Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is perfect for winter gardens and very easy to grow from seeds or transplants in fall.  It comes in many different beautiful colors, all of which add striking interest in your garden while many other plants are dormant and leafless.

This healthy edible plant is one you’ll want to include if you’re growing winter vegetables, but you should also consider it even if you’re not. It looks great in the landscape right along with your other ornamental plants, even among your spring wildflowers.

Swiss chard does best in full sun, though it can take some shade. It only needs moderate water.

You can plant it alone, as a single plant, but it also looks great in group plantings of three to five. Mix in some of the bright red cultivars in one spot, and use some of the yellow and red in another. Getting much taller than they do wide, plant Swiss chard only about 6 inches apart. There are many great cultivars for Central Texas, including the heirloom, ‘Fordhook Giant’.

In many gardens, Swiss chard is a perennial that will go through summer.