When to plant beet in Portland
Beet is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Portland's frost dates of May 1.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Apr 23 – May 14
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jun 12 – Jul 2
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Jul 2 – Jul 16
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Aug 28 – Sep 17
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
50 – 70 d
Portland's 165-day season leaves this much room.
Beet on Portland'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
MAY 1
OCT 10
Common questions
When can I sow beet outdoors in Portland?
Direct-sow around late April (Apr 23–May 14) in Portland, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
When will beet be ready to harvest in Portland?
Expect to harvest from around mid June (Jun 12–Jul 2) in Portland, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant beet in autumn in Portland?
Yes — Portland supports a second, autumn sowing of beet around early July (Jul 2–Jul 16), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Portland?
Portland has roughly 165 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 Portland's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.