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Vegetable Full Sun to Partial Shade Regular water

Swiss Chard

Written by the GrowByCity Editorial Team · Updated April 2026
2 min read

Colorful, heat-tolerant green related to beets. Remarkably adaptable, swiss chard tolerates temperatures from -2°C to 30°C and thrives in both cool-temperate and tropical gardens. Give it full sun to partial shade and regular watering to keep soil consistently moist, and expect to harvest in roughly 50-60 days. Popular with home gardeners for its reliable yields and straightforward growing requirements.

Harvest 50-60 days
Temp Range -2°C — 30°C
Frost Tolerant ❄

Quick Answer: How to Grow Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard takes 50-60 days to harvest. It grows best in 10–24°C with full sun to partial shade and regular watering. Swiss Chard is frost tolerant and can handle temperatures down to -2°C. It can be grown in 350 cities worldwide.

Find the best time to plant Swiss Chard in your city →

Growing Requirements

☀️
Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
💧
Water
Regular
❄️
Frost
Tolerant
📅
Harvest
50-60 days

Temperature Range

10-24°C
-10°C 45°C
Optimal: 10–24°C Tolerates: -2–30°C
Tropical suitable: Yes
Cities growing: 350 of 350

Growing Tips

💡

Expert Tips

Cut-and-come-again harvesting extends the season. More heat tolerant than spinach. Can be planted 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost, giving it a head start on the growing season. Aim for about 2.5 cm of water per week, adjusting for rainfall. Organic mulch around the base helps maintain even moisture.

Quick Facts

  • Grows in 350 of 350 cities
  • Available in 7 regions worldwide
  • Temperature range: -2°C to 30°C
  • Optimal growing: 10°C to 24°C
  • Harvest in 50-60 days

Did You Know?

  • 🌱 Swiss Chard is frost-tolerant, meaning it can survive light frosts and even thrive in cooler temperatures.
  • 🌱 Swiss Chard loves the heat! It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates year-round.

Step-by-Step Growing Guide

Swiss chard is one of the most versatile and productive vegetables in the garden — related to beets, it tolerates both light frost and moderate heat far better than spinach, making it a near-year-round crop in many climates. Grow in fertile, well-drained soil at pH 6.0–7.0. Chard 'seeds' are seed clusters like beets — sow 1.5cm deep in rows 30cm apart and thin to 20–25cm between plants. Thinnings are edible. Water consistently — 2.5cm per week — as irregular moisture causes tough, bitter leaves. Feed every 3–4 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Swiss chard is a cut-and-come-again plant — harvest outer leaves regularly and the centre keeps producing new growth. In hot weather, provide afternoon shade to reduce leaf toughening and extend the harvest window. Mulch to conserve moisture and moderate soil temperature. One planting can produce from spring through autumn in most climates, sometimes longer with row cover protection.

Common Pests & Problems

Leaf miner (Pegomya betae) is chard's most common pest — the same insect that attacks beets, tunnelling between leaf surfaces in irregular pale blotches. Remove and destroy affected leaves; row covers prevent egg-laying. Cercospora leaf spot causes small, circular, tan spots with reddish borders — improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering; remove affected leaves. Slugs and snails target young seedlings and new growth — use iron phosphate bait and set beer traps around plants. Downy mildew (Peronospora farinosa) attacks in cool, wet conditions with pale patches on upper leaves — choose resistant varieties and improve spacing.

Harvest & Storage

Harvest outer leaves when 20–30cm long, cutting 3–5cm above the base of the leaf stem. Never take more than one-third of the plant's leaves at one time. Harvest regularly — at minimum weekly — to keep plants producing tender, young foliage. Rainbow chard stems (red, yellow, orange) are best harvested young for the most vivid colour. Store unwashed chard wrapped in a damp cloth in the refrigerator for 5–7 days. Blanch and freeze surplus — chard freezes well and the colour of the stems fades but flavour is retained for up to 10 months.

