Last Updated on September 13, 2026
How Many Beets per Square Foot?
9 beets per square foot, in a 3 x 3 grid 4 inches apart. Each beet seed is actually a cluster of two to four seeds, so you will thin, and the thinnings are your first salad greens.
The spacing pattern
| Square foot method | 9 per square: a 3 x 3 grid, 4 inches apart |
|---|---|
| 4 x 4 bed (16 squares) | 144 beets |
| 4 x 8 bed (32 squares) | 288 beets |
A beet root needs about 4 inches to round out, and the tops are upright, so nine fit a square without shading each other. Closer than that and you get beautiful greens and marble-sized roots.
Planting the square
- Rake the square fine and sow one seed cluster at each point of a 3 x 3 grid, half an inch deep.
- When seedlings are 2 inches tall, thin each spot to one plant; eat the thinnings.
- Keep the soil evenly moist; uneven water makes beets woody.
Tim’s growing notes
Timing, spacing and harvest for beets, including pickling them, are in How to Plant Red Beets.
Soil temperature for germination
From my Seed Germination Temperature Chart: beets germinate from 40°F, do best at 65-85°F, and stop above 95°F.
Days for seedlings to emerge at different soil temperatures, from the same chart:
| Soil temperature | Days to emerge |
|---|---|
| 50°F | 17 days |
| 59°F | 10 days |
| 68°F | 6 days |
| 77°F | 5 days |
When to plant beets
These are the windows the Plan My Garden planner uses, counted from your average last spring frost. Enter your frost date on the seed starting calendar to turn them into dates. Beets are sown direct and can go in about 8 weeks before the last frost.
| Direct sow | 8 weeks before to 4 weeks after your last frost |
|---|---|
| Days to maturity | about 55 days |
How I grow them, in brief
Beets want full sun and loose, stone-free soil so the roots can swell. I sow the seed clusters half an inch deep in a 3 x 3 grid, keep the bed evenly moist, and thin each spot to one seedling when they are a couple of inches tall, eating the thinnings as greens. Uneven water gives woody roots, so the drip runs steadily. They are ready at golf-ball size, seven or eight weeks after sowing, and can be left to size up. The rest, including my pickled beet recipe, is in How to Plant Red Beets.
Where I get seed
Wood Prairie’s organic beets include Chioggia, Touchstone Gold, Bull’s Blood and Lutz Greenleaf. Code PMG5 takes 5 percent off.
Quick questions
Can I sow beets in fall?
Yes. Beets germinate in cool soil and taste sweeter after a light frost, so a square sown in late summer gives a fall crop.
Why did I get all tops and no roots?
Usually crowding. Thin to one plant per spot and give each beet its 4 inches.
Let the planner place them
Plan My Garden is free to start: draw your beds, pick beets and everything else you want to grow, and it places each plant at the right spacing and gives you a planting schedule for your zip code.
Related: Square Foot Gardening Chart · How to Plant Red Beets · Seed Germination Temperature Chart
