Crop guide
Growing beets
Growing beets means matching type, timing, and spacing on the cited sheets. There is no single national planting date.
Growing guidance is general information. Timing, spacing, and care depend on cultivar, weather, soil, and local conditions. Check the sources and adjust the plan for your garden.
Steps (range, not a promise)
- 01Know the type on the cited sheet. Cluster-seed notes stay source-specific.
- 02Plant on the cited sheet’s timing. Regional dates stay on their own cards.
- 03Use in-row depth and spacing from one cited source.
- 04Log the bed so next season is not a guess.
Illustrative photograph — types, timing, and spacing stay on the cited sheets.
The season, on your ground
Save this bed — freeWhen to plantCareWhen to harvestGarden pests
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Clemson HGIC 1305 (South Carolina)
Beta vulgaris. Cool-season. 60–65 °F. Germination 55–75 °F. Rows 10–30 in. Seed ½ in deep, ~2 in. Thin 2–3 in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
Clemson HGIC 1305 (South Carolina): beets (Beta vulgaris) are cool-season plants. Type notes on their sheet — not a cultivar mill.
Timing
Clemson HGIC 1305 (South Carolina): they grow at temperatures between 60 and 65 °F. The optimum soil temperature for seed germination is 55 to 75 °F. Timing on their sheet — not a national plant date.
Spacing
Clemson HGIC 1305 (South Carolina): plant in rows 10 to 30 inches apart. Plant seed ½ inch deep, about 2 inches apart. Thin to 2 to 3 inches apart when plants are 3 to 4 inches tall. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 1305. Cool-season wording and 55–75 °F stay Clemson. Not fertilizer.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
Semi-hardy (light frost; not heavy frost). Biennial grown as an annual. Direct seed early spring and late summer. Final 3 in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
Maryland Extension (Maryland): beets are a semi-hardy biennial grown as an annual. They tolerate light frost but not heavy frost. Type notes — not a cultivar mill. Maryland’s attributed hardiness wording — not a planting-safety promise.
Timing
Maryland Extension (Maryland): direct seed into the garden in early spring and late summer. Its sheet lists germination in 10 to 15 days and 50 to 60 days from direct seeding.
Spacing
Maryland Extension (Maryland): plant in wide rows or beds, space seeds 2 inches apart in all directions, and cover with ½ inch of fine soil or 1 inch of sandy soil. Final spacing should be 3 inches in all directions. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
Limit
Maryland beets garden page. Semi-hardy wording and 3-inch spacing stay Maryland. Not fertilizer.
UMN Extension (Minnesota)
Mid-April to mid-June. Direct seed; do not transplant. Minnesota timing — not a national plant date.
Details and limits (2)
Timing
UMN Extension (Minnesota): recommended outdoor planting for beets is mid-April to mid-June. Some plants, such as radishes, carrots and beets, do not tolerate transplanting and will need to be direct seeded. Minnesota timing — not a national plant date.
Limit
Minnesota vegetable-garden planting page. Mid-April to mid-June stays Minnesota. Not fertilizer.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
Table / garden beet. Seed is a cluster. Fairly frost hardy (attributed). ½ in deep; 1 in apart. Rows 12–18 in. Thin 1–3 in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
Illinois Extension (Illinois): the table or garden beet. The “seed” is a cluster of seeds in a dried fruit. Several seedlings may grow from each fruit. Type notes — not a mill.
Timing
Illinois Extension (Illinois): beets are fairly frost hardy and can be planted in the garden 30 days before the frost-free date for your area. Illinois timing — not a national plant date. Illinois’s attributed hardiness wording — not a planting-safety promise.
Spacing
Illinois Extension (Illinois): plant seeds about ½ inch deep and one inch apart. Allow 12 to 18 inches between rows. The seedlings should be thinned to 1 to 3 inches apart. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
Limit
Illinois beet page. Cluster-seed note and 1–3 in thin stay Illinois. Not fertilizer.
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
Sources differ
When do you plant beets?
Compare timing on the cited sheets. Clemson HGIC 1305 (South Carolina): 60 to 65 °F; germination 55 to 75 °F. Maryland: early spring and late summer. Minnesota: mid-April to mid-June. Illinois: 30 days before the frost-free date. Not a national plant date.
How far apart do you plant beets?
The sheets do not agree on one grid. Clemson: rows 10 to 30 inches, seed ½ inch deep about 2 inches apart, thin to 2 to 3 inches. Maryland: 2 inches in all directions, cover ½ inch fine or 1 inch sandy, final 3 inches. Illinois: ½ inch deep, one inch apart, rows 12 to 18 inches, thin 1 to 3 inches. Minnesota has no spacing KEEP on this hub.
What to record in the Field Book
Save the bed with the crop and the date. You may add a photo and notes. Compare entries you have recorded with each other — not with a diagnosis from this page. If you want an identification, bring the record to local Extension.
Verified suppliers only
No supplier on this page
When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.