Popular Varieties

Fordhook Giant is the classic, robust Swiss chard with broad white stalks and deeply crinkled dark green leaves — extremely productive and heat-tolerant. Bright Lights (Rainbow Chard) is a seed mix producing a stunning array of red, orange, yellow, pink, and white stemmed plants — ornamental and edible. Rhubarb Chard has deep, cardinal-red stalks that are the most colourful of all chards with a slightly earthier flavour. Perpetual Spinach is a chard grown for its spinach-like, smooth, medium-green leaves — more compact and with finer flavour than standard chard, excellent for cooking.

Where to Grow Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard can be grown in 350 cities across 7 regions worldwide

🌍 Europe (80 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Aarhus, DK easy
Amsterdam, NL easy
Ankara, TR easy
Antalya, TR easy
Athens, GR easy
Barcelona, ES easy
Bari, IT easy
Belgrade, RS easy
Bergen, NO easy
Berlin, DE easy
Bilbao, ES easy
Bologna, IT easy
Bordeaux, FR easy
Bratislava, SK easy
Brussels, BE easy
Bucharest, RO easy
Budapest, HU easy
Catania, IT easy
Cologne, DE easy
Copenhagen, DK easy
Corfu, GR easy
Cork, IE easy
Dublin, IE easy
Dubrovnik, HR easy
Edinburgh, GB easy
Florence, IT easy
Frankfurt, DE easy
Gdansk, PL easy
Genoa, IT easy
Glasgow, GB easy
Gothenburg, SE easy
Hamburg, DE easy
Helsinki, FI easy
Heraklion, GR easy
Istanbul, TR easy
Izmir, TR easy
Krakow, PL easy
Kyiv, UA easy
Limassol, CY easy
Lisbon, PT easy
Ljubljana, SI easy
London, GB easy
Lyon, FR easy
Madrid, ES easy
Malaga, ES easy
Marseille, FR easy
Milan, IT easy
Munich, DE easy
Naples, IT easy
Nice, FR easy
Nicosia, CY easy
Oslo, NO easy
Palermo, IT easy
Paris, FR easy
Porto, PT easy
Poznan, PL easy
Prague, CZ easy
Reykjavik, IS easy
Riga, LV easy
Rome, IT easy
Seville, ES easy
Sofia, BG easy
Split, HR easy
Stockholm, SE easy
Strasbourg, FR easy
Stuttgart, DE easy
Tallinn, EE easy
Thessaloniki, GR easy
Tirana, AL easy
Toulouse, FR easy
Turin, IT easy
Turku, FI easy
Valencia, ES easy
Valletta, MT easy
Verona, IT easy
Vienna, AT easy
Vilnius, LT easy
Warsaw, PL easy
Zagreb, HR easy
Zurich, CH easy

🌏 Asia (79 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Ahmedabad, IN easy
Almaty, KZ easy
Bali, ID easy
Bandung, ID easy
Bangalore, IN easy
Bangkok, TH easy
Beijing, CN easy
Busan, KR easy
Cebu, PH easy
Chandigarh, IN easy
Chengdu, CN easy
Chennai, IN easy
Chiang Mai, TH easy
Chittagong, BD easy
Chongqing, CN easy
Coimbatore, IN easy
Colombo, LK easy
Da Nang, VN easy
Dalian, CN easy
Davao, PH easy
Delhi, IN easy
Dhaka, BD easy
Dharan, NP easy
Fukuoka, JP easy
Galle, LK easy
Guangzhou, CN easy
Hangzhou, CN easy
Hanoi, VN easy
Harbin, CN easy
Ho Chi Minh City, VN easy
Hong Kong, HK easy
Hyderabad, IN easy
Incheon, KR easy
Indore, IN easy
Islamabad, PK easy
Jaipur, IN easy
Jakarta, ID easy
Jeju, KR easy
Johor Bahru, MY easy
Karachi, PK easy
Kathmandu, NP easy
Kochi, IN easy
Kolkata, IN easy
Kuala Lumpur, MY easy
Kunming, CN easy
Kyoto, JP easy
Lahore, PK easy
Lucknow, IN easy
Manila, PH easy
Mumbai, IN easy
Nagoya, JP easy
Nanjing, CN easy
Nha Trang, VN easy
Okinawa, JP easy
Osaka, JP easy
Pattaya, TH easy
Penang, MY easy
Phnom Penh, KH easy
Pune, IN easy
Sapporo, JP easy
Seoul, KR easy
Shanghai, CN easy
Shenzhen, CN easy
Siem Reap, KH easy
Singapore, SG easy
Surabaya, ID easy
Surat, IN easy
Taipei, TW easy
Tashkent, UZ easy
Tbilisi, GE easy
Tokyo, JP easy
Ulaanbaatar, MN easy
Varanasi, IN easy
Vientiane, LA easy
Visakhapatnam, IN easy
Wuhan, CN easy
Xi'an, CN easy
Xiamen, CN easy
Yangon, MM easy

