Organic red chard seeds for growing microgreens / young shoots
Organic Red Swiss Chard Seeds to Grow as Microgreens
Available in 15g or 250g
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Organic red chard seeds for growing microgreens / young shoots images
Organic Red Chard seeds for growing as microgreens
Red chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla), also called Ruby Red Chard, is a variety of chard from the Amaranthaceae family, a cousin of spinach and beetroot. Grown since antiquity in the Mediterranean basin, it is a vegetable plant whose green leaves and coloured stalks are usually eaten. As microgreens, it is a whole other world: the young shoot is harvested at the cotyledon stage, where the colour explodes.
🌱 Its most striking feature is its colour. The stems are an intense ruby red, brilliant purple, which contrasts magnificently with the soft green of the cotyledons. It is frankly one of the most visually spectacular microgreens - used by chefs to bring a splash of colour to their plates. In terms of taste, the flavour is mild, slightly earthy, with a note reminiscent of raw spinach and beetroot. Much more delicate than adult chard, with no bitterness.
In practical terms, it goes wonderfully with colourful raw salads (carrot, grated beetroot, red cabbage), finely chopped vegetable tartares, raw bowls with multiple textures, fresh seaweed salads (wakame, dulse, samphire) where the purple contrasts with the green-brown of the seaweed, raw soups such as cucumber gazpacho, cold-pressed green juices, or avocado toasts for a splash of colour. A few fresh shoots just before serving, and the dish instantly takes on a visual and taste dimension.
Harvest at : 5 to 7 cm in height
Cycle : 10 to 14 days
Quantity per tray : 8 to 9 g of seeds
🌱 How to grow your red chard microgreens at home?
Microgreens are grown on a light, well-draining substrate, and not by mist watering like conventional sprouted seeds. For an optimal and reproducible result, we recommend our GEO Smart Greens sprouter from Geo Bavicchi combined with the GEO ceramic granules (100% natural and reusable substrate).
🌱 The principle is simple:
- Pour the ceramic granules into the perforated growing tray.
- Spread 8 to 9 g of red chard seeds evenly over the surface, without pressing them in. Tip: these seeds are fairly large, in the shape of small irregular clusters - soaking them beforehand for 2 to 4 hours in water can speed up germination.
- On the first day, spray generously with water to hydrate the seeds well.
- Place the tray in a bright spot, out of direct sunlight.
- Then pour the water into the lower tray: thanks to bottom watering, the substrate absorbs moisture by capillary action, without drowning the shoots or encouraging mould.
- Keep an eye on the surface moisture (top up with a spray bottle if the air is dry).
- Harvest with scissors as soon as your shoots reach 5 to 7 cm. It is ready.
🌱 The advantages of the ceramic granule substrate: a porous structure that retains just the right amount of water, very little water used, a clean environment, no potting soil to dirty the kitchen, and above all 100% natural and reusable from one crop to the next.
🌱 Discover our 8 microgreen varieties
We offer a complete range of organic seeds for growing as microgreens, carefully selected from Geo Bavicchi. From aromatic flavours to spicy flavours, via mild and earthy flavours, here is the full list of varieties available in our Biovie catalogue:
| Variety | Shoot colour | Dominant flavour |
|---|---|---|
| Dill (Dill) |
Light green, thin stems | Aniseed, fresh |
| Red chard (Ruby Red Chard) |
Purple stems, green cotyledons | Mild, slightly earthy |
| Chioggia chard | Pale pink striped stems, green cotyledons | Mild, subtle |
| Bull's Blood red beetroot | Burgundy red, intense purple | Earthy, mild, sweet |
| Purple kohlrabi | Purple stems, green cotyledons | Mild, raw cabbage type |
| Green mizuna | Light green, serrated | Slightly spicy, mustardy |
| Red mizuna | Red-green serrated | Spicier, rocket type |
| Tatsoi | Glossy dark green, spoon-shaped | Mild, spinach type |
All our varieties are organic, guaranteed with a germination rate above 95%, and selected from Geo Bavicchi in Perugia, Umbria.
🌱 Below is a behind-the-scenes video at our supplier Geo Bavicchi:
🌱 And the interview we had the pleasure of filming with Dario Bavicchi, who embodies the third generation of this Italian family business founded in 1896:
🌱 What do red chard microgreens contain?
Frankly, what struck me when I looked into this variety is the gap between the chard we all know (cooked, in a quiche or a gratin) and the young shoot harvested at the cotyledon stage, eaten raw and therefore perfectly suited to living food.
The diversity of varieties available - dill, chard, beetroot, kohlrabi, mizuna, tatsoi… - offers varied flavours, perfect for a living food diet every day.
- Pigments: betalains. Red chard microgreens contain betalains, plant pigments characteristic of the Amaranthaceae family (which also includes beetroot and amaranth). It is the betalains that give the stems their spectacular ruby red colour.
- Presence of chlorophylls and carotenoids. Like all young green shoots, red chard microgreens contain plant pigments - chlorophylls, carotenoids - characteristic of fresh, living foods.
There you go. In my eyes, the decisive argument is not a particular "superpower", it is rather the idea that a spoonful of freshly cut shoots ends up on your plate without any processing, without cooking, without transport. You harvest, you cut, you eat. That is the very definition of living food. And the icing on the cake, with red chard, you also add a splash of colour that turns an ordinary dish into something beautiful.
Please note: chards naturally contain oxalic acid. For consumption at the microgreen stage (a few shoots per dish), no particular restriction is documented. People prone to kidney stones can simply moderate their consumption of plants from the Amaranthaceae family (chard, Swiss chard, spinach, beetroot, amaranth).
