Chard Swiss chard is a salad green that grows well in cool weather and keeps producing until a hard freeze kills it. You can eat it raw or cook it like spinach. Growing Gide Soil preparation: Chard likes rich, well-drained soil in a sunny site. Sow seed two to four weeks before the last expected frost; you can sow successive plantings until late summer. Spacing: Plant chard in rows about 1½ feet apart. Direct-sow seeds 1 to 3 inches apart, and thin them to 5 to 8 inches apart when the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall. Watering: Water during dry spells. Fertilizing: Dig in compost before planting. Pest Watch Flea beetles are small, shiny, black beetles that chew little holes through chard leaves. Disease Alert Downy mildew produces pale yellow spots on leaves. Harvest Hints Pick the outer leaves as needed. Smaller leaves are best used for salad. Larger leaves can be used in stir fires and for braising. You can refrigerate chard for up to two weeks after you've picked it.