When to Plant Beets

Spring: cool soil is fine, a long cold spell is not

Beets are a cool-season crop that grows best in mild weather. Clemson puts the ideal at 60-65°F, and Wisconsin says beets have their best flavor when they grow quickly at 55-70°F. They tolerate light frost, so spring sowing starts before the last frost date. The dates for your zone above begin about 4 weeks before it.

Sources differ on exactly how early. Texas A&M sows as soon as the soil can be worked. Utah State waits until 2-3 weeks before the last frost. Colorado State, which groups beets with semi-hardy crops, sows 0-2 weeks before.

The reason for caution is bolting. Wisconsin notes that beets exposed to temperatures below 50°F for 2-3 weeks in their first season can flower instead of forming roots. Utah State adds that water stress in the first 6 weeks of growth often leads to early flowering. If your spring is long and cold, sow toward the later end of the window.

Soil temperature

Beet seed needs soil of at least 40°F to sprout (Utah State, Texas A&M). Germination is best at 55-75°F. Maryland gives a wider workable range of 45-85°F, and Utah State finds that soil above 80°F reduces germination. Colorado State measures soil temperature 4 inches deep at 8 a.m.

In cool spring soil, Maryland soaks seed in warm water for 24 hours before sowing. It sprouts faster, which also shortens the time the seed is exposed to rot and seed maggots.

Succession sowings

A single sowing comes in all at once and then gets woody. For a steady supply, sow every 2-3 weeks (Wisconsin) or every 3 weeks (Texas A&M). Washington State University suggests a sowing every two weeks for three or four rounds, each maturing a week or two after the last. Keep going until the next batch would mature in the hottest part of summer, then pause and resume for fall.

Fall: count back from the first frost

Fall beets mature in cool weather. Utah State says beets taste best after several weeks of cool, frosty weather, and Clemson notes that cool temperatures produce the deepest red. Sources set the last sowing date differently:

• Illinois: about 10 weeks before the average first frost, the group it uses for frost-tolerant crops.
• Purdue: count back the variety’s days to maturity. Its table uses 50 days, about 7 weeks.
• Maryland: up to 6 weeks before the first killing frost.

The dates for your zone above use a 7-10 week window. If you are at the late end, choose a quick variety. Late-summer soil is hot, so cover the seed with sand or a light-colored mulch (Texas A&M) and keep it moist until the seedlings appear.

Beets tolerate light frost but not hard freezes. Utah State harvests them before heavy frosts set in.

Regional timing

Cold North and Midwest. Wisconsin sows beets around April 15 in the south of the state, later in the north, with fall crops following in summer.

Southeast. Clemson’s South Carolina spring sowings run from mid-December through January on the coast, February in the central region and March in the Piedmont. Fall sowings everywhere fall in August.

Arid West. In Utah and Colorado, follow the frost-based dates. In the low desert, University of Arizona’s Maricopa County calendar sows beets from mid-September through early March.

Warm-winter areas (zones 9-11). Texas A&M notes beets can be grown all winter in much of South Texas, and Cameron County in the Lower Rio Grande Valley sows from September to mid-February. UF/IFAS plants September through March in North Florida, September through February in Central Florida and October through January in South Florida. Stop before warm weather, which turns the roots woody.