FALL GROWING GUIDE · REGION II
When to plant
beets
in West Texas.
Beets bridge the root and leafy sides of a fall garden. The guide places them well after early fruiting-crop starts in several regions.
AVERAGE FALL PLANTING DATE
September 1
Direct sow · Frost tolerant
A recurring regional reference from the 2014 Extension guide. This is not a forecast; the source does not specify a closing date for this crop.
What this means for your garden.
The source groups a broad western swath of Texas into Region II. Its calendar sits between the Panhandle and the central region, with midsummer starts for many fall vegetables.
For beets, the regional reference is September 1. The source provides no last optimum date for this crop. This is a large region with differences in elevation and exposure. Use the calendar to organize your plan, then check your county Extension advice and the conditions in your bed.
Your next three steps
- Choose the right start.
Use the calendar to reserve a sowing session. The reference date is a planning anchor; it does not predict when your particular variety will be ready.
- Give the plant a good first week.
Label the row and check seedling spacing as plants emerge. Follow the packet for thinning, and avoid treating a dense clump of seedlings as a finished stand.
- Keep a record you can use next season.
Save your planned date, then change it to the day you actually plant. Record completion in My Garden; the reference calendar stays separate from your own history.
WHY LOCATION MATTERS
One crop. Five different calendars.
How the same crop’s average date compares with West Texas.
Texas PanhandleAugust 1517 days earlierCentral & East TexasOctober 1544 days laterCoastal South TexasNovember 161 days laterRio Grande ValleyDecember 15105 days laterSource, scope & a little context.
Table 1 supplies average fall planting dates. Table 2 supplies last optimum dates only for the crops it lists. Figure 1 defines the five historical gardening regions; these are not current USDA hardiness zones.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension · Fall Vegetable Gardening Guide (EHT-056) ↗Dates: Table 1, p. 2. Region: Figure 1, p. 3. Source checked 2026-09-27. Editorial care notes are general planning advice; your county Extension office can refine them.
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