Beets are a cool season vegetable crop. This root veggie grows quickly and has many different varieties, which showcase deep red, yellow, or white bulbs of different shapes.
Beets can survive frost and almost freezing temperatures, which makes them a great choice for northern gardeners and an excellent long-season crop.
The humble beet, steamed, boiled, roasted, pickled, borscht’ed—but especially served raw—has emerged as a nutrient-dense food considered especially beneficial for health. Learn more in “Beets: Health Benefits!”
For other greens to use in your cuisine, see the Leafy Greens: Health Benefits page, as well as How to Grow Your Own Salad Greens.
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Skin before cooking?
I want to roast my freshly harvested beets...do I remove the skin first? Obviously I'll wash them, but they've got the roots sticking out all over. Ha! What's the best process?
Roasting Beets
Yes, you will want to use a vegetable peeler (or knife) to peel the beets before cooking. Treat them as you would carrots!
nope, alkaline soil
Beet like slightly alkaline, not acidic soil. They can actually tolerate slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soil. I grow in 7.7 pH, and my beets are never ever stunted. They grow like crazy. Other references agree.
beet soil pH
Thank you for your feedback! We have revised the copy to better reflect recommendations from state Cooperative Extensions.
How long can I wait to can beets after picking?
I harvested my beets 3 days ago. I thought I would be able to can my pickled beets the next day but didn't get to it. Is it ok to wait a few days to can beets or do they have to be done immediately after picking? I put them in a cooler with a damp towel over them in the mean time. Should I have tried to make room in the fridge for them?
Crop rotation
My location is Hilton Head, South Carolina. I had a beautiful crop of beets harvested this fall. I planted banana peppers in the same location late spring, after the soil warmed. They failed miserably, loosing all their leaves and the roots never expanded. Would this crop rotation be the cause?
banana pepper ail
Not sure if it was the crop rotation for you but I feel like that shouldn't have effected anything as long as you put nutrients back into the soil...I planted banana peppers and bell peppers this year and the bell peppers were amazing producers while the banana peppers were an utter failure....same thing for me---leaves were yellow and fell off, barely flowered, didn't set fruit...I think i got two banana peppers total...it was pitiful...while right next to those plants, the bell peppers took off, easily growing 4 to 5 on each plant at a time....who knows. I personally think they are just difficult to grow or maybe it was an issue with the starts I used.
Beet greens
Can you harvest the greens before you harvest the beet? Will it harm the beet?
Harvesting beet greens
First, you may harvest beet greens as you thin the seedlings in the beginning and continue until the greens are too tough.
Also, you may indeed harvest some of the greens before you take the root, but not all of them. Just one or two per plant. Otherwise, the root will not mature.
The greens are best when they’re young and tender–about 6 inches long.
Leaves
I have huge beet leaves and don't know how many to take off without harming the beet. Is the 6 inches the leaf size itself or how long the stem is?
harvesting beet greens
Beet leaves can be snipped from the plant at any time. However, if you wish to eat both the beet leaves and the beet root, we would just snip one or two leaves from each plant before the beet root is mature. Once the beet root is mature, snip away! By 6 inches, we’re referring to the leaf blade.
Beetroot
I planted a beetroot coz there was little baby sprouts, so now it has shoot up about 15" and going to flower, should I let it flower and use the flowers to grow new plants or should I eat the flower, don't know what to do, I will wait for your reply, thanks, yours,
Masha
Beet root
Masha, Beet root, the ball (usually) that grows under the ground, is edible. And beet leaves are edible. The flowers can be saved and the seeds harvested from them. It is not common to eat the flowers. So prepare the leaves like you would spinach (raw or cooked) and roast or boil the root. There is a lot of eating in a beet!
Thanx for info I'll get this
Thanx for info I'll get this to my daughter who loves beets "who knew"
Planting beets
When should I plant beets in Louisville ky
Last years Beets?
Hi I planted some beets last year (Boltardy) I didnt manage to harvest them all. They were grown next to a wall and we have had a very gentle winter. The beets are about 4 inches wide. I wonder if they are edible? They look ok. Not sure if there is any issue with eating them?
harvesting beets
Usually, beets that get old or big taste woody, but have you tasted them? Why not? Try it.
Curious about beets
I have heard beets are nutritious however the only beets I have ever eaten were canned pickled of which I hated. What exactly do they taste like fresh?
If you’re boiling beets,
If you’re boiling beets, perhaps canned doesn’t taste much different. However, a fresh beet is very firm and crunchy and good for salads. The best way to figure out the taste is to try one!
If you wish to eat cooked beets, the best way is easily to roast them. You’ll never get that taste from boiling or from canned beets. To roast, just chop in quarters, and toss with some salt, pepper, and olive oil. Then bake at 350 degrees until they’re done (not burned). They’ll have a carmelized taste to them–very sweet!
Flavor of beets
If all you know are canned beets you are missing a lot. Boiled are not and bland as canned. I like them steamed. I boil them if I have a lot of them to do. Then dunked in cold water and the skin just slides right off. They are sweet to taste.
What are the planting materials used for beets?
If anyone knows what the planting material used for beets are can you please tell me. Its a matter of utmost importance.
Beets
Starting the first planting of Florida grown Organic beets.
Beets in florida
How are the beets in your garden doing?
I am planting here in at. Petersburg. Do you have tips ?
Thanks
Jules
Planting beets
As for us we just put chicken dong on our ground and or hog dong horse is real good to plow in real good make a fer an plant
How can I tell when the beets
How can I tell when the beets are ready for harvest?
With beets, you can harvest
With beets, you can harvest when they are 1 inch in diameter. Most people harvest when beets are 2 to 3 inches in diameter. If they get too big, they can taste woody. You just have to pull one up to see its size!
Remember that the beet greens at the top can be eaten, too, similar to spinach. The younger the beet, the more tender the beet green.
You can leave beets in the ground to store but do harvest the beets in the fall but it's best to pull them before the first freeze.
I live in New Orleans, are
I live in New Orleans, are there any specific beet varieties that do better in the South? zone 9?
You can grow most any variety
You can grow most any variety as long as you plant at the proper time (personally we love candy-striped 'Chioggia'). In Louisiana, the best planting dates for beets are 1/15 - 2/28 (spring) or 8/15 -10/1 (fall) because, as you know, they need cooler weather. We'd probably go with a fall planting.
Hi there! My beet's tops are
Hi there! My beet's tops are about 1 1/2 inches wide and 1 inch tall. Is it REALLY able to harvest now, or should I wait longer?
Beet greens can be harvested
Beet greens can be harvested when they are between 4 and 6 inches tall; baby beet greens are picked when smaller--about 2 to 3 inches tall. You might want to wait just a bit longer. Harvest sparingly per beet, leaving several leaves on the beet, if you also want to harvest the root later on.
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