

Swiss chard varieties to try

‘Bright Lights’ RHS AGM – with rainbow-coloured stems and green and leaves of green or bronze. Good for harvesting into the late autumn months, it can also be overwintered for an early spring crop.

• Buy 'Bright Lights' from Sarah Raven

‘White Silver’ RHS AGM – with thick white stems and dark green leaves this is a classic Swiss Chard. A hardy variety, good for cropping through early winter.

• Buy 'White Silver' from Thompson & Morgan

‘Bright Yellow’ RHS AGM – with golden yellow stalks, this is a lovely variety that's slow to bolt and very hardy over winter. It'll also produce an early spring crop after the last of the late-autumn harvest.

• Buy 'Bright Yellow' from Kings Seeds

'Fordhook Giant' – a big variety that grows up to 6ocm tall with dark green leaves and cream to ivory stalks.

• Buy 'Fordhook Giant' from Thompson & Morgan

Frequently asked questions

What should not be planted near Swiss chard?

There is no need to avoid planting any particular vegetable next to Swiss chard. There are pests, such as leaf miner, which are attracted to both Swiss chard and beetroot. The best way to avoid a build up of pests such as beet leaf miner is to rotate crops. Leaf miners overwinter as pupae in the soil with adult flies emerging in the spring. Moving crops should mean that pest populations decrease as they don't have a host crop to feed on.

How do you pick Swiss chard so it keeps growing?

To treat Swiss chard as a cut and come again crop, pick the outer leaves regularly to encourage new leaves to grow. Alternatively, you can cut the whole chard plant near the base and it should resprout.