Rainbow
Also known as: Five Color Silverbeet
What's special about Rainbow
Australian heirloom mix with red, orange, pink, yellow, and white stems. Similar to Bright Lights but often more color range.
Growing this variety
Rainbow follows the same growing basics as Swiss Chard. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Swiss Chard family.
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Soak seed 24 hrs before sowing — each 'seed' is a cluster of embryos; thin to one strongest sprout. Direct-sow in cool soil or start in cells. Cut outer leaves 1 in above the crown as needed; plants regrow for months. Overwinters in zones 7+ under a low tunnel.
Grower's tip
The workhorse leafy green — one spring sowing feeds a family until frost. Stems are edible too: cook like celery or asparagus.
Soil preferences
Rich, moisture-retentive loam.
6.0–7.0
Compost + a light nitrogen source (blood meal, aged manure) — greens are all leaf, so they want nitrogen.
Watering
Consistent — 1 in per week minimum, more in heat. Uneven water triggers bolt.
Overhead is fine in the morning; drip is best in humid climates.
Overwatered: soft rot at the crown, yellow lower leaves. Underwatered: bitter flavor, tough leaves, premature bolting.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water deeply at the soil surface so the whole root zone stays evenly damp — bottom-watering isn't practical in the ground.
Temperature tolerance
55–75°F (13–24°C) — most greens bolt above 80°F (27°C)
45–60°F (7–16°C)
Light frost tolerated by most; kale, spinach, mâche, and collards are cold-hardy and often sweeter after frost.
Container growing
Yes — great in containers
6–8 in deep, any width; a window box works
Perfect for pots and hydroponics; cut-and-come-again mixes give weeks of harvest per sowing.
Succession planting
Every 2 weeks spring and fall. Skip the hottest weeks or use shade cloth.
Detailed harvesting
Cut outer leaves and let the crown keep producing (cut-and-come-again), or cut the whole rosette 1 in above the crown for a fresh flush.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Rinse, spin dry, and store in a sealed bag with a paper towel in the crisper 5–7 days. Blanch and freeze for cooking greens.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Salads, sautés, smoothies, soups. Bitter or overgrown leaves are best cooked, not raw.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Lettuce is self-pollinating; spinach is wind-pollinated; brassica greens (kale, arugula, mustard) are insect-pollinated and cross freely.
Lettuce 20 ft; spinach 1/2 mile; brassicas 1/4 mile or cage.
Let a robust plant bolt; harvest dry seed stalks; rub clean; store dry.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for swiss chard in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
My Rainbow Swiss Chard notes
Rainbow Swiss Chard seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
From your kitchen — grow swiss chard from what you already have
Let one plant bolt (send up its flower stalk) and it will make hundreds to thousands of seeds. Bolted greens are bitter to eat but perfect for saving.
- 1Pick your best, slowest-to-bolt plant as the seed parent.
- 2Let the flower stalk rise, bloom, and dry brown on the plant.
- 3Cut the whole stalk into a paper bag before it shatters.
- 4Rub between your hands to release seed; sieve out chaff; store dry.
Storage: 3–5 years dry.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
Loading…
Other Swiss Chard varieties
Bright Lights
55 daysAAS-winning rainbow mix — gold, pink, red, orange, and white stems on green or bronze leaves. As ornamental as edible.
Fordhook Giant
60 daysThe classic heirloom — huge dark-green savoyed leaves on thick white stems. Vigorous and heat-tolerant. AAS.
Rhubarb (Ruby Red)
55 daysVivid crimson stems and veins on dark-green leaves. Deep earthy flavor; slower to bolt than Fordhook.
Perpetual Spinach
50 daysNarrow-stemmed chard bred to taste like spinach — mild, tender, slow to bolt. Great summer spinach substitute.
Fordhook Swiss Chard
60 daysClassic thick-stemmed chard with large, savoyed dark-green leaves. Vigorous and heat-tolerant.
Rainbow Swiss Chard
55 daysColorful mix of red, orange, pink, yellow, and white stems. As ornamental as it is edible.