Rainbow Chard
Five Color Silverbeet Swiss Chard is an Australian heirloom that brings genuine brilliance to any garden, with stems and veins in pink, yellow, orange, red, and white against deep green leaves. Ready to harvest in just 60 days, this frost-tolerant variety thrives in cool seasons and needs full sun and consistently moist soil to perform at its best. Its mild flavor and stunning ornamental appeal make it as welcome in flower beds as it is on the dinner plate, earning devoted fans among both market growers and home gardeners who prize it for its combination of beauty and taste.
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The colors on this chard are genuinely striking, brilliant enough to earn its place alongside ornamental plantings, yet it delivers tender, mild-flavored leaves that rival any green for the kitchen. Growing from seed to harvest in 60 days, it handles frost with ease and thrives in the cool-season window when many other greens falter. Its Australian origins have created a variety that's remarkably vigorous in moderate conditions, asking only for full sun, consistent moisture, and soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 to reward you with repeated harvests of colorful stems and nutritious leaves.
Harvest the outer leaves frequently to keep this chard producing through the season, using them raw in salads where their mild flavor and tender texture shine, or cooking them down as a nutritious green side dish. The colorful stems are sturdy enough for sautéing separately and add visual appeal to any plate. Many gardeners grow it specifically as an edible ornamental, planting it where its multicolored foliage can be appreciated as both a landscape feature and a food source.
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, maintaining soil temperatures ideally between 75°F and 90°F (though they'll germinate at temperatures as low as 50°F). Transplant outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date. Protect young transplants from heavy freezes if you're pushing the early-spring window.
Transplant seedlings outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, when soil temperature reaches at least 40°F. Space transplants 8 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart. In mild climates, you can also sow directly in fall for winter and early-spring harvests.
Sow seeds directly outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, or as late as 2 months before your first fall frost. In mild climates, fall sowing is recommended for extended cool-season production. Sow as late as 2 months before your first fall frost date.
Begin harvesting outer leaves once the plant is established, typically around 60 days from sowing. Harvest by removing the outer leaves carefully, always protecting the growing point at the center of the plant to encourage continued production throughout the season. This method allows the plant to keep producing new leaves for weeks or months, rather than harvesting the entire plant at once. Store harvested leaves at 36°F with 95% relative humidity for maximum longevity.
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“This variety traces its roots to Australia, where it was developed and grown before becoming prized by seed savers and heirloom gardeners worldwide. As a true heirloom, Five Color Silverbeet Swiss Chard represents the kind of open-pollinated variety that gardeners have saved and shared for generations, preserving its distinctive multicolored stems and reliable growing characteristics. Its journey from Australian gardens to specialty seed catalogs reflects the growing appreciation for ornamental edibles that refuse to choose between beauty and flavor.”