Growing Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard from Seed to Harvest

By Paul Smith, pemdasgarden.com

Fordhook Giant Swiss chard has been the gold standard of chard since the 1930s — an All-America Selections winner famous for broad, savoyed dark-green leaves on thick white ribs, vigorous regrowth, and remarkable tolerance of both heat and cold. It is a cut-and-come-again vegetable: sow once, harvest outer leaves for months, and the plant keeps producing. And late September is one of the best times of year to sow it for a fall crop.

Why Grow Fordhook Giant?

• Months of harvests: pick outer leaves and the center keeps growing — one sowing feeds you all season.
• Cold hardy: survives light frosts and often overwinters in mild climates; also bolts slower than spinach in heat.
• Beautiful: glossy, crinkled leaves on ivory-white stalks look as good as they taste.
• Nutritious: packed with vitamins A, C, and K, magnesium, and iron.

When to Sow Swiss Chard

Chard is flexible: sow in early spring (2–3 weeks before last frost) for summer harvests, and again in late summer — August through September — for fall and even winter picking. Fall-sown chard is often the sweetest, as cool weather concentrates sugars. Seeds germinate in soil from 50–85°F, emerging in 7–14 days.

How to Sow: Step by Step

1. Work compost into a bed in full sun to partial shade (afternoon shade helps in hot climates). Chard tolerates a wide pH range but prefers fertile, moisture-retentive soil.
2. Sow seeds ½ inch deep, 2 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart. Each "seed" is actually a cluster that sprouts 2–4 seedlings — this is normal.
3. Keep the seedbed moist until germination, then thin ruthlessly to one plant every 10–12 inches. Crowded chard stays small.
4. Mulch with 2–3 inches of straw to hold moisture and keep leaves clean.

Watering and Feeding

Chard is thirsty: give it about 1–1.5 inches of water per week. Consistent moisture keeps leaves tender; drought makes them tough and bitter. Feed monthly with a balanced fertilizer or side-dress with compost — as a leafy crop, chard appreciates nitrogen. Start with vigorous seed like Fordhook Giant white chard seeds for the classic look, or try golden chard seeds for amber stems that glow in the fall garden.

The Cut-and-Come-Again Harvest

Begin harvesting when outer leaves reach 8–10 inches tall. Cut outer leaves at the base, always leaving the central bud intact — new leaves unfurl from the center within days. Never take more than a third of the plant at once. Harvested this way, a single spring planting produces until hard frost, and a fall planting (like the one you can sow right now) keeps going under row cover well into winter in many zones.

Extending the Season

Fordhook Giant laughs at light frost (down to about 25°F with cover). For winter harvests, drape floating row cover or a low tunnel over fall-planted beds. In zones 7+, established plants often overwinter and bolt the following spring — let one go to seed and you will have volunteers. It is an ideal companion in the cool-season bed alongside the perennial herbs in our garlic chives growing guide.

Pests and Problems

• Leaf miners are chard's main foe — winding pale trails in leaves. Remove affected leaves promptly; floating row cover from day one prevents them entirely.
• Aphids cluster on undersides; blast off with water.
• Slugs chew holes in damp weather; use iron-phosphate bait.
• Bolting: a sudden hot spell can trigger flowering; keep plants watered and harvest regularly to delay it. Bolted leaves turn bitter — compost the plant and sow more.

Cooking and Storing

Separate leaves from ribs: sauté ribs first (they cook like celery), then wilt the greens. Young leaves are excellent raw in salads. Chard also freezes beautifully — blanch 2 minutes, chill, squeeze dry, and freeze in portions. Pair it in the garden with Vates Blue Scotch curled kale seeds for a cold-hardy greens bed that outlasts everything else.

Sow now for fall harvests: shop Fordhook Giant Swiss chard seeds at PemdasGarden.

Planting times vary by climate and region — adjust sowing dates for your USDA zone and local frost dates.

Free planning tools: put this guide to work with the Seed Starting Calculator and Planting Calendar on our Gardening Tools hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Swiss chard take to germinate?
Usually 7 to 14 days. Each chard 'seed' is actually a fruit containing several seeds, so thin the clusters to one strong seedling per spot.

Can Swiss chard survive frost?
Light frosts, yes — it is one of the hardiest greens. In mild climates it often overwinters with a layer of mulch.

How do I harvest chard without killing the plant?
Cut the outer leaves at the base and leave the center growing point untouched. Harvested this way, one planting produces for months.

Does Swiss chard bolt in heat?
It can in sustained heat. Keep plants watered, harvest regularly, and give afternoon shade in hot climates to delay bolting.