When to plant beet in Chesapeake
Beet is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Chesapeake's frost dates of Mar 18.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Feb 25 – Mar 18
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 16 – May 6
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 10 – Aug 24
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 6 – Oct 26
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
50 – 70 d
Chesapeake's 248-day season leaves this much room.
Beet on Chesapeake'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
MAR 18
NOV 18
Common questions
When can I sow beet outdoors in Chesapeake?
Direct-sow around late February (Feb 25–Mar 18) in Chesapeake, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 89%.
When will beet be ready to harvest in Chesapeake?
Expect to harvest from around mid April (Apr 16–May 6) in Chesapeake, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant beet in autumn in Chesapeake?
Yes — Chesapeake supports a second, autumn sowing of beet around early August (Aug 10–Aug 24), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Chesapeake?
Chesapeake has roughly 248 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 Chesapeake's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.