When to Plant Beetroot in the UK
On this page
- Beetroot (Beta vulgaris)
- Watch: Growing Beetroot at Home
- Quick Facts
- At a Glance
- Regional Planting Calendar
- Is It Too Late to Sow? (And Sun or Shade?)
- Growth Stages
- Soil & Growing Conditions
- Harvest & Storage
- Storing Beetroot Through Winter
- Recommended Varieties
- What Not to Plant Near Beetroot
- Diseases
- Pests
- Beetroot Varieties and Pest Watch
- Recommended Tools & Supplies
- Plan your Beetroot planting
- Growing Beetroot in another region
- References
- Nutrient Issues
- Frequently Asked Questions
In the UK, beetroot goes in the ground late February to late July, and is ready to harvest 40–80 days after planting.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: there are 4 separate regional sowing windows, ranging from late February in Southern England to early April in Scotland.
The short answer
- Plant
- Late February to late July
- Ready in
- 40–80 days
- Site
- 4+ hours of sun, soil pH 6–6.8
- Biggest risk
- Downy mildew
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Beetroot (Beta vulgaris)
13 sources cited · Verified
Watch: Growing Beetroot at Home
A quick SoilCommander video on growing beetroot at home in UK conditions — sowing, spacing, care and harvest in under a minute.
Quick Facts
At a Glance
Regional Planting Calendar
| Region | Sow |
|---|---|
| Southern England | late February to late July |
| Midlands derived | early March to late July |
| Northern England | early April to late July |
| Scotland | early April to late July |
Rows marked derived are interpolated between regions our sources do state, because no source we consulted gives a figure for that region specifically. They are deliberately wider to reflect that uncertainty.
Southern England - detail & sources
RHS: sow outdoors from late March or April through to July once soil reaches 7°C; earlier sowings from late February are possible with a bolt-resistant variety under fleece or cloches. Southern England has the UK's earliest soil-warming and last-frost dates per Met Office, so the earliest end of the cloche-sowing window applies here.
Midlands - detail & sources
DERIVED: interpolated about a week later than southern England for the earliest cloche-protected sowing, following RHS's late-Feb-to-July sowing method and the Met Office's documented south-to-north soil-warming/frost gradient. The July sowing-end date is UK-wide per RHS and not adjusted.
Northern England - detail & sources
RHS: sow outdoors from late March or April through to July once soil reaches 7°C. Met Office notes the average last air frost and soil-warming extend later further north, so early cloche sowing is less reliable here -- the standard April start is used rather than the southern cloche-earliest date.
Scotland - detail & sources
RHS: sow outdoors from late March or April through to July once soil reaches 7°C. Scotland gets the UK's latest soil-warming and last-frost dates per Met Office, so the April start (rather than the southern late-February cloche option) is the realistic earliest sowing here.
Is It Too Late to Sow? (And Sun or Shade?)
Is it too late to sow? If it's past July, yes -- RHS's own window runs late February to July, and beetroot needs 40 to 80 days afterward to reach a useable size, plus soil that's still warm enough (at least 7°C) to germinate the seed in the first place. Sown much later than July, a UK beetroot won't bulk up before autumn's short days and falling temperatures slow it down.
Sun or shade? Sun -- beetroot wants 4 to 6 hours of it a day, in an open site. It'll tolerate a little shade better than most root crops, but a consistently shaded bed grows leafier, smaller roots.
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing & germination | 0 | Beetroot is sown direct where it is to grow - from March under cloches or fleece, and from April to July outdoors, once the soil has warmed to about 7°C. Sow seeds around 2.5cm (1in) deep in rows roughly 30cm apart, watering the drill in dry weather. Because each knobbly seed is really a cluster of several seeds, seedlings usually emerge in small clumps that will need thinning. Seed germinates in about two weeks. Sow a short row every 2-3 weeks for a continuous succession of tender roots. |
| Thinning & leaf growth | 3 | Once seedlings are large enough to handle, thin the clumps to leave one plant about every 10cm for full-sized roots (thin to around 4-5cm for smaller baby beets); RHS thins to 10cm and Univ. of Maryland to 3-4in. Keep the rows weed-free and water regularly while plants are young. Steady, even moisture matters from now on - RHS advises watering about every 10-14 days in dry spells and avoiding irregular watering, which makes roots split or turn woody. Thinnings can be eaten as leafy salad greens. |
| Root swelling | 4 | The base of the stem swells into the familiar round or cylindrical root. Keep watering even and regular - a dry spell followed by heavy watering causes roots to crack, while prolonged drought makes them woody. Little extra feeding is needed on fertile soil; avoid high-nitrogen feeds, which push leaf growth at the expense of the root. Continue to keep the bed weed-free so the swelling roots are not competing for water and light. |
| Maturity & harvest | 8 | Beetroot is ready roughly 40-80 days after sowing. Pull roots young for the best flavour and texture - RHS suggests golf-ball size for baby beets and no larger than a cricket ball when mature; Univ. of Maryland harvests at 1-3in diameter. Ease roots out with a fork and twist off the leaves about 2.5cm above the crown (do not cut, to avoid bleeding). Use fresh, or store in a cool shed or the fridge; Utah State and Univ. of Maryland keep roots at about 0°C (32°F) and 95% humidity for two to four months. |
Soil & Growing Conditions
Harvest & Storage
Storing Beetroot Through Winter
Lift roots before hard frosts, typically October–November. Twist off the foliage rather than cutting it (cutting causes the root to "bleed") and let the roots dry for a day before storing. Pack into boxes of slightly damp sand and keep somewhere cool and frost-free -- a shed or garage works well, and roots stored this way keep for around 2–4 months.
