When to plant beets
Direct-sow beets 2 weeks before your last spring frost.. Enter your ZIP below for exact dates.
The rule
Direct-sow about 2 weeks before the last frost (when soil warms to 45°F). [src]Cited: Johnny's Selected Seeds — Seed-Starting Date Calculator chart
Days to maturity: 55–65 days [src]
Method: Direct-sow in the garden. Frost tolerance: frost-hardy (derived from the planting timing above).
Because beets is frost-hardy and matures in about 55–65 days, it's a strong fall crop — sow it in mid-to-late summer so it finishes before your first frost.
Beets planting dates by hardiness zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Direct-sow | Sow for fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 10a | — | December 25 – January 8 | September 7 – September 21 |
| Zone 10b | — | December 30 – January 13 | October 31 – November 14 |
| Zone 2a | — | April 26 – May 10 | June 13 – June 27 |
| Zone 2b | — | May 4 – May 18 | June 21 – July 5 |
| Zone 3b | — | April 29 – May 13 | June 25 – July 9 |
| Zone 4a | — | April 23 – May 7 | July 3 – July 17 |
| Zone 4b | — | April 19 – May 3 | July 6 – July 20 |
| Zone 5a | — | April 21 – May 5 | July 7 – July 21 |
| Zone 5b | — | April 13 – April 27 | July 14 – July 28 |
| Zone 6a | — | April 9 – April 23 | July 21 – August 4 |
| Zone 6b | — | April 2 – April 16 | July 26 – August 9 |
| Zone 7a | — | March 25 – April 8 | August 1 – August 15 |
| Zone 7b | — | March 16 – March 30 | August 7 – August 21 |
| Zone 8a | — | March 5 – March 19 | August 14 – August 28 |
| Zone 8b | — | February 23 – March 9 | August 21 – September 4 |
| Zone 9a | — | February 9 – February 23 | August 31 – September 14 |
| Zone 9b | — | January 12 – January 26 | September 13 – September 27 |
What you'll need
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Last verified 2026-07-16. Sources: Johnny's Selected Seeds — Seed-Starting Date Calculator chart; University of Georgia Extension (days to maturity); NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Climate Normals (frost); USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map.