University of Illinois Extension
Illinois Vegetable Garden Guide
Chard
Swiss chard is planted in the spring about the same time as beets. A single planting will produce greens throughout the season. Sow the seed in rows and thin to 4 to 8 inches.
If you harvest only the outer leaves, the plant will continue to produce greens throughout the season. A few plants will supply an average family.
| Crop | Amount for 100 ft of row |
Variety recommended for use in Illinois | Days to harvest | Resistant to |
| Swiss chard (seed) | 1 ounce | Burgundy | 60 | |
| Rhubarb | 60 | |||
| Fordhook Giant | 57 | |||
| Lucullus | 50 | |||
| Rainbow | 55 |
| Vegetable | Hardiness | Recommended planting period for central Illinois (b) | Time to grow from seed to field (c) | |
| For overall Use |
For storage |
|||
| Chard | Half-hardy | April 10-June 1 | ... | ... |
| Vegetable | Spacing in row | |||
| Seed to sow per foot | Distance between plants when thinned or transplanted | Distance between rows | Planting depth | |
| inches | inches | inches | ||
| Chard | 8-10 | 4-8 | 18-24 | ½-1 |