vegetable
Beets
Greens and roots from one sowing. Direct-sow. Thin like you mean it.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 3–4 in
- Days
- 50–65
- Zones
- 3a–10a
How to sow
Direct-sow 4 weeks before last frost and again in late summer. Soak seed overnight.
Harvest
Greens at any time, roots at tennis-ball size for tender eating.
Mistakes that waste a packet
- Not thinning
- Woody roots from waiting too long in heat
Three packets
Detroit Dark Red
BeginnerThe standard. Round, sweet, stores.
Golden
FlavorDoes not bleed. Milder. Worth the extra seed cost.
Partner links may earn us a commission. We do not warehouse these packets. See indoor start dates for your ZIP.
Related
Tomatoes
Start indoors. Match days-to-maturity to the weeks you actually have after last frost.
Peppers
Need more heat and a longer indoor start than tomatoes. Short-season varieties matter north of zone 7.
Lettuce
The crop that makes a first garden feel like a garden. Sow in spring and again in late summer.
The sow list
A note when it is time to sow
Seasonal, not daily. We will send what to start in your zone, and skip the rest of the year.
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