When to plant swiss chard
Direct-sow swiss chard 2 weeks before your last spring frost.. Enter your ZIP below for exact dates.
The rule
Start indoors or direct-sow; set out / sow 2 weeks before the last frost. [src]Cited: University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension — “Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden”
Start indoors 5–6 weeks before setting out. [src]Cited: Johnny's Selected Seeds — Seed-Starting Date Calculator chart
Days to maturity: 50–60 days [src]
Method: Start indoors or direct-sow. Frost tolerance: frost-hardy (derived from the planting timing above).
Because swiss chard is frost-hardy and matures in about 50–60 days, it's a strong fall crop — sow it in mid-to-late summer so it finishes before your first frost.
Swiss Chard planting dates by hardiness zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant / sow | Sow for fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 10a | November 20 – November 27 | December 25 – January 8 | September 12 – September 26 |
| Zone 10b | November 25 – December 2 | December 30 – January 13 | November 5 – November 19 |
| Zone 2a | March 22 – March 29 | April 26 – May 10 | June 18 – July 2 |
| Zone 2b | March 30 – April 6 | May 4 – May 18 | June 26 – July 10 |
| Zone 3b | March 25 – April 1 | April 29 – May 13 | June 30 – July 14 |
| Zone 4a | March 19 – March 26 | April 23 – May 7 | July 8 – July 22 |
| Zone 4b | March 15 – March 22 | April 19 – May 3 | July 11 – July 25 |
| Zone 5a | March 17 – March 24 | April 21 – May 5 | July 12 – July 26 |
| Zone 5b | March 9 – March 16 | April 13 – April 27 | July 19 – August 2 |
| Zone 6a | March 5 – March 12 | April 9 – April 23 | July 26 – August 9 |
| Zone 6b | February 26 – March 5 | April 2 – April 16 | July 31 – August 14 |
| Zone 7a | February 18 – February 25 | March 25 – April 8 | August 6 – August 20 |
| Zone 7b | February 9 – February 16 | March 16 – March 30 | August 12 – August 26 |
| Zone 8a | January 29 – February 5 | March 5 – March 19 | August 19 – September 2 |
| Zone 8b | January 19 – January 26 | February 23 – March 9 | August 26 – September 9 |
| Zone 9a | January 5 – January 12 | February 9 – February 23 | September 5 – September 19 |
| Zone 9b | December 8 – December 15 | January 12 – January 26 | September 18 – October 2 |
What you'll need
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Last verified 2026-07-16. Sources: University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension — “Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden”; University of Georgia Extension (days to maturity); NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Climate Normals (frost); USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map.