How to Grow Chard UK
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In the UK, chard goes in the ground early April to late July, and is ready to harvest 50–70 days after planting.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: sowing early April, and that same window applies across all 4 regions covered here.
The short answer
- Plant
- Early April to late July
- Ready in
- 50–70 days
- Site
- 4+ hours of sun, soil pH 6–6.5
- Biggest risk
- Grey mould
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla)
5 sources cited · Verified
Regional Planting Calendar
| Region | Sow |
|---|---|
| Southern England derived | early April to late July |
| Midlands derived | early April to late July |
| Northern England derived | early April to late July |
| Scotland derived | early April to late July |
Rows marked derived are interpolated between regions our sources do state, because no source we consulted gives a figure for that region specifically. They are deliberately wider to reflect that uncertainty.
Southern England - detail & sources
UK-wide baseline (not yet region-differentiated): More heat/bolt-resistant than spinach; hardy, overwinters outdoors to give harvests through to the following April.
Midlands - detail & sources
UK-wide baseline (not yet region-differentiated): More heat/bolt-resistant than spinach; hardy, overwinters outdoors to give harvests through to the following April.
Northern England - detail & sources
UK-wide baseline (not yet region-differentiated): More heat/bolt-resistant than spinach; hardy, overwinters outdoors to give harvests through to the following April.
Scotland - detail & sources
UK-wide baseline (not yet region-differentiated): More heat/bolt-resistant than spinach; hardy, overwinters outdoors to give harvests through to the following April.
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 6 - 6.5 |
| Sunlight | 4-8 hours direct sun |
| Germination temp | 12.8°C |
| Optimal growing temp | 15-25°C |
| Minimum survivable temp | 5°C |
| Time to harvest | 50-70 days |
| Soil texture | RHS: "rich, moisture-retentive, free-draining soil". |
| Drainage | RHS: free-draining yet moisture-retentive; grow in "full sun, or with some light shade in summer". |
| Lifecycle | biennial (requires two growing seasons, but treated as an annual) |
| Edible parts | leaves, thick stems |
At a Glance
Soil & Growing Conditions
Water: RHS: water "regularly until well established", then "water during long dry spells"; container plants need "regular watering throughout their growing period". Chard "doesn't usually need feeding". Univ. of Maryland: "Keep plants uniformly supplied with moisture for best performance. Water deeply and regularly during dry periods".
Soil pH range
Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing & germination | 0 | Sow 2.5cm deep, large seeds spaced 10cm apart, rows 45cm apart. RHS. |
| Thinning & establishment | 3 | Thin seedlings to 30cm apart, or 5cm apart if growing for a mini-leaf crop. RHS. |
| Cropping (cut-and-come-again) | 5 | Pick outer leaves cleanly at the base to encourage regrowth, or strip all the leaves from an established plant and let it recover before picking again. A spring sowing gives repeated harvests right through summer. RHS. |
| Overwintering / bolting | 6 | Chard is hardy and survives winter outdoors without protection, though growth stops in the cold; a July sowing carries leaves through to the following spring. In hot weather plants may bolt -- removing flower stems as they form extends the harvest, though flowering eventually happens regardless. RHS. |
Harvest & Storage
When to pick: RHS: pick leaves once "at least 30cm (1ft) tall", or young leaves "up to about 5cm (2in) long" for salads. RHS gives no time from sowing to harvest and no storage method. Univ. of Maryland: "Young leaves (smaller than 4 inches) may be eaten fresh in salads", or harvest "after maturity when they are larger and have slightly tougher stems".
Storage
Univ. of Maryland: "Store in very cold (32 degrees F), moist (95% relative humidity) environment. Store in the refrigerator in a vented mesh or plastic bag". RHS states no storage method.
Diseases
Pests
Chard, Bed to Bunch
Plan your Chard planting
When to sow and plant Chard depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar, or the month-by-month guides that cover Chard: April, May, June, August. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Chard in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
References
5 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I sow chard in the UK?
In Southern England, from early April. In Scotland, wait until early April. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow chard?
Sow early April to late July, at around 12.8°C for germination.
How long does chard take to grow?
Typically 50–70 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What soil pH does chard need?
A pH of about 6–6.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect chard?
Our data links 2 diseases and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Related Problem Guides
Last verified 2026-08-06
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.