Rainline Garden
When to plant Swiss chard in Oregon and Washington
In Portland: Plant Swiss chard from seed, directly in the garden, Mar 15 – May 10. For a fall harvest, plant again Aug 6–20. In Bend: May 12 – Jul 7. Find your city below.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Spacing
- 10 inches apart
- Planting depth
- ½ inch deep
- Frost
- Handles light frost
- First harvest
- About 55 days after planting
Handles both cool spring weather and summer heat; harvest outer leaves for months.
Swiss chard planting dates by city
| City | Plant in the garden | Plant again for fall |
|---|---|---|
| Astoria, OR | Apr 1 – May 27 | Aug 6–20 |
| Baker City, OR | Apr 27 – Jun 22 | Jul 7–21 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | May 12 – Jul 7 | — |
| Burns, OR | May 14 – Jul 9 | — |
| Coos Bay and North Bend, OR | Apr 1 – May 27 | Aug 6–20 |
| Eugene, OR | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| Gresham, OR | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| Klamath Falls, OR | May 12 – Jul 7 | — |
| Medford, OR | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| Pendleton, OR | Apr 1 – May 27 | Aug 6–20 |
| Portland, OR | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| Roseburg, OR | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| Salem, OR | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| The Dalles, OR | Apr 1 – May 27 | Aug 6–20 |
| Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 | Aug 6–20 |
| Bellingham, WA | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 15 – Jun 10 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| Everett, WA | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| Forks, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 | Aug 6–20 |
| Moses Lake, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 | Jul 30 – Aug 13 |
| Olympia, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 | Aug 5–19 |
| Omak and Okanogan, WA | Apr 15 – Jun 10 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 15 – Jun 10 | Aug 3–17 |
| Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA | Apr 1 – May 27 | Aug 2–16 |
| Vancouver, WA | Mar 15 – May 10 | Aug 6–20 |
| Walla Walla, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 | Aug 6–20 |
| Wenatchee, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 | Aug 6–20 |
| Yakima, WA | Apr 10 – Jun 5 | Jul 26 – Aug 9 |
How to grow Swiss chard
- Prepare the bed: loosen the soil and mix in an inch or two of compost.
- Plant seeds on your city's dates, ½ inch deep, 10 inches apart.
- Keep the soil evenly moist until sprouts appear, which can take one to three weeks in cool soil.
- Plant again on your city's dates for a fall harvest.
- Harvest: Cut outer stalks at the base. One planting keeps producing from early summer into winter.
Varieties that do well in the Northwest
- Bright Lights
- Fordhook Giant
- Rhubarb
Watch out for
Leaf miners, the same as beets. Remove spotted leaves early.
Lettuce
Spinach
Arugula