Giant Red

Family: Apiaceae Vegetable

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Giant Red to a garden.

Sink your senses into Giant Red’s richly colored stalks, where deep garnet-red ribs rise with a crisp, refreshing snap and a clean, bright bite.

At maturity, the plants form bold, upright clumps with substantial, well-blanched texture that holds its integrity in the garden and shines in classic celery preparations—ideal for roasting, simmering into savory bases, and adding vivid color to sauces and pickles.

Light: Part SunMaturity: 80 DaysHabit: Upright

Location not set yet

Enter your ZIP for local crop dates

Giant Red Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Mar 16th	May 18th	Aug 6th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Mar 6th	May 8th	Jul 27th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Mar 6th	May 8th	Jul 27th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Mar 10th	May 12th	Jul 31st – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Mar 6th	May 8th	Jul 27th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Mar 4th	May 6th	Jul 25th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Feb 27th	May 1st	Jul 20th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Feb 23rd	Apr 27th	Jul 16th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Feb 20th	Apr 24th	Jul 13th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Feb 14th	Apr 18th	Jul 7th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Feb 9th	Apr 13th	Jul 2nd – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Jan 30th	Apr 3rd	Jun 22nd – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Jan 21st	Mar 25th	Jun 13th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Jan 12th	Mar 16th	Jun 4th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Dec 26th	Feb 27th	May 18th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Dec 1st	Feb 2nd	Apr 23rd – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	80
Sun Requirements	Part Sun
Growth Habit	Upright
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	45
Min Night Temp (°F)	28
Harden Off (days)	7

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Giant Red celery brings a high-crisp, high-hold crunch—those blanched ribs don’t collapse into stringy water when you cook them. Use it where you want both brightness and structure: roast for edge sweetness, or pickle to lock in that snappy bite and garnet color.

Best Uses

roasting until caramel-browned at the edges, then finishing with flaky salt
simmering into stocks and broths for a bright, green backbone
thin slicing for crunchy raw crudités and salads
pickling for sharp, ruby-red snap and color

Flavor Profile

crisp, watery snap clean bright bite with celery-like herbaceousness sturdy, well-blanched ribs that stay snappy under heat

Kitchen Pairings

lemon parmesan butter chicken mushrooms black pepper

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease most commonly affects Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) and how do I control it?

Watch for leafminers and aphids, which can leave stippled or curled leaves; inspect the undersides regularly. Remove heavily affected leaves and spray aphids with a strong stream of water, then use insecticidal soap if needed. For disease, keep leaves dry and improve airflow to reduce leaf spot and downy mildew—avoid overhead watering and remove yellowing/spotty foliage promptly.

How often should I water Swiss chard during the main growing phase (until harvest at ~80 days)?

Keep the soil consistently evenly moist, aiming for about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water per week, increasing to 2–3 inches in hot, windy weather. Water at the base so the leaves stay dry, and check that the top 1–2 inches of soil are moist but not soggy. If growth slows or leaf stems become tough, increase watering frequency rather than just adding more water at once.

How can I tell when Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) ‘Giant Red’ is ready to harvest?

Harvest when plants form thick, well-filled leaf stems (about 8–12 inches tall) and leaves are large enough to use, typically around 70–85 days. Cut outer leaves first at the base of the petiole to encourage continued regrowth; don’t strip the entire plant at once. If leaves become very small and the plant starts bolting (flowering stalk), harvest promptly and expect earlier toughening.