Select your climate zone What is my climate zone?

Growing Silverbeet, also Swiss Chard or Mangold

(Beta vulgaris var. cicla)

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  S P P                

(Best months for planting Silverbeet in USA - Zone 5a regions)

S = Plant undercover in seed trays. P = Plant direct in garden where they are to grow.


  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 15 - 30 cm apart
  • Harvest in 7-12 weeks.
  • Compatible with: Beans, brassica sp. (cabbage, cauliflower, etc), tomato, allium sp. (onion, garlic, chives), lavender, parsnip
  • Avoid growing with: Corn, melon, cucurbit (cucumbers, squash, melons, gourds), most herbs, potato.
  • Multi-coloured variety
  • Silverbeet

Your comments and tips

Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for USA | for all countries
07 Mar 12, George K. (Australia - temperate climate)
Greeks use silverbeet and endives much the same way, as a salad. Cook as above,strain,cool, then dress with salt,olive oil and lemon juice....even some chopped garlic if you like....yummy salad...
Reply or Post a new comment
07 Nov 11, Nathanael (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Why can you not grow silver beet next to corn? is it just because of the shade of the corn?
Reply or Post a new comment
29 Aug 11, Helen Elam (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate)
the thick white stem of Swiss chard is cooked separately: cut up in sticks of 6 cm long by 1 cm diameter. cooked gently in butter. I have eaten this as a n accompaniment to girolles and riz de veau - the leaves were cooked and pureed to make a wonderful sauce.
Reply or Post a new comment
09 Aug 11, Alison (Australia - temperate climate)
I have several silverbeet in the garden that are doing fantastic, and just keep on growing more and more leaves every time we harvest some. Planted in March, and at this stage show NO signs of stopping growing! Late this month, we need to pull everything out of the garden bed to top it up (its a no-soil, no dig garden) and prepare it for the warmer season crop - will it hurt if I transplant a few of these mature silverbeet plants into another big pot so I can keep harvesting the leaves???
Reply or Post a new comment
08 Apr 11, Sue (Australia - temperate climate)
I have silverbeet plants over 18 months old that are still producing. We grow everything in dappled sunlight (under trees) and pick all our leaves very young. This way, we have salad leaves constantly and very few pests find them - our lettuce also takes many months before it goes to seed.
Reply or Post a new comment
06 Apr 11, Rosie (Australia - temperate climate)
I have ground silverbeet in different area of my garden, some of them get the morning sun and a few of them get the hot afternoon sun. However most of the plants on either side have died and out of 8 seedlings I purchased from the nusery, just 2 are left. I water them everyday and the soil is basic clay with compost. Please tell me what I am doing wrong.
Reply or Post a new comment
22 Feb 11, (Australia - temperate climate)
Having trouble with silverbeet. The leaves have lost colour and have gone almost white. Is this a lack of fertiliser? or some other reason.
Reply or Post a new comment
21 Jan 11, Jenboon (Australia - temperate climate)
White stemmed silverbeet... close to the end or going to seed, the stems turn dark pink or red in strips along the edge or full stem? Are the stems still edible or should they be composted?
Reply or Post a new comment
15 Jan 11, chris (Australia - temperate climate)
Silverbeet is extremely easy to grow, and is a great way for young children to experience the joy of growing and harvesting your own food. 10 out of 10!
Reply or Post a new comment
16 Jan 11, (Australia - temperate climate)
Absolutely! And it also taste's great!
Reply or Post a new comment
First page < Previous page 11 - 20 of 96 comments Next page >

See comments for all plants

Post a question, comment or tip about Silverbeet

planted by silverbeet four weeks ago, and the plants are still only a couple of cm high. Prepared soil with good garden soil, blood and bone and a little mulch, and have watered every day. what am I doing wrong???

- sue


Where are you?



All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting may not appear immediately

Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.

Site design and development by Hutchinson Software