When to plant swiss chard in Wellington
Swiss chard is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Wellington's frost dates of Sep 1.
Step 1 · Sow
Start seeds indoors
Aug 4 – Aug 25
Before your last frost, on a warm windowsill or heat mat.
Step 2 · Plant
Transplant outdoors
Aug 18 – Sep 8
Once frost risk has passed and nights stay mild.
Step 3 · Harvest
Harvest window
Oct 7 – Oct 17
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
50 – 60 d
Wellington's 273-day season leaves this much room.
Swiss chard on Wellington's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
SEP 1
JUN 1
Common questions
When can I sow swiss chard outdoors in Wellington?
Direct-sow around mid August (Aug 18–Sep 8) in Wellington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
When will swiss chard be ready to harvest in Wellington?
Expect to harvest from around early October (Oct 7–Oct 17) in Wellington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 72%.
When should I start swiss chard seeds indoors in Wellington?
Start seeds indoors around early August (Aug 4–Aug 25) in Wellington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.
When can I transplant swiss chard outdoors in Wellington?
Transplant outdoors around mid August (Aug 18–Sep 8) in Wellington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
How long is the growing season in Wellington?
Wellington has roughly 273 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow swiss chard to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow swiss chard as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Wellington's frost dates.
Confidence 80/100 · NOAA GHCN-Daily · 1991–2020 normals · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.