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Biennial Root Vegetable · zones 2–11 · 42 varieties

Beet

Beta vulgaris Garden Beet Group

Amaranthaceae — the same plant family as spinach, swiss chard, amaranth, orach and 2 more here. Relatives share pests and diseases, which is why rotation plans group by family.

Beet (Beta vulgaris Garden Beet Group) is a biennial root vegetable for USDA zones 2–11. It wants full sun and pH 6–6.5 soil. It matures in about 50–80 days from sowing. Watch for aphids and cercospora leaf spot. Below: its full sourced profile from 7 extension sources, plus a planting calendar timed to your frost dates.

Zones 2–11 — USDA USDA
Sun Full sun
Water Moderate
Matures 50–80 days — from seed from seed
Mature size 12–18 in
Spacing 2–4 in
Soil pH 6–6.5
Frost Half hardy
When to plant beettypical · zone 6b
Your zone
…or your ZIP, for your real frost dates

Germinating
Seedlings
Roots sizing up
Harvest

Typical dates for zone 6b — set your zone or ZIP for yours. This calendar assumes the crop is direct sown. Timing is a guide from the crop's sourced growth stages; confirm with your local frost dates and extension before you sow.

Growing beetevery fact says where it came from

What we will not put a number on

We do not give a feeding rate for this crop, and that is deliberate rather than a gap. The figures published by extension services are pounds of nitrogen per acre for a production field — they do not convert safely to a raised bed or a pot without knowing your soil test and your fertilizer's analysis, and guessing errs toward burning roots. It is also why every chart you find online disagrees with the next one.

We give watering as a depth per week rather than gallons per plant, because that is how it is actually measured and how the published figures are written. A gallons-per-plant number depends on your spacing, your soil and whether the plant is in a pot — so it would look more precise than it is.

Site & soil

Hardiness zones
2–11
Sun
Full sun
Soil pH
6–6.5
Soil texture
Sandy, Loam, Well drained
Frost tolerance
Half hardy

No published figure for the temperature frost starts to hurt it, the temperature that would kill it and a heat limit. We looked — where a number is missing here it is missing from the research, not skipped. The crop’s frost and heat tolerance above still applies.

The plant

Mature height
12–18 in
Mature spread
8–12 in
Growth rate
Moderateest
Spacing in row
2–4 in
Between rows
12–18 in
Planting depth
0.5–1 in
Container size
0.5 gal
Container depth
8 in
Support
Self-supportingest
Grown from
Direct sow

There is no line here for how much water it wants each week, because we have no figure to put there. We went looking and wrote down what we read — it is missing on purpose, not because nobody checked.

Water & feeding

Water needs
Moderate
Critical water
Establishment, Root sizingest
Feeding
Heavy

Timing & fruiting

Days to maturity
50–80 days from seed
Harvest cues
Root shoulder visible

Planted again for autumn

South Carolina — Piedmont
Jul 15 – Aug 31
South Carolina — Coastal Plain
Aug 15 – Sep 30

Published by the extension service for its own regions, and quoted here for those regions only — converting them would mean assuming a frost date somewhere else. The chart says when, not whether to sow seed or set out plants, so we do not either. Only South Carolina so far.

Sow by
early Sep typical · zone 6b

50 days to maturity from sowing, counted back from the first frost above. Not published for anywhere in particular: it is your own frost date and this crop's own figure, which is why it works wherever you are. A days-to-maturity figure is a catalog number for a good season rather than a promise, and a cold month moves it.

Edible parts per source: root, leaf.

What tends to go wrongmost-cited first
PestsAphidsLeafminersFlea beetlesWebwormsRoot knot nematodes
DiseasesCercospora leaf spotLeaf spotRoot rotDamping offYellows

Compiled from the extensions cited below. Which ones actually show up depends on your region — your extension's local list is the last word.

Companionswhat to plant near beet
✓
Cabbage familyTraditional

On the classic chart's companion list for the cabbage family.

✓
Onions & garlicTraditional

Chart canon, both directions.

Companion pairings from university extensions; badge = how strong the evidence is.

⚠ Reported toxicityverbatim from cited sources

Different parts differ — the edible part is the root and leaf; the notes below flag other parts or preparations.

PetsNon toxic to dogs, Non toxic to cats, Non toxic to horses

Recorded exactly as the source states it — not medical or veterinary advice. If a person or animal may have eaten a toxic part, call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or your vet / the ASPCA line (888-426-4435).

All 42 varietiesthe ones with their own page are linked
Variety Type DaysColorWhat it is known for
3 Root Grex 54 Red, Yellow, Orange Fedco Seeds describes this asan unusual color
Albina Vereduna Heirloom White 55 White
Avalanche White 55 White
Babybeat Round Red 40 Red
Badger Flame Cylindrical 55 Orange, Yellow High Mowing Organic Seeds describes this asan unusual color
Blankoma White White 55 White
Boldor Golden 55 Yellow
Boltardy Round Red 56 Red Reimer Seeds describes this asslow to run to seed in heat
Boro F1 Round Red 50 Red
Bull's Blood Heirloom Round Red 58 Red Johnny's Selected Seeds describes this asan unusual color
Chioggia Heirloom Chioggia 55 Striped Botanical Interests describes this asan unusual color
Chioggia Guardsmark Heirloom Chioggia 55 Striped Fedco Seeds describes this asan unusual color
Crosby Egyptian Heirloom Round Red 55 Red
Cylindra Heirloom Cylindrical 56 Red
Detroit Dark Red Heirloom Round Red 60 Red
Detroit Supreme Heirloom Round Red 60 Red
Early Wonder Heirloom Round Red 55 Red
Formanova Cylindrical 54 Red
Forono Cylindrical 60 Red
Golden Heirloom Golden 58 Yellow
Golden Detroit Heirloom Golden 55 Yellow
Golden Grex Golden 54 Yellow
Green Top Bunching Heirloom Round Red 52 Red
Kestrel F1 Round Red 85 Red
Lutz Green Leaf Heirloom Round Red 65 Red Sow True Seed describes this askeeps a long time after picking
MacGregor's Favorite Heirloom 55–65 Red True Leaf Market describes this asan unusual color
Merlin F1 Round Red 48 Red
Moneta F1 Round Red 46 Red
Pablo F1 Round Red 45 Red
Perfected Detroit Dark Red Heirloom Round Red 58 Red
Piatta D'Egitto Heirloom Round Red 50 Red
Red Ace F1 Round Red 50 Red
Red Cloud F1 Round Red 50 Red Pinetree Garden Seeds describes this asslow to run to seed in heat
Rhonda F1 Round Red 65–70 Red High Mowing Organic Seeds describes this askeeps a long time after picking
Robin F1 Round Red 40 Red
Ruby Queen Heirloom Round Red 52 Red
Sangria F1 Round Red 55–85 Red
Subeto F1 Round Red 50 Red
Touchstone Gold Golden 55 Yellow
White Albino Heirloom White 50 White
White Detroit White 55 White
Zeppo F1 Round Red 50 Red
Sources7 cited · 6 organizations
  • ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
  • Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center
  • NC State Extension
  • Penn State Extension
  • University of Maryland Extension
  • Utah State University Extension

We compile bare facts from these university-extension and horticultural sources, never copied prose. 17 of the 20 values on this page carry a citation. The rest are marked est; hover one and it says why — either nobody publishes a figure we could point at, or a person set it and attached no source. Figures vary with climate and seed source; confirm with your local extension before you buy.

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