🌱 To go further on growing young shoots at home, see our blog articles:
Best before: 30/05/2029
- Packaging : available in a doypack of 15 g (about 1 crop) or 250 g (economy size, around 27 to 31 crops)
- Best before : 3 years from the production date
- Origin : Italy - Geo Bavicchi supply chain (Perugia, Umbria), a family business specialising in sprouting seeds since 1896, certified organic
- Botanical variety : Beta vulgaris var. cicla, "Ruby Red" variety (Amaranthaceae family)
- Guaranteed germination rate : above 95% (each batch tested before sale)
- Storage : away from light, in a cool, dry place
🌱 Packaging quality to match the quality of the seeds: all our pouches are made from materials certified for food contact, moisture-resistant, and show the best-before date, the weight and the production batch number - for complete traceability. The instructions are printed in five languages: Italian, English, French, German and Spanish.
🌱 Frequently asked questions about red chard microgreens
What is the difference between sprouted seeds and red chard microgreens?
Sprouted seeds are harvested very early (2 to 5 days), at the radicle stage, and are grown in a jar or sprouter with daily rinsing. Microgreens go further: they are harvested at the cotyledon stage (the first embryonic leaves), between 10 and 14 days for red chard, and only the aerial part, cut with scissors, is eaten. They are grown on a light substrate - in our case, 100% natural ceramic granules. And with red chard, you get as a bonus that intense purple colour that the sprouted seed does not reveal.
How many red chard seeds for one tray?
Allow around 8 to 9 g of seeds for a standard tray of the GEO Smart Greens. The 15 g pouch therefore gives you 1 crop, and the 250 g size around 27 to 31 crops - enough to have fresh red chard microgreens continuously for more than six months.
How long does it take to harvest red chard microgreens?
In practical terms, allow 10 to 14 days between sowing and harvest. Red chard is one of the medium-cycle microgreens - a little slower than mustard or radish (which are harvested in 6 to 8 days), but the wait is worth it for this ruby red colour that develops gradually over the days. Harvest when the shoots reach 5 to 7 cm.
Do red chard seeds need soaking before sowing?
It is not compulsory but it is recommended. Chard seeds are in fact clusters - small irregular aggregates that contain several embryos. Soaking for 2 to 4 hours in clean water at room temperature before sowing softens the casing and significantly speeds up germination. It is the tip that makes the difference between an average crop and a really successful one.
Why are the shoots red?
The ruby red colour of the stems comes from betalains, plant pigments characteristic of the Amaranthaceae family. It is the same family of pigments found in beetroot, amaranth or red pitaya. In practical terms, the more the shoot develops, the more the colour intensifies - you can even watch the red strengthen day by day, it is quite magical to see.
Can red chard seeds be grown in an Easygreen Light or Sol sprouter?
For microgreens, it is not ideal. Easygreen sprouters are perfect for conventional sprouted seeds (alfalfa, broccoli, lentils, fenugreek...) which are grown by misting or siphon effect, without substrate. Microgreens, on the other hand, need to be grown on a substrate with bottom watering. That is precisely the function of the GEO Smart Greenssprouter, designed for this process.
Is the ceramic granule substrate really reusable?
Yes, it is one of its big advantages. After harvest, you remove the roots, rinse the granules in clean water, and you can start a new crop. The porous structure of the ceramic keeps its absorption capacity over the cycles - up to 5 reuses recommended by Bavicchi. It is frankly more ecological than a single-use peat or coir type substrate.
How do I store my red chard microgreens after harvest?
The ideal is to cut them just before serving - that way you get all their freshness and their vivid colour. If you need to store them, put them in the refrigerator in an airtight box between two sheets of kitchen paper. They keep for 3 to 4 days, but their flavour and colour are at their best for the first 24 hours.
How do I add red chard microgreens to my everyday dishes?
A few concrete ideas we use at home with Aurélie: on an avocado toast (on sourdough bread or seed crackers) - the avocado green / shoot red contrast is superb; in a colourful raw salad with grated carrot, raw beetroot, red cabbage; as a finishing touch on a raw courgette soup or a cucumber gazpacho - the red stands out magnificently against the green; on a finely chopped vegetable tartare; in a fresh seaweed salad such as rehydrated wakame or dulse - the purple/green-brown contrast is striking; as a garnish for homemade hummus with seaweed; or in a raw bowl with multiple textures. Always add at the end of preparation, raw, to preserve the aromas and the brightness of the colour.
🌱 Notes for your first crops:
- Red chard likes light but hates scorching direct sun. A well-lit kitchen does the job perfectly. Good to know: the colour of the stems intensifies with good light exposure - a shoot grown in the shade will be paler than a shoot grown in indirect light.
- Moisture must be constant but never excessive. That is the whole point of the bottom watering of the GEO Smart Greens sprouter: the substrate absorbs just what it needs.
- Remember to soak the seeds for 2 to 4 hours before sowing for better germination.
- If you see mould appearing (rare with this system), it is generally a sign of too much water or a lack of ventilation. Adjust and it starts again.
Disclaimer: the information presented on this page is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any change to your diet or supplementation. As part of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Updated: May 2026. Article validated by Éric Viard, founder of Biovie and ISTOMengineer, co-author of "Algues au quotidien" (Gallimard, 2024) - Best cookbook in the world, Gourmand Cookbook Awards 2025, and Best cookbook in France, Académie Nationale de Cuisine 2025.
The documents that back up what we write about this product. Every document is dated; we remove those that are no longer valid.
Biovie organic certificate
Valid until 31/03/2027Bavicchi organic certificate
Valid until 02/12/2028Wondering… ?
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