How to Grow Chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
When to Start
Direct sow outdoors as soon as soil reaches 6°C — typically early to mid spring. Can also be started indoors 4 weeks earlier for a head start.
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Growth Stages
Approximate days from start
Care Essentials
- Balanced liquid feed every 2–3 weeks. Mulch to retain moisture.
- Rainbow chard is ornamental as well as edible. One of the easiest and most productive leafy greens.
Companion Planting
3 companion planting onions, cabbage, broccoli
Growing Conditions
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- Sow indoors
- —
- Transplant out
- —
- First harvest
- —
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Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 25 cm |
| Row spacing | 45 cm |
| Sow depth | 2 cm |
| Mature height | 45 cm |
| Mature spread | 30 cm |
Allows for large leaf development for this 'cut-and-come-again' crop. Can be planted closer if harvesting young leaves.
Companion Planting
Grows well with
Onion's sulphur volatiles deter leaf miners (Pegomya hyoscyami) and beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) that commonly target chard, working by masking the host-plant odour cues those insects rely on. Plant onions as a dense border around the chard bed for best effect.
▼Chard and cabbage share similar growing conditions — moderate fertility, consistent moisture — without significantly overlapping pest or disease pressures, making them efficient bed companions. Chard's upright growth habit leaves good airflow around the wider cabbage heads, reducing the humid microclimate that encourages fungal rots.
▼Chard and broccoli occupy complementary canopy levels and draw on slightly different nutrient pools — broccoli is a heavy calcium feeder while chard prioritises potassium — so they coexist without direct competition. Both benefit from consistent moisture and benefit from being interplanted to shade the soil and reduce moisture loss.
▼Care Guide
- Feeding
- Balanced liquid feed every 2–3 weeks. Mulch to retain moisture.
- Watch for
-
- Leaf miners
- Slugs
- Downy mildew
Pests & Diseases
Pest Slugs and Snails
Identification: Irregular holes in leaves, slime trails on foliage and soil. Seedlings can be destroyed overnight.
- Use beer traps or copper tape around beds
- Apply organic slug pellets (ferric phosphate)
- Encourage hedgehogs, frogs, and ground beetles
- Evening patrols with a torch to hand-pick
- Apply ferric phosphate slug pellets around plants
Pest Beet Leaf Miner
Identification: Pale blotchy mines within the leaves where larvae tunnel between the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Leaves become papery and brown in affected areas.
- Pick off and destroy affected leaves promptly
- Cover plants with fine mesh or enviromesh from May to prevent egg-laying
- Squash eggs (small white clusters on leaf undersides)
- No effective chemical treatment once larvae are inside the leaf
Pest Aphids
Identification: Clusters of small black or green insects on leaf undersides and growing tips. Leaves may curl and become sticky with honeydew.
- Blast off with a strong jet of water
- Spray with insecticidal soap
- Encourage ladybirds, lacewings, and hoverflies
- Spray with a pyrethrin-based insecticide if infestations are severe
Disease Downy Mildew Peronospora farinosa f. sp. betae
Symptoms: Pale yellow patches on upper leaf surfaces with grey-purple fuzzy growth on the undersides. Leaves eventually brown and die.
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves. Improve air circulation by thinning plants.
Prevention: Space plants well for good airflow. Water at the base rather than overhead. Avoid overcrowding.
Disease Cercospora Leaf Spot Cercospora beticola
Symptoms: Small round spots with grey centres and dark brown or purple borders on leaves. Spots may merge in severe cases, causing leaves to yellow and die.
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves. Rotate crops — do not grow chard or beetroot in the same spot for at least three years.
Prevention: Practise crop rotation. Remove plant debris at the end of the season. Avoid overhead watering.
Disease Powdery Mildew Erysiphe betae
Symptoms: White powdery coating on leaf surfaces, starting on older leaves. Affected leaves become yellow and dry.
Treatment: Remove badly affected leaves. Improve air circulation.
Prevention: Water at the base. Space plants well. Avoid drought stress which makes plants more susceptible.
Growing Conditions
| Min. soil temperature | 6°C |
| Germination temperature | 10–25°C |
| Base growth temperature | 4°C |
| Min. daylength to start | 9h |
| Photoperiod sensitivity | long day |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How far apart should I plant Chard?
- Plant Chard 25cm apart with 45cm between rows.
- When can I harvest Chard?
- Chard is ready to harvest approximately 45 days after transplanting.
- What grows well with Chard?
- Chard grows well with onions, cabbage, broccoli.
- Is Chard frost hardy?
- Chard is classified as Hardy.
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