All plants

Beet

Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris

Chenopodiaceae · goosefoot family

Matures
55–70 days
Harvest
Once · Annual
Sun
4–8+ hrs
Spacing
3–5 in
Botanical engraving of Beet

Planting window

When to sow, by microclimate — foggier blocks run a different calendar than sunnier ones.

JanFebMarAprMayJun
Foggy●●●●●
Sunny●●●●●
JulAugSepOctNovDec
Foggy●●●
Sunny●●●
Well-suitedMarginalNot suited

Sunlight

How well it does at each level of direct sun per day.

<2 hrsNot suited
2–4 hrsMarginal
4–6 hrsWell-suited
6–8 hrsWell-suited
8+ hrsWell-suited
Well-suitedMarginalNot suited

Soil depth

Root room it needs — useful for sizing raised beds and containers.

6–10"Not suited
10–15"Marginal
15–18"Well-suited
18–24"Well-suited
Well-suitedMarginalNot suited

Spacing

Room each plant needs — along the row and between rows — for sizing beds.

In-row
3–5 in
Between rows
6–12 in

Growth habit

The shape it makes in the bed and how tall it gets — what tells you whether to give it a trellis, a stake, or just room.

Habit
Low mound
Mature height
12–18 in

Low and self-supporting — no staking needed.

How to start it

Sow it where it grows, or raise it under cover and set it out — and how far ahead to start the seedlings if it's the latter.

Usually
Direct-sow
Start indoors
6 weeks ahead
Direct-sowWell-suited
TransplantWell-suited

Sown straight into the bed it will grow in.

Well-suitedMarginalNot suited

Getting started

How it goes in the ground — how deep to sow or set it, and the soil temperature it needs to wake up. The cold-soil floor is the real limiter for direct-sowing in a foggy SF spring.

Started from
From seed
Ideal soil temp
65–85°F
Sow depth
0.75–1 in
Time to emerge
5–10 days

Germinates between 40–95°F; happiest around 65–85°F.

30°F110°F
IdealWorkable

Pests & diseases

What tends to trouble this crop — what it is, what you'll see, and what to do about it, least-toxic first.

Pests9

Aphids
What it is
Aphids have soft pear-shaped bodies with long legs and antennae and may be green, yellow, brown, red, or black depending on the species and the plants they feed on. A few species appear waxy or woolly due to the secretion of a waxy white or gray substance over their body surface.
What you'll see
Low to moderate numbers of leaf-feeding aphids aren't usually damaging in gardens or on trees. However, large populations can turn leaves yellow and stunt shoots; aphids can also produce large quantities of a sticky exudate known as honeydew, which often turns black with the growth of a sooty mold fungus.
What to do
Before planting vegetables, check surrounding areas for sources of aphids and remove these sources. On the other hand, these aphid-infested weeds can sometimes provide an early source of aphid natural enemies.
Source
Armyworms
What it is
Armyworm larvae feed in groups, which distinguishes them from other vegetable pests such as corn earworms and loopers. Markings on newly hatched armyworms are usually hard to distinguish from those of other caterpillars; older larvae have distinct lengthwise stripes.
What you'll see
Armyworms may feed on the crowns of seedlings. On larger plants, armyworm caterpillars skeletonize leaves.
What to do
Handpick. Virus diseases, parasites (Hyposoter and Trichogramma), and general predators may be effective on caterpillars.
Source
Cucumber Beetles
What it is
Adult beetles are shiny with black heads, long antennae, and about 1/4 inch long. Adults may be striped or spotted, depending upon species.
What you'll see
Adults feed on the leaves of many vegetables as well as on soft fruit. Shoots and blossoms may also be consumed.
What to do
Management of cucumber beetles is difficult. The best strategy for most vegetable gardens may be to place protective cloth over emerging plants and remove it when plants are old enough to tolerate damage.
Source
Cutworms
What it is
Cutworms are dull brown caterpillars ranging in length from 1 to 2 inches when fully grown. They curl into a C-shape when disturbed.
What you'll see
Cutworms feed on blossoms and leaves of many ornamental plants and attack most garden crops. They clip off seedling stems near or just below the soil level.
What to do
Cutworms are pests mainly in the spring. Destroy crop residues; keep garden weed-free in winter.
Source
Flea Beetles
What it is
Their small size, enlarged back legs, characteristic shot-hole damage, and habit of jumping when disturbed make flea beetles easy to identify. There are numerous flea beetle species.
What you'll see
Adults feed mostly on leaves, leaving tiny pits or small holes at their feeding sites. Flea beetles feeding together can cover leaves with bleached, pitted areas or ragged holes.
What to do
Remove debris in the fall to remove any overwintering beetles. Reflective mulches applied very soon after planting and before plants become infected can be helpful.
Source
Leafhoppers
What it is
Leaf stippling (bleached specks) is commonly the most obvious indication that leafhoppers or certain other arthropods that suck plant juices are present. Because discolored spots or overall bleaching of leaves are also caused by lace bugs, plant bugs and other true bugs, spider mites, and thrips, examine the underside of leaves for the arthropods themselves to distinguish the cause of damage.
What you'll see
Leafhopper feeding causes leaves to develop pale specks (stippling). Leaves and shoot tips fed upon by an abundance of leafhoppers may turn yellow then brown and curl and die.
What to do
In most situations, leafhoppers are just an annoyance or curiosity and do not threaten plant survival. Leafhoppers have many natural enemies, including assassin bugs, brown lacewings, damsel bugs, green lacewings, lady beetles, minute pirate bugs, and spiders.
Source
Snails and Slugs
What you'll see
Snails and slugs feed on a variety of living plants and on decaying plant matter. They create irregular holes with smooth edges on leaves and flowers by scraping with their rasp-like tongues.
What to do
It will not be possible to eliminate some shelters, such as low ledges on fences, the undersides of wooden decks, and water meter boxes, so make a regular practice of trapping and removing snails and slugs from these areas. The survivors congregate in the remaining shelters, where you can more easily locate and remove them.
Source
Thrips
What it is
Most adult thrips are elongate, slender, minute (less than 1/20 inch long), and have long fringes on the margins of both pairs of their long, narrow wings. Immatures (called larvae or nymphs) are oblong or slender and elongate and lack wings.
What you'll see
Thrips feeding on plants can damage fruit, leaves, and shoots and very noticeably affect plants’ cosmetic appearance. However, thrips rarely kill or threaten the survival of trees and shrubs.
What to do
Thrips species that feed on many different plant species often move into gardens and landscapes when plants in weedy areas or grasslands begin to dry in spring or summer. Avoid planting susceptible plants next to these areas, and control nearby weeds that are alternate hosts of pest thrips.
Source
Vegetable Leafminers
What it is
Adult leafminers are small, active, black flies often with a prominent yellow triangle between the bases of the wings. The head behind the eyes is mostly black.
What you'll see
Leafminers attack many different vegetable and flower hosts, including cole crops, cucurbits, tomatoes, peas, beans, aster, begonia, dahlia, impatiens, lily, marigold, petunia, and verbena. Adult female leafminers puncture leaves and sometimes petals to feed on exuding sap.
What to do
Leafminers rarely require treatment in gardens. Clip off and remove older infested leaves.
Source

Sources

Every figure above is backed by these.