When to Plant Beets, Radishes and Turnips: Spring and Fall Dates by Frost

Beets, radishes and turnips are the quick, cold-tolerant roots of the spring garden. They all prefer cool weather, all go straight into the ground as seed, and all get woody, hot or tough when they grow slowly in summer heat. That makes the timing similar: plant early, sow small batches often, and plant again in late summer for fall.

Spring sowing dates by last frost

Our planting calendar gives beets a direct-sow window from about 4 weeks before your average last spring frost to about 4 weeks after. Sowing every 3 weeks fits the extension advice: Texas A&M says to make plantings about 3 weeks apart, Iowa State suggests every 2 to 3 weeks and Illinois every 3 to 4 weeks. The radish column is our calendar's spring window for radishes.

Texas A&M notes beets need soil of at least 40°F to sprout and come up in 7 to 14 days. In central Maryland (last frost around April 15), University of Maryland Extension lists beets sown from April through July, radishes from mid-March through early May and turnips from mid-March through April. In Minnesota, UMN lists radishes from early April to early May.

Beets, radishes and turnips side by side

Why early matters: heat makes poor roots

Texas A&M calls beets a cool-season crop that does poorly in hot weather. Illinois warns that beets left to grow bigger than about 3 inches get tough, and that radishes grown slowly turn hot and woody. Spring radishes are best finished before early summer; Illinois notes that varieties such as French Breakfast and Icicle tolerate heat a little better. Rutabagas and turnips that mature in hot weather do not develop their typical sweetness, Illinois says, which is why the fall crop is usually larger and better.

Fall beets, turnips and radishes

All three are hardy to light frost, and Illinois notes turnips may even be sweetened by cool weather. To time a fall crop, count back from your average first fall frost. Illinois' rule for turnips is to plant rutabagas about 100 days before the first frost and turnips about 3 to 4 weeks later, which works out to roughly 72 to 79 days. For beets, the table uses Illinois' figure of about 60 days to harvest plus about two weeks, because growth slows as fall days shorten. Use the days on your seed packet if they differ.

Radishes are faster, so they can go in later: UMN lists August 1 to September 1 in Minnesota, and UMD lists mid-July through mid-September in central Maryland, where turnips are sown from the second week of July through August. Iowa State says mid-July is about the last practical planting for fall beets in Iowa. Larger winter radishes are sown in mid to late summer, like fall turnips (Illinois).

Texas and Florida dates

Texas A&M says beets can be grown all winter in South Texas. Average fall planting dates by Texas gardening region:

In Florida, University of Florida IFAS lists beets from September through March in North Florida, October through February in Central Florida and October through December in South Florida; radish seeds from September through March in North and Central Florida (October through March in the south); and turnips from August through April in North Florida, September through February in Central Florida and September through January in South Florida.

Where they go in the garden

Virginia Extension lists onions and cabbage-family crops as beet companions; see what to plant with beets and what to plant with radishes. For other spring roots, see when to plant carrots, and succession planting for planning rounds of quick crops.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant beets in spring?

From about 4 weeks before your average last frost, once the soil can be worked. Illinois Extension says about 30 days before the frost-free date.

Can beets handle frost?

Yes. Illinois calls beets fairly frost hardy, and Texas A&M lists them among frost-tolerant crops, which is why they go in weeks before the last frost.

How often should I plant beets?

About every 3 weeks until midsummer. Texas A&M says plantings about 3 weeks apart; Iowa State says every 2 to 3 weeks, Illinois every 3 to 4.

When is it too late to plant beets for fall?

Count back about 10 to 11 weeks from your first fall frost. Iowa State says mid-July is about the last practical planting in Iowa.

When should I plant turnips?

As early in spring as possible, and for fall about 72 to 79 days before your first frost (Illinois: rutabagas 100 days before, turnips 3 to 4 weeks later).

How late can I plant radishes?

In spring, until about your last frost date; they get hot and woody in heat. In fall, UMN lists August 1 to September 1 in Minnesota and UMD mid-July to mid-September in Maryland.