Image Credit:
Darasp Kran/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Beta vulgaris
Grown as
Toxicity
Sun Exposure
Water Needs
Height
Spread
Soil pH
Special Features
Resilience
Plant Type
Planting
Beets should ideally receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. While they grow best in well-prepared, fertile soil, they tolerate average to low soil fertility. This root vegetable will NOT tolerate acidic soils (pH below 6.0). A soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is best, and slightly alkaline (7.0+) soils can be tolerated.
Avoid planting beets where Swiss chard or spinach has recently been grown, as they are cousins of beets and are susceptible to similar pests and diseases.
When to Plant Beets
- Start seeding your first round of beets in early spring, as soon as the soil is workable. To allow the round beetroots to develop properly, the soil should be free of rocks and other obstacles.
- Make successive plantings every 2 to 3 weeks until mid-summer.
- Successive plantings are possible through summer as long as daytime temperatures don’t exceed 75°F (24°C).
- Germination takes place in 5 to 8 days in soil that’s at least 50°F (10°C). In soil colder than that, it may take 2 to 3 weeks.
- Tip: To speed up germination, or when planting in areas with low moisture and rainfall, soak the seeds in water for 24 hours before planting.
- For a fall harvest, sow beet seeds from mid-summer through early fall, starting about 4 to 6 weeks before your first fall frost.
- Winter crops are a definite possibility in Zone 9 and warmer. Plant beets in early to late fall for a winter harvest.
How to Plant Beets
- Sow beet seeds directly into the ground. They do not like being transplanted.
- Sow seeds ½ inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart in rows about 12 to 18 inches apart. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil after sowing.
- Make sure the soil remains moist for optimal germination. Soak seeds for 24 hours prior to planting to speed up germination.
Beet seeds are capsules that contain several seeds, so each one may yield two or three sprouts.
Check out this video to learn how to plant beets:
Harvesting
- Days to maturity tend to be between 55 and 70 for most varieties. In other words, plan to harvest beets about 2 months after planting.
- Harvest roots when golf ball-size or larger; very large roots may be tough and woody.
- Loosen the soil around the beet and gently pull it from the earth.
- Harvest the beet greens at almost any time, beginning when thinning seedlings. Take one or two mature leaves per plant, until leaf blades are more than 6 inches tall and become tough. (Roots will not fully form without greens, so leaving some is necessary for proper development.) The leaves can be twisted off and cooked like spinach. Or, see our recipe for Beet Greens Salad.
- If you experience mild winters, you can leave roots sown later in the season in the ground to dig up as you need them. Or, store roots in boxes of dry sand in a cool, frost-free place.
How to Store Beets
- Fresh beets can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
- Tip: Clipping the tops off beets will keep them fresher for longer. Leave about 1 inch of stem on each beet, and store the greens separately.
- For long-term root cellar storage, make sure you brush off any soil clinging to the roots, then bury them in layers (but not touching) surrounded by dry sand or sawdust.
- Store in a cool, dry place. An unheated closet might do, or put them in a cooler in your basement. Read more about a new way to store beets in the root cellar.
- Sprouting is a sign of poor storage and leads to decay.
- Beets can be frozen, canned, and pickled, too!
- You can also freeze beet greens to use at a later date!
Types
Beets come in quite a few shapes and a rainbow of colors. Deep red is typical, but yellow and white varieties are also available, as are red-white ringed ones (pictured below)!
- ‘Chioggia’: red skin; when sliced open, reveals red and white concentric rings.
- ‘Detroit Dark Red’: Sturdy, traditional variety with a round, red root.
- ‘Formanova’: Long, cylindrical beets that grow in the same fashion as carrots. Excellent for canning.
- Yellow varieties include ‘Bolder’ or ‘Touchstone Gold’.
- White varieties include ‘Avalanche’ or Dutch heirloom ‘Albino’.
Thanx so much for your comment...when my beets cooled down after cooking they did turn purple Evgeniya
hi, I have apassion for beets since I was once instructed by a doctor to eat, Now I want start planting, my question is do I have to plant seeds in nussery bed first or sow seeds direct and is possible to use organic manure ? kindly advice
Saw directly. It is advisable to put a little bit of manure with the seed (in the hole) while planting beets because they need phosphorous
First time Gardner. I planted beets, but I don't think I planted the seeds deep enough. I have beautiful greens, then on the top of the ground there is the entire beet (no larger than a small gum ball) which is then connected to the ground via a root. My question, if I cover all the beets now with dirt will I be able to save them? Or should I just harvest the greens and try again?
Beet roots naturally push out of the ground as they mature. You could have 6 inches of beet above ground! However, the roots should not be so small. There are a variety of reasons for this problem, mainly related to soil preparation: 1) your soil was too compacted and not loose enough 2) there was not enough organic matter and nutrients in soil, 3) the soil was too acidic (get a soil test). Also, beets need plenty of direct sunlight and they need to thinned so they are not crowded and have enough space to grow.
beet seeds are actually a cluster two to five individual seeds.
I planted my beets this year next to my peas and I have very large beautiful leaves and very small beets. May need to increase phosphorus I guess, and thin them ASAP! I did transplant some, and they did okay, some that I transplanted have the largest beet root of them all, but I did have to take extra good care of them. I will plant further apart next year as well. Always thought you could get more than one plant per seed, nice to see it confirmed here.
Before planting my seeds I toss 1tbsp of Epsom salt and a uncooked pinto bean then add beet seed and cover with soil this year was the best beets ever.
Legumes affix nitrogen into the soil. Makes for nice greens and tiny roots.
Beet Leaf Idea:
Make a batch of bread dough. Take small pieces, about 1" round, and wrap in a single beet leaf. (for one 3 cups of flour dough recipe, I used a colander full of large beet leaves. ) Place on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper, fairly close together. Allow to rise, until double in size, about 1 hour. bake for about 20 -25 min, at 350.
My husband then started eating them.
Store covered in frig.
Next day, fry chopped onion & garlic, add 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk, 1 cup shredded cheddar, and the pan full of beet wrapped bread. cook until heated through and the cheese is melted, toss in some finely chopped dill and salt and pepper to taste. May need to add a bit more milk if sauce is too thick. Use as the starch in the meal. Sooooo GOooood!.
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