When to plant beet in Ottawa
Beet is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Ottawa's frost dates of Apr 29.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Apr 26 – May 17
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jun 15 – Jul 5
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Jun 30 – Jul 14
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Aug 26 – Sep 15
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
50 – 70 d
Ottawa's 161-day season leaves this much room.
Beet on Ottawa's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
APR 29
OCT 8
Common questions
When can I sow beet outdoors in Ottawa?
Direct-sow around late April (Apr 26–May 17) in Ottawa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
When will beet be ready to harvest in Ottawa?
Expect to harvest from around mid June (Jun 15–Jul 5) in Ottawa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant beet in autumn in Ottawa?
Yes — Ottawa supports a second, autumn sowing of beet around late June (Jun 30–Jul 14), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Ottawa?
Ottawa has roughly 161 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow beet to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow beet as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Ottawa's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.