When to Plant Swiss Chard in Iowa
Iowa spans USDA hardiness 4b to 6a (zones 4b to 6a on this page). Plant swiss chard by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.
Jump to: Zone 4b · Zone 5a · Zone 5b · Zone 6a
Swiss Chard planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 4b
Average last spring frost
May 10
Average first fall frost
September 25
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Mar 22
Transplant outdoors
Apr 26
Projected first harvest
Jun 25
fall planting
Direct sow
Jul 10
Projected first harvest
Sep 8
spring planting
fall planting
Most swiss chard mature in about 60 days. Full zone 4 guide (both 4a and 4b) →
Swiss Chard planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 5a
Average last spring frost
May 5
Average first fall frost
October 1
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Mar 17
Transplant outdoors
Apr 21
Projected first harvest
Jun 20
fall planting
Direct sow
Jul 16
Projected first harvest
Sep 14
spring planting
fall planting
Most swiss chard mature in about 60 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Swiss Chard planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 5b
Average last spring frost
April 30
Average first fall frost
October 5
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Mar 12
Transplant outdoors
Apr 16
Projected first harvest
Jun 15
fall planting
Direct sow
Jul 20
Projected first harvest
Sep 18
spring planting
fall planting
Most swiss chard mature in about 60 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Swiss Chard planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 6a
Average last spring frost
April 25
Average first fall frost
October 10
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Mar 7
Transplant outdoors
Apr 11
Projected first harvest
Jun 10
fall planting
Direct sow
Jul 25
Projected first harvest
Sep 23
spring planting
fall planting
Most swiss chard mature in about 60 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.
Varieties to grow
2 varieties of swiss chard in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.
Common problems with swiss chard
What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each
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