Crops & Breeds › Vegetable Garden
Beets
Vegetable Garden · growing reference
| Days to maturity | 55 days – 100 days, by type |
|---|---|
| Germination | 10 days |
| Direct sowing | +3 days vs transplants |
| Spacing | 3″ in the row × 12″ between rows |
| Planted as | seed |
| Water | ~1–1.5 in a week |
When to plant
In USDA zone 6, for example: Recommended planting window around Apr 1.
| Spring | Fall | |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May 1 | Jul 13 |
| Zone 4 | Apr 23 | Jul 18 |
| Zone 5 | Apr 12 | Jul 31 |
| Zone 6 | Apr 1 | Aug 12 |
| Zone 7 | Mar 18 | Sep 2 |
| Zone 8 | Mar 1 | Sep 17 |
| Zone 9 | Feb 6 | Oct 2 |
Dates are the typical window for each zone's average frost dates — your own last frost can differ by a couple of weeks. Zone 10 and warmer is effectively frost-free: plant to the season, not the frost. Southern Hemisphere: shift six months.
Beet Types
- Table · 55 days · 0.2–0.5 lbs/plant — Round garden beet (Detroit type) — roots and greens both eaten.
- Cylindra · 60 days · 0.3–0.6 lbs/plant — Long, uniform roots — slices evenly, stores well.
- Sugar · 90 days · 2–5 lbs/plant — Grown for sugar — long season, big white roots.
- Mangel · 100 days · 5–15 lbs/plant — Fodder beet (mangold) — huge roots for livestock feed.
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