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- Start indoors
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- Fall crop
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Historical frost averages plus extension guidance, not a forecast. Check the forecast and soil temperature before planting.
Sow beet seeds outside from about 4 weeks before your last spring frost up to the frost date itself. For a fall crop, sow again 11–13 weeks before your first fall frost. Beets handle light frost, and they grow best in cool weather.
- Frost tolerance
- Semi-hardy: light frost OK
- Soil temperature
- Sows at 50–85°F (min 40°F)
- Days to harvest
- 50–70 days from seed
The rule we use
- Sow outdoors: from 4 weeks before the last spring frost up to that date
- Sow for fall: 11–13 weeks before the first fall frost
Sowing beets in spring
Beets can go in once the soil is workable and about 50°F, a few weeks before the last frost. They'll come up in cooler soil, just slowly. Sow about ½ inch deep, in rows 12–18 inches apart, and keep the soil moist until the seedlings appear.
Sow a short row every 2–3 weeks until late spring for a steady supply of tender roots. Beets that mature in hot summer weather can turn woody and lose flavor.
Thin beets early
Each beet "seed" is really a small cluster of seeds, so several seedlings come up together. Thin them to one plant every 2–4 inches when they're a couple of inches tall. Snip the extras with scissors rather than pulling, so you don't disturb the one you keep.
The thinnings are good to eat as baby greens. Without thinning, the roots crowd each other and stay small.
Beets for fall
A late-summer sowing often gives the best beets of the year, because they mature as the weather cools. Sow 11–13 weeks before your first fall frost. Seeds can struggle to sprout in hot, dry soil, so water often, or lay a board or shade cloth over the row until the seedlings appear.
Beets tolerate light frost, and a mulch of straw lets you harvest well into fall in many areas.
Seeds and supplies for beets
- Beet seeds at True Leaf Market
- Park Seed for seeds and young plants.
- A soil thermometer to check the soil is warm enough before sowing.
- Frost cloth to cover plants if a late cold night is forecast.
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Questions about planting beets
How early can I plant beets?
About 4 weeks before your last spring frost, once the soil can be worked. Enter your ZIP above for dates.
Do beets survive frost?
Light frosts, yes. A hard freeze in the low 20s can damage roots near the surface, so harvest or mulch them when that's forecast.
Why are my beets all leaves and no roots?
Usually crowding: they weren't thinned. Too much nitrogen fertilizer and hot weather can also cause it.
When is the last time to plant beets?
For a fall crop, about 11–13 weeks before your first fall frost.
Sources
- Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland (2026), University of Maryland Extension
- Vegetables for Spring and Fall Planting; Vegetables for Summer Planting, University of Maryland Extension Master Gardeners
- Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah, Utah State University Extension
- Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720), Colorado State University Extension
- Soil temperature conditions for vegetable seed germination, Oregon State University Extension
- Frost dates: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (doi:10.25921/4ek7-fk11)