When to plant beets
Beets are a cool-season crop that tolerates light frost and prefers to grow in cool weather. Each beet "seed" is a cluster; thin seedlings to 3 inches apart.
- Sow seeds outdoors 3 weeks before to 1 week after the last spring frost.
- For a fall crop, sow 8–10 weeks before the first fall frost.
About 55 days from planting to harvest.
Get exact dates for your garden
Planting dates by hardiness zone
| Zone | Typical last frost | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Fall crop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2a | May 24 | — | May 3 – May 31 | Jun 28 – Jul 12 |
| 3b | May 17 | — | Apr 26 – May 24 | Jul 16 – Jul 30 |
| 4a | May 12 | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | Jul 20 – Aug 3 |
| 4b | May 8 | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | Jul 23 – Aug 6 |
| 5a | May 3 | — | Apr 12 – May 10 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| 5b | May 1 | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | Aug 2 – Aug 16 |
| 6a | Apr 29 | — | Apr 8 – May 6 | Aug 8 – Aug 22 |
| 6b | Apr 22 | — | Apr 1 – Apr 29 | Aug 13 – Aug 27 |
| 7a | Apr 16 | — | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | Aug 16 – Aug 30 |
| 7b | Apr 5 | — | Mar 15 – Apr 12 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| 8a | Mar 29 | — | Mar 8 – Apr 5 | Aug 29 – Sep 12 |
| 8b | Mar 16 | — | Feb 23 – Mar 23 | Sep 5 – Sep 19 |
| 9a | Mar 3 | — | Feb 10 – Mar 10 | Sep 16 – Sep 30 |
| 9b | Feb 20 | — | Jan 30 – Feb 27 | Sep 26 – Oct 10 |
| 10a | Mar 2 | — | Feb 9 – Mar 9 | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
Zone rows use the median frost dates of all ZIP codes in that zone. Zones measure winter cold, not season length, so two places in the same zone can have frost dates weeks apart — use your ZIP code for real dates.
When to plant beets in major cities
| City | Median last frost | Sow outdoors | Fall crop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | Mar 13 | Feb 20 – Mar 20 | Sep 8 – Sep 22 |
| Portland, OR | Feb 25 | Feb 4 – Mar 4 | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | Apr 25 | Apr 4 – May 2 | Aug 9 – Aug 23 |
| Denver, CO | Apr 30 | Apr 9 – May 7 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Minneapolis, MN | Apr 23 | Apr 2 – Apr 30 | Aug 7 – Aug 21 |
| Chicago, IL | Apr 10 | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | Aug 27 – Sep 10 |
| Detroit, MI | Apr 27 | Apr 6 – May 4 | Aug 16 – Aug 30 |
| Kansas City, MO | Apr 4 | Mar 14 – Apr 11 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Columbus, OH | Apr 20 | Mar 30 – Apr 27 | Aug 15 – Aug 29 |
| Boston, MA | Apr 4 | Mar 14 – Apr 11 | Aug 31 – Sep 14 |
| New York, NY | Mar 30 | Mar 9 – Apr 6 | Sep 11 – Sep 25 |
| Philadelphia, PA | Mar 30 | Mar 9 – Apr 6 | Sep 8 – Sep 22 |
| Washington, DC | Mar 29 | Mar 8 – Apr 5 | Aug 30 – Sep 13 |
| Charlotte, NC | Mar 30 | Mar 9 – Apr 6 | Aug 25 – Sep 8 |
| Nashville, TN | Apr 1 | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Atlanta, GA | Mar 25 | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | Aug 31 – Sep 14 |
| Dallas, TX | Mar 2 | Feb 9 – Mar 9 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
Growing beets: quick facts
| Frost tolerance | Half-hardy: tolerates light frost (about 28–32°F) |
|---|---|
| Soil temperature | at least 40°F to germinate; 50–85°F is ideal |
| Planting depth | ½ in |
| Spacing | 3–4 in |
| Germination | 5–14 days |
| Days to harvest | about 55 days from planting |
Typical figures from university extension planting guides. Seed packets give the best numbers for a specific variety.