When to plant swiss chard in USDA Zone 9b

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.

Orlando, Tampa, San Antonio, southern LA coast. Average last spring frost February 5, first fall frost December 15 — a 313-day frost-free season.

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

Key dates

Start seeds indoors
January 1 – January 15
Direct-seed or transplant outdoors
January 8 – January 29
Expected first harvest
March 11 – April 8
Fall planting window
September 29 – October 20
Fall harvest window
November 30 – December 28

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 9b

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 9b

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.