Swiss chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens
A vegetable, sown March to July.
In September: pick a few Swiss chard leaves at a time.
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Swiss chard, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow under cover. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | none | none | none | none | none |
| Sow outdoors. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | none |
| Pick a few Swiss chard leaves at a time. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Sow another batch of Swiss chard. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Thin the Swiss chard seedlings. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none | none |
| Mulch the Swiss chard. | none | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Sowing and planting
Sow under cover in March, 2.5cm deep. Strong source: RHS.
Sow outdoors April to July, 2.5cm deep, 30cm apart, rows 45cm apart. Strong source: RHS.
Pick a few Swiss chard leaves at a time
Gardeners call this cut-and-come-again harvesting.
Usually March to November. Strong source: RHS.
Sow another batch of Swiss chard
Gardeners call this successional sowing.
For baby salad leaves, sow a small batch every few weeks.
Usually March to August. Strong source: RHS.
Thin the Swiss chard seedlings
Thin gradually to 30cm apart, or to 5cm apart for mini salad leaves. From RHS.
Usually May to June. Weaker source: Grow Your Own.
Mulch the Swiss chard
Spread a thick layer of garden compost around the plants, leaving a gap so the stems don’t rot. From RHS.
Usually October. Weaker source: Grow Your Own.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.Weaker: a blog, a forum, a small website or a page from outside the UK. Treat it as a guide.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Swiss chard” comes from.