🌎 North America (78 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Albuquerque, US easy
Anchorage, US easy
Atlanta, US easy
Austin, US easy
Baltimore, US easy
Baton Rouge, US easy
Boise, US easy
Boston, US easy
Bridgetown, BB easy
Buffalo, US easy
Calgary, CA easy
Cancun, MX easy
Charleston, US easy
Charlotte, US easy
Chattanooga, US easy
Chicago, US easy
Denver, US easy
Des Moines, US easy
Detroit, US easy
Edmonton, CA easy
El Paso, US easy
Fargo, US easy
Fresno, US easy
Guadalajara, MX easy
Halifax, CA easy
Hartford, US easy
Havana, CU easy
Honolulu, US easy
Houston, US easy
Jacksonville, US easy
Kansas City, US easy
Kingston, JM easy
Knoxville, US easy
Las Vegas, US easy
Little Rock, US easy
Los Angeles, US easy
Louisville, US easy
Lubbock, US easy
Madison, US easy
Memphis, US easy
Mexico City, MX easy
Miami, US easy
Milwaukee, US easy
Minneapolis, US easy
Monterrey, MX easy
Montreal, CA easy
Nashville, US easy
New Orleans, US easy
New York, US easy
Oaxaca, MX easy
Oklahoma City, US easy
Omaha, US easy
Ottawa, CA easy
Panama City, PA easy
Phoenix, US easy
Pittsburgh, US easy
Portland, US easy
Puebla, MX easy
Quebec City, CA easy
Raleigh, US easy
Richmond, US easy
Sacramento, US easy
Salt Lake City, US easy
San Diego, US easy
San Francisco, US easy
San Jose, CR easy
Santo Domingo, DO easy
Saskatoon, CA easy
Savannah, US easy
Seattle, US easy
Spokane, US easy
St. Louis, US easy
Tampa, US easy
Toronto, CA easy
Tucson, US easy
Vancouver, CA easy
Victoria, CA easy
Winnipeg, CA easy

🌍 Africa (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abidjan, CI easy
Accra, GH easy
Addis Ababa, ET easy
Algiers, DZ easy
Antananarivo, MG easy
Arusha, TZ easy
Bamako, ML easy
Bloemfontein, ZA easy
Cairo, EG easy
Cape Town, ZA easy
Casablanca, MA easy
Dakar, SN easy
Dar es Salaam, TZ easy
Douala, CM easy
Durban, ZA easy
Entebbe, UG easy
Fez, MA easy
Freetown, SL easy
Harare, ZW easy
Johannesburg, ZA easy
Kampala, UG easy
Kigali, RW easy
Kinshasa, CD easy
Lagos, NG easy
Libreville, GA easy
Lilongwe, MW easy
Lome, TG easy
Luanda, AO easy
Lusaka, ZM easy
Maputo, MZ easy
Marrakech, MA easy
Mombasa, KE easy
Nairobi, KE easy
Ouagadougou, BF easy
Port Louis, MU easy
Pretoria, ZA easy
Tunis, TN easy
Windhoek, NA easy
Zanzibar, TZ easy

