Beet
Beetroot, Red Beet, Golden Beet, Chioggia Beet, Sugar Beet, Beet
Direct sow 4–6 weeks before last frost; tolerates light frost once established. Each 'seed' is actually a cluster of 2–4 seeds — thin to 3–4". Harvest at golf-ball to tennis-ball size for best flavor; large beets become woody. Both roots and greens are edible. Sow succession plantings every 3 weeks.
- Germination
- 5–14 days
- Soil temperature
- 10–29 °C
- Harvest after sowing
- 50–70 days
- Spacing
- 8–10 cm
When to plant beet
Sow outdoors 2–4 weeks before your last spring frost.
Dashed line: typical last spring frost in zone 7 (Apr 5). Zone dates are averages; most of the UK is zone 8–9, central Europe 6–7 and the Baltics and Scandinavia 4–6. In the app, Tomatograph uses your garden's own frost dates.
How to grow beet
- 1
Sow
Sow 1 cm deep 2–4 weeks before the last frost. Each seed is a cluster, so several seedlings come up from one spot.
- 2
Thin
Thin to 8–10 cm apart; eat the thinnings as salad leaves.
- 3
Grow on
Water evenly to keep roots tender. Make another sowing every three weeks, and again in late summer for an autumn crop.
- 4
Harvest
Pull between golf-ball and tennis-ball size, 50–70 days after sowing. Larger beets turn woody. The leaves are edible too.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun
Water
Medium water
Temperature
4–27 °C
Frost tolerance
Frost-hardy — tolerates frost
Days to maturity
60 days
Plant spacing
10 cm
Ideal soil pH
7.5–8
How Tomatograph watches your beet
Tomatograph checks your local forecast every morning and only speaks up when one of these applies to your garden.
- First frost within 14 daysReminder to mulch the roots before winter.
- 3 days at 35 °C or aboveHeat-wave alert while plants are flowering or fruiting: shade and water early.
- Humidity above 80% for 48 hoursCheck for cercospora leaf spot, which thrives in those conditions.
- Within a week of maturityHarvest-window reminder based on when you planted.
Beet questions
- When should I plant beet?
- Sow outdoors 2–4 weeks before your last spring frost.
- How long do beet seeds take to germinate?
- Usually 5–14 days at a soil temperature of 10–29 °C.
- How long until I can harvest beet?
- About 50–70 days after sowing, depending on variety and weather.
- How far apart should I plant beet?
- Allow 8–10 cm between plants.
- What grows well with beet?
- Good neighbours include garlic, onion, lettuce, carrot.
Growing guide written by Tomatograph. Planting figures from openplantdb (CC0 1.0). Zone frost dates are averages from openplantdb (CC0 1.0).