Recommended Varieties
Beetroot 'seed' is actually a dried fruit cluster of 2-4 true seeds fused together, so even a single sowing station usually needs thinning -- unless you choose a monogerm variety bred to produce one seedling per seed.
- Boltardy — the most widely grown UK variety; strong bolt resistance makes it the safest choice for an early sowing, with deep red, sweet flesh.
- Pablo F1 — a monogerm variety producing one seedling per seed, so no thinning is needed; uniform, smooth roots with good bolt resistance.
- Cylindra — long, cylindrical roots that slice into even rounds; needs deeper soil than round varieties but gives a high yield per row.
- Burpees Golden — golden-orange flesh that doesn't bleed onto other ingredients when cut, with a milder, sweeter flavour than red varieties.
What Not to Plant Near Beetroot
Cornell Cooperative Extension's own companion-planting guidance lists beetroot as disliking pole beans specifically -- bush beans are fine, it's the pole (climbing) type that doesn't pair well. Cornell's guide is unusually upfront that this whole subject is thin on evidence: "There appears to be no research proven reproducible companion planting recommendations... almost no scientific proof to back up most of these claims." Worth testing in your own plot rather than treating as settled fact. The same source lists beetroot growing well near bush beans, onions, kohlrabi, lettuce and brassicas.
Diseases
Pests
Beetroot Varieties and Pest Watch
Recommended Tools & Supplies
Having the right tools makes growing beetroot easier. Our hand tools for gardening include hoes for keeping rows weed-free while roots establish, and the soil and plant care range covers mulches for retaining the even moisture beetroot needs to avoid splitting.
Planning the wider plot? See the UK vegetable planting calendar.
Plan your Beetroot planting
When to sow and plant Beetroot depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar, or the month-by-month guides that cover Beetroot: April, May, June, July, September, October. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Beetroot in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
References
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RHS explicitly does not recommend pesticide use against aphids; recommends tolerance, manual squashing, and encouraging/purchasing natural predators (ladybirds, hoverflies, lacewings, parasitoid wasps, earwigs) as biological control, especially under glass.
-
RHS explicitly advises against slug pellets (even organic) due to wildlife harm, and cites RHS's own controlled trial finding no damage reduction from physical barriers (copper tape, bark mulch, eggshell, grit, wool) -- while also noting some other studies have shown copper barriers to repel slugs, a preserved disagreement rather than a silently resolved one. Details Nemaslug (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) biological control including application temperature range and its lack of effect on snails specifically.
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Sow about two weeks before the last expected spring frost once soil is at least 10°C; ideal germination 20°C giving 5-8 days, against up to 17 days at 10°C. Sow 1 cm deep, 3-5 cm apart, thin to 8-10 cm. 50-75 days to harvest. Sustained temperatures below 7°C after several true leaves cause premature flowering, though newer cultivars are less sensitive. Beets do not tolerate frost. Store near 0°C at high humidity with about 2 cm of tops left on.
13 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Nutrient Issues
Frequently Asked Questions
How many beetroot off one plant?
One root per plant. Most beetroot "seeds" are a cluster of several seeds, so each sowing spot comes up as a small clump; thin to 10cm (4in) apart once the seedlings are about 2.5cm (1in) tall, and each remaining seedling grows one root (RHS).
Can I leave beetroot in the ground over winter?
In mild areas where the soil won't freeze, late crops can be left in the ground until needed. Elsewhere, lift them, twist off the leaves about 2.5cm (1in) from the base and store the roots in a box of dry sand, potting compost or coir in a shed or garage, where they should keep for at least a couple of months (RHS).
Is it difficult to grow beetroot?
No. Beetroot is a popular, easy-to-grow crop, ideal for beginners. Thin the seedlings, water evenly (uneven watering can make roots split), and harvest when the roots are 4–7cm across for the best flavour and texture (RHS).
Plan next season before the problems start
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
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Last verified 2026-07-31
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