When to plant swiss chard in USDA Zone 9a

Plan your swiss chard planting around local frost risk and soil temperature, then work backward from the harvest week your buyers need. The calendar below is a starting point, not a field-level weather forecast.

Gainesville FL, Houston, New Orleans, southern GA coast. Average last spring frost February 25, first fall frost December 1 — a 279-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: good
Cool-season crops bolt fast under Zone 9a heat. Prioritize the fall planting window and use shade cloth for any spring succession.

Key dates

Start seeds indoors
January 21 – February 4
Direct-seed or transplant outdoors
January 28 – February 18
Expected first harvest
March 31 – April 28
Fall planting window
September 15 – October 6
Fall harvest window
November 16 – December 14

Windows are calculated from your zone's average frost dates. Adjust ±1 week for microclimates, elevation, and your own frost records.

Spacing and soil

Plant spacing
10″
Row spacing
18″
Seed depth
0.5″
Soil temperature
50–75°F
Frost tolerance
hardy
Days to harvest
55 days

Grower notes for Zone 9a

Cut-and-come-again crop. A spring planting can produce well into fall with cool weather and consistent water.

Plant near: beans, onions

Keep away from: corn

Other leafy greens for Zone 9a

Same crop, other zones

Track your own plantings

BAU Farm Intelligence turns these windows into per-field tasks — indoor seed-start reminders, transplant dates, harvest projections — using your farm's actual frost history.