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Spots all over swiss chard #923263

Asked January 02, 2026, 12:00 PM EST

Hi Extension Service, I try to grow swiss chard in large fabric pots. Last year, all the swiss chard got spots all over it mid-summer, and lasted the rest of the season. I got a few good leaves harvested in December, but that was it. Do you have any idea what this is from, and how to prevent it? I do have slugs, but I don't believe this is from the slugs. I didn't spray with anything, so it could have been another type of bug, or some disease. I fertilized with: Neptune's Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer 2-3-1. There was also some lettuce and tomatoes in the pots around it, but mostly it was swiss chard. Thanks.

Oakland County Michigan

Expert Response


Hi Caity, thanks for using Ask Extension.

This looks like a classic case of Cercospora Leaf Spot is a fungal disease cause the fungus Cercospora beticola. The red/purple spots with gray centers are a sure sign. Spinach and beets also can be infected. This is a common disease that is spread mostly by water splash and wind. It can spread quickly. Warm, humid conditions are the ideal for spore production. Cercospora survives in soil and old leaves, then spreads by water splash, wind, insects, tools, and sometimes seed. Keeping leaves dry and removing infected debris are the biggest controls. Keep the leaves dry, pick off the spotted ones, mulch the soil, give the plants some breathing room, and move your chard to a new spot each year. Good sanitation and fall cleanup will help. A preventative copper fungicide or potassium bicarbonate is beneficial.  Check out the following links.

Cercospora Leaf Spot of Swiss Chard, Beets, and Spinach : Vegetable : Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (CAFE) at UMass Amherst

What's wrong with my plant? : Garden : University of Minnesota Extension

I hope this is helpful.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied January 03, 2026, 2:02 PM EST

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