Swiss chard is a beautiful plant to grow and cook. Both the stems and the leaves are delicious. Swiss Chard is a fast-growing crop. Baby leaves can be harvested at 30 days and 60 days for bunching.

You know I love to extend my growing season and hardy Swiss chard is great for that! It makes a great spring and fall crop in USDA Zone 6.

What Is Swiss Chard?

Swiss chard is related to beets. It is often compared to spinach because they get cooked in a similar way. However, Swiss chard will stand up to cooking better than spinach.

You can eat Swiss chard as a young leaf or let it grow to full size.

Like beets and spinach, it loves cool weather however Swiss chard handles the summer heat a bit better and won't bolt as readily as spinach often does.

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Best Varieties

Bright Lights

Developed by Johnny’s Seeds the Variety Bright Lights has put Swiss chard on the map so to speak. This variety is actually three different colors in the same mix. It is less frost tolerant but does better in summer. Baby- 30 to 35 Days, Maturity- 50 Days.

Ruby Red

You can also buy just single colors. Ruby Red is one of my favorites. It looks beautiful in dishes. Does bolt faster than other varieties and is best for spring and fall. Days to maturity 32 baby; 59 bunching.

Forhook Giant

If you want serious production and the most cold hardy go with Fordhook Giant. Not good for baby leaf. Great for bunching. 55 Days to maturity.

Growing Swiss Chard

Seed Starting

I think starting Swiss chard inside is most efficient but you can also seed it directly in the garden. Starting inside makes it easy to thin when they are young.

I seed the first week of March for a spring crop in Zone 6. Mid-March for my Wisconsin Zone 5 friends.

You can use 72 or 48s. I prefer 48-sized trays or 3-inch jiffy pots just because I don't like to bump up. You don’t want them to get too leggy.

Plant seeds about half an inch down. When chard seedlings start to make true leaves I like to give some fertilizer. Chard does like its nutrients. I typically use half-strength fish emulsion or a fish kelp blend. Kelp is a good option for vegan gardeners.

Like others in the beet family, Swiss chard seeds are bumpy and easy to handle. The caveat is that each one is a cluster and actually contains 3-5 individual seeds so thinning is required.

Direct Sow

If you choose to direct sow, dig a shallow trench one inch deep and water the trench. Then drop seeds about six inches apart. Thinning is important but not as critical as with beets.

Transplant

Transplant out 6" apart in rows 16" apart. They like a neutral pH and compost-rich soil. Water in well.

I plant out in early to mid-April under row cover. Row cover is also great in late fall as this crop will tolerate light freezes. For a fall crop plant in late August or early September.

Containers

Swiss chard does great in containers. A 5-gallon grow bag or pot is great for one plant. You can put 3 plants in a ten-gallon. Check out my grow bag video to learn the pros and cons of using them.

Flower Gardens

Another plus! Chard also looks really good in a mixed edible garden with flowers. Pink Chard makes a perfect backdrop for pink dianthus.

Care of Swiss Chard

Water

Chard likes to be kept moist and is not drought-tolerant.

Mulch

I'm a fan of landscaping fabric but a nice straw mulch is also excellent. Mulch helps keep weeds down and moisture in.

Companion Planting

Chard is a great companion plant. They grow well with brassicas and I like to pair them with kale.

Pests

Swiss chard does not have a lot of pests. Aphids and leaf miners can be a problem. Aphids can be controlled with a soap spray and encouraging beneficial insects such as ladybugs and green lacewings.

Slugs can also be a problem. Check out my video on controlling slugs organically.

For harvesting you can cut individual leaves and use them as you need them. The plant will keep producing more leaves. There is kind of an ideal picking size and you will figure that out based on your variety. But bigger is not always better with chard.

You can also wait for the stalks to develop and harvest the whole plant.

Health Benefits

Swiss chard has many health benefits including helping to lower blood pressure. It's a good food for diabetics and is high in Vitamin K and A.

Recipes

There are so many ways to enjoy Swiss chard and since both the leaf and stem can be eaten fresh or cooked it makes it quite versatile.

Ways to Use Swiss Chard

Fresh leaves in salads or in sandwiches or wraps
Leaves and stems can be braised, stir-fried, sautéed, or added to soups and casseroles.
I love to add fresh Swiss chard leaves to omelets or scrambled eggs.
Leaves are a great addition to smoothies.
Sauté Swiss chard leaves and stems with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil minced garlic, whatever spices you like, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Makes a fabulous side dish or as a baked potato topping.
Saute chard leaves together with mustard leaves for a great combo.
Cook stems and leaves together then top with pine nuts and parmesan cheese.
Saute fresh leaves and add to pasta dishes.

SWISS CHARD CASSEROLE

Vegetarian and Gluten-Free

This recipe idea comes from Kalyn’s Kitchen - I changed a few things based on my tastes.

INGREDIENTS

1 small onion, diced small

2 T minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 oz. mushrooms - Shitakes are great but Bellas also work well

1 bunch Swiss chard, cut the stems into thin slices, and chop the leaves

1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

8 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Parmesan

Pepper, sage to taste

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
To prepare chop mushrooms, onion, and chard. (keep stems and leaf separate)
Cook the onions till translucent in olive oil with the minced garlic. Add mushrooms for 2 - 3 minutes.
Place that mixture in a bowl and set aside.
Add chard stems to your warm pan - you may need another tablespoon of olive oil. Let saute for several minutes until just starting to get soft. Then add leaves and saute another two minutes or so.
Add the chard to the bowl with the mushroom-onion mixture, then stir in the grated cheese.
Beat eggs and add them to the vegetable mixture in the bowl. Stir gently then pour in an oiled 9” x 13” baking dish.
Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.
Bake the chard casserole for about 25-30 minutes.
YUM!

Great recipe - Plus I love listening to this guy’s accent!!