🌎 South America (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Arequipa, PE easy
Asuncion, PY easy
Barranquilla, CO easy
Belem, BR easy
Bogota, CO easy
Brasilia, BR easy
Buenos Aires, AR easy
Cali, CO easy
Campinas, BR easy
Caracas, VE easy
Cartagena, CO easy
Concepcion, CL easy
Cordoba, AR easy
Curitiba, BR easy
Cusco, PE easy
Fortaleza, BR easy
Georgetown, GY easy
Goiania, BR easy
Guayaquil, EC easy
La Paz, BO easy
Lima, PE easy
Manaus, BR easy
Medellin, CO easy
Mendoza, AR easy
Montevideo, UY easy
Paramaribo, SR easy
Port of Spain, TT easy
Porto Alegre, BR easy
Quito, EC easy
Recife, BR easy
Rio de Janeiro, BR easy
Rosario, AR easy
Salvador, BR easy
Santa Cruz, BO easy
Santiago, CL easy
Sao Paulo, BR easy
Sucre, BO easy
Trujillo, PE easy
Valparaiso, CL easy

🌊 Oceania (19 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Adelaide, AU easy
Alice Springs, AU easy
Auckland, NZ easy
Brisbane, AU easy
Cairns, AU easy
Canberra, AU easy
Christchurch, NZ easy
Darwin, AU easy
Dunedin, NZ easy
Gold Coast, AU easy
Hamilton, NZ easy
Hobart, AU easy
Melbourne, AU easy
Noumea, NC easy
Perth, AU easy
Suva, FJ easy
Sydney, AU easy
Townsville, AU easy
Wellington, NZ easy

🕌 Middle East (16 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abu Dhabi, AE easy
Amman, JO easy
Baghdad, IQ easy
Beirut, LB easy
Doha, QA easy
Dubai, AE easy
Erbil, IQ easy
Jeddah, SA easy
Kuwait City, KW easy
Manama, BH easy
Muscat, OM easy
Riyadh, SA easy
Sana'a, YE easy
Tabriz, IR easy
Tehran, IR easy
Tel Aviv, IL easy

When should I plant swiss chard in my city?

The best time to plant swiss chard depends on your local climate zone. It thrives in temperatures between 10°C and 24°C. Since swiss chard is frost tolerant, you can plant it before the last frost date. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact dates.

Can I grow swiss chard in winter?

Yes, swiss chard is frost tolerant and can handle temperatures down to -2°C. In many climates, it can be grown through winter with some protection.

Get Swiss Chard Seeds & Plants

Ready to start growing? Find Swiss Chard seeds and starter plants online.

People Also Search For

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Similar Growing Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions about Swiss Chard

When should I plant swiss chard?

The best time to plant swiss chard depends on your local climate. Swiss Chard grows best in temperatures between 10°C and 24°C (can tolerate -2°C to 30°C). Swiss Chard is frost tolerant, so it can be planted earlier in spring or later in fall. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact planting months.

Can swiss chard grow in tropical climates?

Yes! Swiss Chard can grow in tropical climates. It's successfully grown in tropical cities like Abidjan, Abu Dhabi, Accra. Swiss Chard requires full sun to partial shade and regular watering.

How long does swiss chard take to grow?

Swiss Chard typically takes 50-60 days from planting to harvest. It requires full sun to partial shade and regular watering. Cut-and-come-again harvesting extends the season. More heat tolerant than spinach. Can be planted 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost, giving it a head start on the growing season. Aim for about 2.5 cm of water per week, adjusting for rainfall. Organic mulch around the base helps maintain even moisture.

Find the Best Time to Plant Swiss Chard

See the planting calendar for Swiss Chard in these popular cities:

Last updated: March 2026 · Climate data from NOAA, FAO, USDA

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