Plant Database / Chard plant care

Chard

Beta vulgaris var. cicla

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Chard is part of the Beta (Beet) genus and its scientific name is Beta vulgaris var. cicla. The vulgaris part of this plant's botanical name means 'common'.

Sow like a beet, eat like a spinach. Biennial member of the beet family, with tender spinach-like leaves. Never bolts all summer.

Chard grows as an annual and is an edible vegetable. Being an annual plant, it tends to grow best over the course of a single year. Chard is known for its erect habit and growing to a height of approximately 45.0 cm (1.46 feet). Popular varieties of Chard with home gardeners are Bright Lights, Rainbow, Fordhook Giant, Rhubarb Chard, and Ruby Red.

This plant tends to need a moderate amount of maintenance, so ensuring that you are aware of the soil, sun, ph and water requirements for Chard is quite important to ensure you have a happy and healthy plant.

This plant info is provided by the myfolia gardener's wiki. All details about Chard have been kindly provided by our members.

How to grow Chard

Full Sun
+
Medium

Plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. As a rough idea of the types of climates Chard does best in, check to see if your local area is within USDA Hardiness Zones 5 and 11. Chard requires a soil ph of 6.1 - 7.5 meaning it does best in weakly acidic soil - weakly alkaline soil. Keep in mind when planting that Chard is thought of as very hardy, so this plant will tend to survive through freezing conditions.

Growing Chard from seed

Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 0.39 inches (1.0 cm) and sow at a depth of around 0.39 inches (1.0 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 10°C / 50°F to ensure good germination.

Transplanting Chard

Companion plants for Chard

These plants have been known to grow well alongside Chard so consider planting:

Repellent plants for Chard

These plants will not grow well with Chard so avoid planting these within close proximity:

Latest Chard Reviews

19 Jan 2013

sparkynm's Chard 'Bright Lights' was Reviewed day 232

I pulled the chard. It lasted a lot longer than I ever expected, even through the heat of the summer. We didn’t eat much of it, but it grew well and I might try again.

4 stars
06 Aug 2011

KathN's Perpetual spinach 'Rhubarb Chard' was Reviewed day 119

Definitely a cool crop. Started bolting when it got warm, though it lasted a month longer than the arugula. Decent flavor. Good, bug-resistant, strong stems. Keeps well after harvesting.

3 stars
04 Aug 2011

Beverley's Rainbow Chard was Reviewed day 685

This wonderful plant, has survived yet another Canberra winter. This last one went to MINUS 6!!! It’s looking good.

Who says this is an annual? It’s got LOTS of new leaves just great for salads, and making canelloni.

5 stars

See all Chard reviews and experiences »

Chard care instructions

Category The lifecycle that this Chard exhibits. Annual Difficulty How easy is Chard to grow? Moderate 3/5
Lifecycle The lifecycle that this Chard exhibits. Annual Growth Habit What shape or habit does Chard grow into? Erect
Hardiness How frost hardy is Chard? Very Hardy Country of Origin Where did Chard come from? Help build our wiki!
Mature Height How tall does Chard grow? 45.0 cm / 1.46 feet Mature Spread How wide does Chard grow? 30.0 cm / 11.7 inches
USDA Zone Range Which zones does Chard grow best in? Zone 5 to Zone 11 pH Range The level of acidity for Chard. 6.1 - 7.5
Water Requirements How much water does Chard require? Medium Nitrogen Requirements How much nitrogen fertilizer does Chard need? Help build our wiki!
Soil What sort of soil should I plant Chard in? Help build our wiki! Sun How much sunlight does Chard need to grow? Full Sun
Can Sow Direct? Can Chard be sown directly? No Sowing Depth How deep to plant Chard? 1.0 cm / 0.39 inches
Sowing Distance Apart How far apart to plant Chard? 1.0 cm / 0.39 inches Sowing Row Distance Apart How far apart to plant rows of Chard? 13.0 cm / 5.07 inches
Ideal Germination Temperature Range What temperatures does Chard need in order to germinate? 10°C / 50°F to 30°C / 86°F Growing Temperatures What temperatures are best to grow Chard in? Help build our wiki! to Help build our wiki!
Planting Distance Apart How far apart to plant Chard seedlings. Help build our wiki! Planting Row Distance Apart How far apart to plant rows of Chard seedlings. Help build our wiki!
Bloom Time When will Chard bloom? Help build our wiki! Harvest Time When is Chard ready for harvest? Help build our wiki!
Pruning Time When should I prune Chard? Help build our wiki!

How long does Chard take to grow?

These estimates for how long Chard takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world. Start logging and journaling your observations to participate!

Days to Germination How long does it take Chard to germinate? 9 days Average 9 days | Min 1 days | Max 27 days (430)
Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Chard? + 27 days Average 27 days | Min 1 days | Max 70 days (56)
Days to Maturity How long until Chard is ready for harvest / bloom? + 91 days Average 91 days | Min 6 days | Max 246 days (170)
Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Chard? = 127 days

Footnotes

Popular varieties of Chard

View the complete variety list for Chard »

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