Crops › Beetroot
How to grow Beetroot
in the US
Sow March to August, plant out September, harvest May to October. About 55 days from seed to plate.
Shown for zone 6. Zone table further down.
Beetroot, or beets as you folks call 'em, are a cracking vegetable to grow, honest. They're dead easy, even for a beginner, and you get two crops for one: lovely roots and tasty leaves. On my plot, they always earn their keep, looking proper vibrant in the row.
Sowing
Getting your beetroot started is usually best direct in the ground. Those seeds are actually little clusters, so you'll often get a few sprouts from each one, which means thinning is key later on. You're aiming to sow them about an inch (2.5 cm) deep, spaced roughly four inches (10 cm) apart. The best time to get them in varies quite a bit by your USDA zone; for instance, folks in Zone 3 might start in May, while those in Zone 9 can be sowing from January. Keep the soil consistently moist, and you'll see those little seedlings popping up soon enough. Sow a few every couple of weeks for a steady harvest, like I say.
Growing on
Once your beetroot seedlings are up and growing, the most important thing is thinning them out. Because those seeds are clusters, you'll often have several plants growing too close together. Snip out the weaker ones, leaving the strongest seedling every four inches (10 cm) or so. Don't waste the thinnings either, they're lovely in a salad. You can grow them in containers too, mind, just make sure they've got enough room to swell up.
Looking after it
Beetroot isn't too fussy, to be honest. They like a good drink, especially during dry spells, so keep the soil consistently moist. If they dry out, the roots can get a bit woody or tough, and nobody wants that. You don't need to go mad with feeding; a bit of compost worked into the soil before sowing is usually plenty. Just keep an eye on the weeds, they'll steal precious moisture and nutrients from your crop.
What goes wrong
Like most plants on the plot, beetroot can attract a few unwelcome visitors. You might see leaf miners, which leave wiggly trails on the leaves, or flea beetles making tiny holes. Aphids can also be a nuisance, and wireworms sometimes go for the roots. Keeping your plants healthy and the soil good helps, and a fine mesh netting can stop some of those flying pests before they even land.
Harvest
You can start pulling your beetroot roots when they're about golf ball size, maybe two to three inches (5-7.5 cm) across. They're usually ready in about 55 days from sowing, but you can leave them a bit longer if you like bigger ones. Just don't let them get too huge or they might get a bit tough. You can also harvest the leaves for cooking. Store roots in a cool, dry place, or pop them in the fridge when they're cleaned up.
To be honest, the best beetroot I've ever grown came from thinning early and often; it gives each root proper space to swell up nice and round, rather than getting all squished and small.
Dates for your plot
Type your zone and the plant-out advice shifts to your frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Detroit Dark Red Detroit Dark Red is a cracking maincrop variety, proper reliable. It produces those lovely deep red, round roots you expect, making it a great choice for new growers and for storing. | No club votes yet |
| Chioggia Chioggia is a real looker, this one, with its distinctive red and white rings inside. It's a reliable maincrop if you start it off undercover, perfect for adding a bit of fancy to your salads. | No club votes yet |
| Cylindra Cylindra is a long, cylindrical beetroot, making it dead easy to slice evenly for cooking or pickling. It's a reliable maincrop that grows well outdoors, especially good if you're after consistent portions. | No club votes yet |
| Boltardy Boltardy is one of those classic maincrop varieties, a real workhorse on the plot. Starting it undercover helps ensure a reliable crop of smooth, round, deep red roots, chuffed with this one every year. | No club votes yet |
| Red Ace Red Ace is a solid choice for a maincrop beetroot, very dependable for growing outdoors. You'll get plenty of uniform, dark red roots that are sweet and tender, proper cracking for eating fresh or storing. | No club votes yet |
| Golden Golden beetroot is a bit different, doesn't stain everything purple, you know what I mean. This maincrop does best started undercover, giving you sweet, earthy roots with a lovely golden color. | No club votes yet |
| Early Wonder Tall Top Early Wonder Tall Top is a cracking choice if you're keen to get an early harvest. This variety matures quickly outdoors and gives you lovely, tender roots alongside a good amount of edible greens. | No club votes yet |
| Ruby Queen Ruby Queen is another reliable maincrop beetroot, known for its smooth, globe-shaped roots. Best started undercover, it's a good all-rounder that's popular for its deep red color and tender texture. | No club votes yet |
| Touchstone Gold Touchstone Gold offers beautiful golden-orange roots that won't bleed like the red varieties, making it a proper versatile maincrop. It's a reliable performer grown outdoors, great for adding color to your plate. | No club votes yet |
| Merlin Merlin is a top-notch maincrop beetroot, known for its consistently good quality roots. Starting it undercover helps ensure a fine harvest of uniform, deep red globes that are smooth and sweet, a real favorite on my plot. | No club votes yet |
| Lutz Green Leaf Lutz Green Leaf is a fantastic maincrop variety, known for its ability to produce really large roots without getting woody. It's a reliable outdoor grower and the leaves are excellent for cooking too, giving you a proper dual-purpose crop. | No club votes yet |
| Pablo Pablo is a cracking maincrop beetroot, much loved for its very smooth skin and rich, dark red flesh. Best started undercover, it gives you consistently excellent, round roots that store really well. | No club votes yet |
| Bull's Blood Bull's Blood is famous for its striking dark red leaves, which are fantastic for salads, even when young. This reliable outdoor maincrop also produces smaller, sweet roots, perfect for an earlier harvest or for those colorful leaves. | No club votes yet |
| Badger Flame Badger Flame is a relatively new maincrop variety, offering unique orange-red, cylindrical roots with a lovely mild flavor. It's a reliable performer when started undercover, great for adding a bit of novelty and sweetness to your meals. | No club votes yet |
| Kestrel Kestrel is a super reliable maincrop beetroot, known for its excellent disease resistance and consistent yields. It grows really well outdoors, producing smooth, dark red roots that are sweet and tender, a proper dependable choice. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Beetroot seeds
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Sowing by USDA zone
| Zone | Sow / plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May to July | July to September |
| Zone 4 | April to July | June to September |
| Zone 5 | April to August | June to October |
| Zone 6 | March to August | May to October |
| Zone 7 | March to September | May to November |
| Zone 8 | February to September | April to November |
| Zone 9 | January to November | March to December |
| Zone 10 | September to May | February to December |
Watch for, and grow alongside
Companions: onions, lettuce, brassicas, garlic
Questions people ask
When do you sow Beetroot in the US?
Sow Beetroot from March to August in zone 6, earlier or later by zone. Plant out September, after the last frost.
How long does Beetroot take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 55 days, with the harvest May to October.
Which Beetroot varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Detroit Dark Red, Chioggia, Cylindra, Boltardy and more.
Track your Beetroot from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.