Leafy greens · cool season
Swiss chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla
More heat-tolerant than spinach, so it bridges Ohio’s summer when lettuce is gone.
- When to plant in Ohio
- Direct sow April through July
- Harvest window
- June until hard freeze
- Days to maturity
- 50–60
- Spacing
- 8–12 in.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
How to grow it
Sow ½ in. deep. Cut outer stems at the base. Bright Lights and Fordhook Giant both take Midwestern summers if watered. A midsummer sowing replaces spring plants that get tired and bitter.
Related leafy greens
Leaf lettuce 30–45 for baby; 45–55 full
Romaine lettuce 60–75
Spinach 37–50
Kale 50–65