When to plant Swiss chard
Calendar windows
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Takes frost; can go out weeks before the last one.
Practical notes
Spinach that does not bolt: one spring sowing crops from June until the hard frosts, and often again the following spring. Nearly indestructible in part shade.
Knowing when to pick
Twist off the outer stems at the base and leave at least six leaves in the centre — cutting the crown out ends the plant.
Storing the crop
Four or five days in the fridge. Stems and leaves freeze well blanched, but cook separately — the stems take longer.
Crop rotation
Light feeders that fit well after brassicas; give them 2 years between plantings.
Grows well with
Keep apart from
Watch for
Full guide: swiss chard diseases and pests (4) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.