When Should You Plant Beets?
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GardenSays
Direct-sow beets outside Apr 7 – Apr 21 — light frost won't hurt them.
- Spring sowing
- Apr 7 – Apr 21
- Fall crop
- Jul 13 – Aug 24
- Last frost (typ.)
- May 5
In Minneapolis, MN, the typical last frost lands around May 5, and beets are tolerant of light frost — so unlike tomatoes, you don't wait for frost to pass. Sow 14-28 days before the last frost: Apr 7 – Apr 21, as soon as soil is workable and around 45°F.
Do this this week
- 1.Sow the fall crop now — the window runs through Aug 24
- 2.Skip cold, waterlogged days — workable soil crumbles in your hand, mud rots seed
Calculated result · 3 verified sources · Checked 2026-07-17 · How we decide
Why
Cool-season crops get a second season: sow again Jul 13 – Aug 24 for a fall harvest — many gardeners find the fall crop sweeter and less bothered by pests.
- Beets germinate in cold soil (~45°F) and tolerate frost that would kill warm-season crops — waiting until after the last frost wastes their best growing weather.
- The 50% frost date is a planning midpoint — for hardy crops an early start risks little.
When this doesn't apply
- Each beet 'seed' is a cluster of several — thin the seedlings to one per spot or you get crowded, small roots.
- Cold, waterlogged soil rots seed — 'workable' means it crumbles in your hand, not mud.
How this was calculated
- 1. Last spring frostMay 5Source guidance
Minneapolis, MN: typical (50% probability) last 32°F frost
- 2. Direct-sow windowApr 7 – Apr 21Calculated result
Beet is tolerant of light frost: sow outside 14-28 days before the last frost, once soil reaches ~45°F
- 3. Fall crop windowJul 13 – Aug 24Calculated result
Cool-season bonus round: sow again 42-84 days before the typical first fall frost (Oct 5)
Data sources
- University of Maryland Extension — Growing Beets in a Home Garden — Direct-sow beets several weeks before the last spring frost through summer, up to 6 weeks before the first fall frost; soil 45-85°F; final spacing 3 inches in all directions; grows well in 4-6 hours of light, tolerates partial shade; 50-60 days from seed; harvest at 1-3 inches diameter; keep uniformly moist. (checked 2026-07-17)
- NOAA NCEI — 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals (freeze date probabilities) (checked 2026-07-15)
- National Gardening Association — frost date lookup (checked 2026-07-15)
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