A staple in our gardens, beets grow easily and you won’t have to wait long to harvest their tasty roots. You can eat their green tops, too, so they’re a dual-purpose crop! Learn all you need to know about growing beets—from planting to harvest.
About Beets
Beets—or “beet roots”—are a colorful, cool-season crop that is easy to grow from seed in well-prepared soil and grows quickly in full sun.
They are a great choice for northern gardeners because they can survive frost and near-freezing temperatures. This also makes them great as a fall crop.
If you are a beginner, look for bolt-resistant varieties, which have less of a chance of bolting (maturing too quickly) in warm weather. There are many different varieties of beets, showcasing deep red, yellow, white, or striped roots of different shapes.
Beet roots can be harvested from the time they’re about the size of a golf ball to the size of a tennis ball; larger roots may be tough and woody. Plus, beet greens have a delicious and distinctive flavor and hold even more nutrition than the roots!
Reader Comments
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Planting times / locations
I find the Old Farmers' Almanac invaluable. The only problem is deciding which state is closest to England (where I live) in climate. Washington (Seattle) seems to be closest but the e.g. beetroot (outdoors) and pepper sowing times (indoors) and some other veg dates are a bit early. Could you point me at a particular area that may be closer? Thanks, yours, Hamish M.
England zone
Hi Hamish, I do wish we had an Almanac for England as so much of our history and lore is from that part of the world! In terms of gardening zones, most of England would be considered Zones 8b or 9a: https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-united-kingdom-plant-hardiness-zon... This is indeed most comparable to the Seattle area. See the USDA map: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ However, there are still differences due to microclimates and other factors. I do believe that RHS in Engalnd has developed their own zone map; perhaps that would be of help?
rotating beets
Can beets be planted in the same place year after year, or do they need to be rotated with other crops? If they should be rotated, what are the best vegetables to rotate them with?
crop rotation beets
While not as problematic as some veggies, we do tend to rotate our crops by family. Beets are part of the Root Crops—onion family, beets, carrots, parsnips. See more on our Crop Rotation Guide.
First time beet planter
How do you know when they’re done. I planted them in Oct some time. They are a shorter variety, so the leaves don’t get very tall. Just don’t know what to look for before I harvest. Thanks!
How to tell if beets are ready to pull
Often, the top of the root ball peaks out from under the soil, indicating it’s time, or close to time, to harvest. You don’t indicate your location or when in October you planted, but check the maturity period of the seeds; it’s usually expressed in the number of days. And, while beets do well—or at least can be started—in a chill, in spring, the weather usually gets warmer and the Sun shines longer with each day. Fall brings opposite conditions: usually increasing chill and diminishing sunlight. So you may have missed the “second season.”
Beets
This year when I thinned my beets at seedling stage I created a new row with my pulled seedlings by just burying them! They are doing great!
fungus spots on beet leaves-
I have Cercospora fungus spots on my beet leaves. Can I still eat my leaves or is the fungus harmful?
Cercospora
The fungus isn’t harmful, though you may want to remove the obviously infected parts of the leaf just to get rid of the dead leaf tissue.
Cercospora
Thank you...Being my first year of veggie gardening, it gets overwhelming sometimes. Sooo much to learn! :) But organic is wonderful and so much cheaper than the grocery store!
Oops! I forgot to pull my beets!
I had a crazy busy fall this year, and very unpredictable weather which, long story short, means that I forgot to harvest my beets this fall. Do you think they are ruined now? Is there any hope for them still? Is it possible to dig them up if the ground is frozen?
Beats
My last harvest of beats was different than previous ones. It had fibery / strings inside, just like cellery strings. What cuases that.
stringy beets
Sometimes if beets are harvested too late (grow too large), they will be tough, fibrous, and stringy. In general, beets 1 to 2 inches wide are ideal, but it will really depend on the variety.
No show of beetroot seedlings.
Planted beet seeds in compost and put them in the green house, still a no show after waiting nearly 4 weeks, I kept the compost gently moist aswell. What did I do wrong.
Harvesting beet
Will my beets be OK if we get a 32 degree frost tonight ?. Thanks
Beets
Beets are a cold weather plant. I usually plant late March once ground is unfrozen from winter. I live in Grand Junction Colorado we have pretty mild winters . I let them grow large there easier to handle since I pickle them usually harvesting after first frost. There sweeter if you wait after first frost. The tops are a different issue they get frosted and wilt harvest tops before a freeze . Beets are done after tops wilt but can remain in ground before ground freezes. I am going to harvest mine after first frost and trim some of the tops for a friend . To answer your question there okay at 32 degrees but must be harvested before ground freezes.
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!
Cooking beets
Wash well, cook whole til soft, cool, slip the tough skin right off.
Beet farm business
Birds Beets
Birds Beet Farm,
Which name should I pick?
Going to start in March
Name
I like the second name since the first makes me think the beets are only for the birds.
To remove skin from beets
An attack of the peeler on a beet is too much work. For pickling or canning wash them well cutting tops off to 2-4 inches from beet. Using an oil like vegetable ,canola ,virgin brush each beet with oil and place in aluminum foil wrapping them tightly.Put a little water in bottom of a roasting pan add beets. Bake in the oven until tender at 350. Remove foil once cooled and put beet under cold water skins should fall off. Prepare beets as you choose.
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?
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