Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The earliest that you can plant chard in Zone 1a should be determined by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Chard

Frost tolerance for chard:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Chard do ok in moderate cold which tells us that you can plant them a little earlier in the year than plants that are more sensitive to the cold.

The earliest that you can plant chard in Zone 1a is May. However, you really should wait until June if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant chard and expect a good harvest is probably July. Any later than that and your chard may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your chard indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost has passed is on June 15 in Zone 1a. It might get as low as -60°F during the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Zone 1a is just an average and the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Zone 1a you get surprised by a frost after June 15 be ready to cover your chard in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 1a

Here is the info for USDA Zone 1a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	June 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	July 15
Lowest Expected Low	-60°F
Highest Expected Low	-55°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -60°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -55°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 1a

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 1a.