Growing Swiss chard from seed is inexpensive and highly rewarding. We'll delve into all the tips and tricks here to ensure you get great results with your chard!
Swiss Chard Preferred Conditions
Let's look at the conditions that chard grows best in, to get an understanding of what kind of environment you're aiming to provide your seedlings for optimal growth:
Chard Light Tolerance
Chard generally tolerates more sunlight and UV exposure than some of its cousins in the Amaranthaceae family - such as spinach and beets.
Keep this in mind when you choose a light source for your chard seedlings.
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They don't just tolerate more light, they really appreciate it!
I often worried that I'd burn them if my grow lights were too close or the power turned up too high, but it's become apparent to me that the answer for Swiss chard is usually more light.
Chard and beets are actually different cultivars of the same species. Both chard and beets are the species Beta vulgaris. Chard was selected for larger and more hearty leaves, while beets were selected for larger roots.
Chard Temperature Range
I've seen Swiss chard tolerate upwards of 100F in the desert in early-summer, long after spinach and beets are done for the season.
Chard's Growth Habit
Chard seedlings can sometimes have a floppy growth habit, tipping over and before righting themselves. This does not seem to hinder growth of the plant.
To counteract this, you can turn up the light intensity if you're starting under grow lights. Chard tolerates a lot of light, so use some strong lights and crank them up for best results.
Chard seeds are also fairly large, which means they'll tolerate being planted more deeply than many smaller seeds. This can help anchor them better and prevent the flop.
If your chard does flop over more than you'd like, check out our guide on why seedlings fall over.
Chard seeds are actually whole clusters of seeds. That's right! Each cluster can produce more than one plant, just like beets.
Best Soil for Swiss Chard Seedlings
For best results, choose a good seed-starting mix to sow your chard seeds in.
If you're buying your mix, I like this Black Gold.
If you're going to make your own mix instead, check out our guide to Making Your Own Soil Mixes.
Soil Temperature for Sowing Chard
Your soil needs to be warm enough for chard seeds to germinate. If it's too cold, they won't start at all and may rot before ever sprouting.
Ensure that your soil is a minimum of 40F (5C), and not more than 100F (38C).
Ideally aim for a soil temp of around 85F (29C) to get your chard to sprout quickly.
You can utilize a heat mat under your cell trays or cell packs to warm them up if you're starting in a cold environment. These heat mats here will give your seedlings a pleasant 70-85F, perfect for chard.
How Deep To Plant Chard Seeds
Because chard seed clusters are quite large, they'll tolerate a deeper sowing than many seeds.
Aim for 1/2-inch depth, or roughly 2 to 3 times the seed diameter when sowing.
Watering Chard Seedlings
Be sure that your soil never fully dries out while chard seeds are germinating.
Top-Watering vs. Bottom-Watering
I always favor top-watering before seedlings sprout, and then switch to bottom-watering once seedlings pop up in order to entice their roots to extend down deep.
Filtered vs. Tap Water
Filtered water (or well water) is always better than tap for plants, because it doesn't have the chlorine / chloramines that treated tap water typically has.
Chlorine will kill bacteria - which is good in water pipes, but not so good for delicate soil microbiomes where bacteria assist plants in acquiring nutrients.
Water pH
The pH of your water matters.
Most plants experience nutrient lockout when their soil pH drifts too far from their preferred level. For most veggies, chard included, that's roughly a 6.5 pH.
If your water pH isn't close to a 6.5, you might consider adjusting it with a pH kit like this.
My tap water is extremely alkaline, clocking in at around an 8.5 - good for drinking but pretty awful for plants and soil microbiomes. I like to add a little acid to drop that down to a more reasonable level for my chard seedlings and other veggies.
Your pH doesn't have to be perfect, but shoot for no more than 1.0 point above or below 6.5 (the 5.5 - 7.5 range) for best results.
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