Planting timing · Cool-season
When to plant beets
Plant beets in early spring and late summer on the cited sheets — not on a national calendar month. Regional dates stay source-specific.
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.
Spacing lives on the beets hub. Timing stays on the cited sheets.
Types and spacing live on growing beets.
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Clemson HGIC 1305 (South Carolina)
Cool-season. 60–65 °F. Germination 55–75 °F. Piedmont Mar 1–30 and Aug 1–15; Central Feb 1–28 and Aug 1–20; Coastal Dec 15–Jan 30 and Aug 1–20.
Details and limits (3)
Timing
Clemson HGIC 1305 (South Carolina): beets are cool-season plants. 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.
Regions
Clemson HGIC 1305 (South Carolina): beet planting dates on their sheet — Piedmont March 1 to 30 and August 1 to 15; Central February 1 to 28 and August 1 to 20; Coastal December 15 to January 30 and August 1 to 20. South Carolina regions — not a national plant date.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 1305. The regional table stays on this sheet. Not a ZIP calendar.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
Direct seed early spring and late summer. Germination 10–15 days. 50–60 days from direct seeding. Maryland timing — not a national plant date.
Details and limits (2)
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.
Limit
Maryland beets garden page. Early-spring and late-summer timing stay Maryland. Not a ZIP calendar.
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 a ZIP calendar.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
Fairly frost hardy (attributed). 30 days before the frost-free date. Illinois timing — not a national plant date.
Details and limits (2)
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.
Limit
Illinois beet page. 30-days-before-frost-free timing stays Illinois. Not a ZIP calendar.
Sources differ
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
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When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
When do you plant beets?
Compare timing on the cited sheets. Clemson HGIC 1305 (South Carolina): 60 to 65 °F; Piedmont March 1 to 30 and August 1 to 15; Central February 1 to 28 and August 1 to 20; Coastal December 15 to January 30 and August 1 to 20. Maryland: early spring and late summer. Minnesota: mid-April to mid-June. Illinois: 30 days before the frost-free date.
Do the sheets agree on a fall window?
No. Clemson’s table lists August dates for Piedmont, Central, and Coastal. Maryland names late summer. Minnesota names mid-April to mid-June, not a fall window on this card. Illinois names 30 days before the frost-free date. Four cards — not averaged.
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.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.