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Specialty Microgreen

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard microgreens (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) are a specialty microgreen with a mild, sweet and colorful flavor, ready to harvest in 12-18 days. MicrogreenUSA grows them sushi-grade indoors for wholesale standing orders, and they are best for rainbow color and salads.

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Swiss Chard Microgreens

Swiss chard microgreens bring rainbow-colored stems - pink, yellow, red - with a mild, sweet, spinach-adjacent flavor. Color variety in a single tray makes them a plating favorite.

Used where chefs want a spectrum of natural color on one plate: composed salads, crudo and bright vegetable dishes.

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Common nameSwiss Chard
Botanical nameBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
CategorySpecialty
FlavorMild, sweet, colorful
Grow time12-18 days
Best forRainbow color, salads
AvailabilityYear-round wholesale
Minimum order5 lbs / week
Grow Data & Sources

What do seed suppliers publish for growing Swiss chard microgreens?

These figures are True Leaf Market's published guide for Swiss Chard - Ruby Red - Microgreens Seeds (Beta vulgaris) plus Chard, Bright Lights (703DM) from Johnny's Selected Seeds' 2017 yield trial, not our farm schedule (that is on our process page).

Seeding rate (10x20 tray)1 oz per 10"x 20" tray
Pre-soakNo (No Soak)
Germination2-5 days
Blackout4-7 days
Days to harvest8-12 days
Flavorsweet, earthy
Seed per 1020 tray (Johnny's trial)31.5 g
Yield per 1020 tray (Johnny's trial)9.5 oz
Days to first true leaf (Johnny's)16.5

Sources: True Leaf Market, Johnny's Selected Seeds.

How does Swiss chard compare with the other microgreens we grow?

At 8-12 days, Swiss chard is the 11th fastest of 18 varieties by supplier harvest window, tied with broccoli, kale, purple kohlrabi and mustard. Its 9.5 oz trial yield is 6th of 13, 0.30 oz of Swiss chard per gram of seed. Swiss chard goes on dry in the supplier guide.

Is there USDA nutrition data for Swiss chard microgreens?

Not from a lab: FoodData Central has no entry for Swiss chard microgreens, so we print no nutrient figures.

Are Swiss chard microgreens a food-safety concern?

FDA classes Swiss chard microgreens as covered produce, not sprouts (FDA guidance).

Common Questions

Swiss Chard FAQ

What do Swiss chard microgreens taste like?

Swiss chard microgreens have a mild, sweet and colorful flavor. They bring rainbow-colored stems - pink, yellow, red - with a mild, sweet, spinach-adjacent flavor. Color variety in a single tray makes them a plating favorite. They are the young cotyledon-stage greens of Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris, harvested before the first true leaves appear.

How long do Swiss chard microgreens take to grow?

Swiss chard microgreens take 12-18 days from seed to harvest in our indoor farm. The seed gets a 4-6 hour soak in RO-filtered water before seeding. For comparison, seed suppliers publish 8-12 days in True Leaf Market's guide and about 16.5 days to first true leaf in Johnny's 2017 trial. By that supplier window it is the 11th fastest of the 18 varieties we grow. Our full growing process is on our process page.

How do chefs use Swiss chard microgreens?

Used where chefs want a spectrum of natural color on one plate: composed salads, crudo and bright vegetable dishes. In our wholesale program they are best for rainbow color and salads. They are available year-round on a standing weekly order, on their own or as part of a custom blend with other varieties from our catalog of 20.

How long do Swiss chard microgreens last after delivery?

Swiss chard microgreens keep 7-10 days, like most of our varieties, when refrigerated at 34-38°F in sealed packaging and kept away from ethylene-producing produce. They are clean-cut with sanitized blades and in cold storage within 45 minutes of harvest, so orders typically arrive with 5-10 days of shelf life remaining.

How do I order Swiss chard microgreens wholesale?

Order through a MicrogreenUSA wholesale account. The minimum is 5 lbs per week for a single restaurant, and Swiss chard microgreens can be packed in 2, 4 or 8 oz anti-fog clamshells, 1-5 lb vacuum-sealed bulk pouches or uncut living trays. Southeast USA accounts get deliveries on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and we reply to applications within 24 business hours.

Do Swiss chard microgreen seeds need soaking?

True Leaf Market's grow guide for Swiss Chard - Ruby Red - Microgreens Seeds (Beta vulgaris) lists no pre-soak, then lists 2-5 days germination, 4-7 days of blackout and 8-12 days to harvest. Our farm sets its own soak times by seed size; the schedule is on our process page.

How much does a tray of Swiss chard microgreens yield?

Johnny's Selected Seeds measured 9.5 oz per 1020 tray for Chard, Bright Lights (703DM) in its 2017 microgreen yield trial, from 31.5 g of seed, cut at about 16.5 days at the first true leaf. Johnny's calls these rounded averages that vary with seed lot, density and timing. Among our varieties in that trial, Swiss chard ranks 6th of 13 for yield.