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Swiss Chard is a leafy annual vegetable that brings dramatic color and productivity to any garden. The Northern Lights cultivar grows 12 to 24 inches tall with glossy, heavily crumpled leaves in shades of deep green, topped by vibrant stems in ruby red, bright yellow, or cardinal crimson depending on the variety type. Ready to harvest in 50 to 59 days, this frost-tolerant crop thrives in full sun with moderate water and low maintenance, making it one of the easiest greens to grow from seed to table.
Partial Sun
Moderate
2-11
24in H x 18in W
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Moderate
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Both the tender leaves and the thick, fleshy stems deliver distinct eating experiences, so you're essentially growing two vegetables in one plant. The stems cook down like asparagus while the leaves prepare like spinach, and remarkably, both taste equally good raw in salads. Plants generate continuous harvests throughout the summer, staying productive even in heat and humidity that would bolt many other greens, and the striking color combinations make these plants as ornamental as they are delicious.
Both stems and leaves are versatile in the kitchen. The leafy portions work beautifully steamed, sautéed, or tossed raw into salads, while the thick, crunchy stems can be cooked separately like asparagus or included whole in soups and stews. Many gardeners harvest leaves continuously throughout the summer, using the outer mature leaves first while the plant continues to produce tender growth from the center. The brilliant stem colors also make it an excellent choice for selling at farmers markets where visual appeal directly influences customer interest.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Swiss Chard seeds germinate readily between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Sow indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost, keeping soil consistently moist. Transplant outdoors once seedlings develop their first true leaves.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Transplant after the last frost date when soil has warmed to at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit, spacing plants 6 inches apart. Chard can also be planted in late summer for a fall and early winter harvest.
Direct sow seeds outdoors 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost, or in mid-summer for fall harvest. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep and keep soil consistently moist until germination, which typically occurs within 7 to 10 days at soil temperatures between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Begin harvesting when outer leaves reach full size, typically 50 to 59 days after planting. Pinch or cut the largest outer leaves from the base, leaving the tender inner leaves to continue growing. This technique encourages the plant to keep producing throughout the entire summer rather than reaching a single peak harvest. Both stems and leaves are harvestable at the same time and can be used immediately or stored for later use.
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“Swiss Chard belongs to the Leaf Beet Group, a diverse assemblage of Beta vulgaris cultivars selected over generations specifically for their tender, flavorful leaves and petioles rather than underground storage roots. Unlike its cousin the beet, Swiss Chard developed as a leafy vegetable crop, grown as an annual throughout Mediterranean and European regions where cool summers and abundant moisture allowed these plants to thrive. The Northern Lights variety represents modern seed breeding that combines reliable productivity with the vivid stem colors (ruby red, bright yellow, cardinal crimson) that have made chard increasingly popular at farmers markets and in home gardens.”