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How to grow swiss chard

Takes light frost · Beet and spinach family

When to sow and plant

  • Sow outdoors 29 March – 5 April
  • Sow (autumn) 29 September – 6 October

Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May

Planting calendar for your area
Where the dates come from

The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.

  • Sow outdoors: 2–3 weeks before the last frost (Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Swiss Chard)
  • Sow (autumn): 3–4 weeks before the first autumn frost (USU Extension: Swiss Chard in the Garden)

Good and bad neighbours

Gardeners’ lore, not proven · 2

  • CarrotLore: good· D

    Traditional advice, not tested.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    Carrot

  • Radish, Winter radish (daikon)Lore: good· D

    Traditional advice, not tested.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    RadishWinter radish (daikon)

Crop rotation

After the beet and spinach family, leave the bed free of it for at least 3 years (sources: 3–4 years).

  • The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
  • Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2030.

At a glance

Family
Beet and spinach family (Amaranthaceae)
Nutrient needs
Medium feeder
Frost
Half-hardy, tolerates light frost
Spacing (row × plant)
45 × 30 cm (18 × 12 in)
Plants per m²
7.4
Life cycle
Annual
Harvest
After 60–70 days from sowing

Spacing according to RHS Grow your own: Chard. Other sources: 30 × 15 cm (12 × 6 in) (USU Extension: Swiss Chard in the Garden).

Questions and answers

When can I sow swiss chard?

Sow outdoors, average for Germany: 29 March – 5 April. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant swiss chard?

45 × 30 cm (18 × 12 in) (row × plant), according to RHS Grow your own: Chard.

What grows well next to swiss chard?

Carrot: Gardeners’ lore, not proven (D) and Radish, Winter radish (daikon): Gardeners’ lore, not proven (D).

How long a break do swiss chard need in the same bed?

After the beet and spinach family, leave the bed free of it for at least 3 years (sources: 3–4 years). The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.

More from the beet and spinach family

Sources

Show 10 sources
  1. Südtiroler Bauernbund: Merkblatt Fruchtfolgen im Gemüsebau (Oktober 2022)
  2. Purdue Extension HO-66-W: The Fall Vegetable Garden, Table 2
  3. Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Swiss Chard
  4. RHS Grow your own: Chard
  5. USU Extension: Swiss Chard in the Garden
  6. NC State Extension Gardener Handbook, Ch. 16, Table 16–4
  7. Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein: Fruchtfolge im Garten (Gartenmerkblatt, 2020)
  8. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (über die GBIF-API, species/match)
  9. BUND: Mischkultur – Gute und schlechte Nachbarn (August 2026)
  10. Gartenakademie Rheinland-Pfalz (DLR): Übersicht – Kultur verschiedener Gemüsearten im Hausgarten (o. J.)

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.