When can I sow chard in the UK?

April to July outdoors; March under cloches in southern England. A single April sowing usually crops continuously from June through to the following March or April when the plant bolts. Mid-summer sowings (July) crop from autumn through winter and into the following spring.

Is chard the same as Swiss chard or perpetual spinach?

Same species, all Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla. Swiss chard usually refers to the named cultivars with coloured stems (Bright Lights, Rhubarb chard, Fordhook Giant). Perpetual spinach is a green-stemmed type sold as a spinach alternative — same plant, marketed for the spinach-substitute angle. They're all the same family and grow the same way.

Why does chard not bolt like spinach?

Different species, despite the names. True spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is hard-wired to bolt as summer days lengthen. Chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla) is a biennial — it grows in year one, bolts in year two. So a spring-sown chard gives leaf for 8–10 months before bolting, where spinach gives 4–6 weeks at best.

How long do chard plants last?

About 12–14 months — sown in April, they crop from June, through the winter, and bolt the following March or April. After bolting, replace with a fresh sowing. For continuous supply with no gap, sow a second batch in July; the older plants bolt as the new ones are coming online.

What's the difference between the coloured chards?

Mostly aesthetic. Bright Lights and Five Colours give a rainbow of white, yellow, orange, pink and red stems. Rhubarb chard has uniform deep red stems. Fordhook Giant has thick white stems and is the heaviest-cropping. Flavour differences are subtle; coloured stems tend to be slightly milder; white is more robust. Bright Lights wins on looks in an ornamental kitchen garden.

Can I grow chard in containers in the UK?

Excellent for containers. A 30 cm deep pot grows 3–4 plants. Use peat-free compost; water consistently; feed monthly through summer. The coloured cultivars (Bright Lights) make beautiful patio plants. Slug pressure is much lower in elevated containers than in the ground.

Swiss chard

Beta vulgaris Cicla Group

vegetable☀️ full-sun🪴 rich loam📏 mediumUSDA 3–10

📋Quick Facts

Water

💧💧 Average watering

Hardiness

Zone 2-11

About

Sow chard seed direct from April to July, in moist, fertile soil with full sun or light shade. Chard is hardy (RHS H4–H5) and far more reliable for UK summer leaf-cropping than true spinach — it doesn't bolt the same way and crops continuously from June through to the following spring with light winter protection. Bright Lights cultivar gives stems in white, yellow, orange and red; Fordhook Giant is the heavy-cropping white-stemmed standard; Rhubarb chard has deep red stems. Each seed is a cluster of 2–4 — thin to one per station 30 cm apart. Pick outer stems and leaves continuously from 8 weeks after sowing. Slugs the main pest; otherwise one of the easiest crops in any UK kitchen garden.

Top tip

Feed and water well, then harvest outer leaves regularly to keep new growth coming.

Also known as: Swiss chard, Beta vulgaris Cicla Group, Acelga, Snijbiet, Bietola da costa, Mangold, Bette / blette, Burak liściowy / boćwina

How to grow swiss chard

1
Sow direct
April to July. 2 cm deep, 30 cm apart in rows 40 cm apart. Each beetroot/chard seed is a cluster of 2–4 — multiple seedlings come up per station.
2
Thin to one per station
When seedlings are 5 cm tall, thin to the strongest single seedling per station. Use the thinnings in salads.
3
Water consistently
Chard wants steady moisture but tolerates dry spells better than spinach. Water deeply once a week in summer; mulch with grass clippings to hold moisture.
4
Protect from slugs
The young plants are slug-vulnerable. Apply nematodes (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita); beer traps; hand-picking at dusk. Established plants with tough leaves are mostly slug-proof.
5
Pick outer leaves continuously
From 8 weeks after sowing. Twist or cut outer stems at the base; the centre keeps producing for months. A single April sowing crops from June right through to the following spring.
6
Mulch for winter cropping
Apply a 5 cm mulch of straw or compost around plants in October to protect against frost. Most of the UK will keep cropping outdoors all winter; in colder gardens, cover with cloches or fleece for the worst weather.
7
Pull bolting plants in year 2
In its second spring, chard bolts (sends up flower stems). The bolting shoots are themselves edible as a sort of broccoli. After bolting the plant dies — replace from a fresh April sowing.

Common questions

Pest Resilience

3/5 — Average

Leaf miner and slugs; generally fairly robust.

Companion Planting

Grows well with

Cabbage Lettuce Onion bulb Radish Runner bean

Visual Characteristics

🍳

Culinary

Culinary Use

Sautéed, quiche, gratins, soups, pasta, wraps, stir-fries

The swiss chard year in your garden

Dispatching imaginary bots to check your garden out...

What to do now

How to Propagate

🌰Seed

Easy

Hardiness Zones

H1a (tender)H7 (very hardy)

H1a

H1b

H1c

RHS H4–H5

USDA 7 equivalent

Swiss chard

Swiss chard

📋Quick Facts

About

How to grow swiss chard

Common questions

Pest Resilience

Companion Planting

Visual Characteristics

The swiss chard year in your garden

How to Propagate

Hardiness Zones

Names in Other Languages(7)