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Beets (aka beetroot) are one of the easiest vegetables you can grow, which is why they are consistently ranked as one of the top ten vegetables grown in home gardens. And why not? When you plant this veggie, you can eat it from beet top to bottom which means more bang for your buck. If you’re ready to grow beets at home just follow these easy directions. In no time at all, you’ll be jammin’ with some homegrown “fresh beets!”
Types of Beets
If asked to picture a beet, you’re probably thinking of a deep burgundy colored root veggie. Am I right? While deep red beets are the most common type of table beet, this veggie actually comes in quite a few shapes and a rainbow of colors including golden yellow, white, pink and even striped varieties! Each offers its own nutrient profile and unique flavor. For instance, some beets are sweeter while others have a strong characteristic “earthy” taste.
Beet varieties include red-skinned heirloom options such as Bull’s Blood, Early Wonder, and Chioggia (with pinkish-red and white concentric rings, reminiscent of a striped candy-cane), golden beets such as Golden Detroit, white-colored beets such as Blankoma, Avalanche and Albino, and traditional red varieties such as Detroit Dark Red and Red Ace to name a few.
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Getting Started
To grow beets, you can start with either beet seeds or seedlings – both work well. (Beets are one veggie that actually grows easily from seed so a great choice for first time gardeners!) Beets are a cool season crop, but fairly tolerant to high temperatures. They thrive when the days are warm (60 to 70 °F / 15 to 21 °C) and nights are cool (50 to 60 °F / 10 to 15 °C) but this plant can even survive frost and near-freezing temperatures. In fact, lower temperatures promote the development of stronger colors, higher sugar levels and overall better taste and quality! (Great news for those of us living in cooler climates!)
Where Best to Plant
To begin, select a location with soft, moist, fertile soil and a neutral pH (6.5 to 7.0). It’s best to till the soil beforehand in preparation. Beets like full sun but will tolerate part shade, ideally getting 6 hours of sunlight per day. Sow seeds in early spring after the last frost 0.5 to 1 inches deep (1.5 to 2.5 cm), and 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) apart in rows that are a foot (30 cm) apart. For best results, plant beets when soil temperatures are consistently above 50 °F (10 °C) to ensure faster sprouting and strong root development. Since each wrinkled beet “seed” is actually a cluster of 2 to 4 seeds, you will need to thin young plants to 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) apart once they get to be about 4 inches (10 cm) tall. To extend your growing season and benefit from continuous harvesting, try succession planting – plant seeds every 2 weeks until mid-summer (as long as daytime temperatures don’t exceed 75 °F (24 °C). For a fall harvest, sow beets starting about 4 to 6 weeks before your first fall frost (roughly mid-summer through early fall). Since beets are adapted to grow in cool temperatures, they are a perfect vegetable to plant both in spring and late summer. If you live in a warmer climate, beets can even be planted in early to late fall for a winter harvest!
To speed up germination, seeds can be soaked for 24 hours prior to planting. After the seeds have been planted, water daily until leaves begin to sprout. After this initial period, normal rainfall should be sufficient unless the weather is unnaturally dry. In that case, water every 10 to 14 days (aiming for roughly 1 inch / 2.5 cm of water per square foot per week) to keep soil moist. Mulching is a good idea to protect beets from heat. Supplementing with fertilizer is usually not necessary but if you do fertilize, be cautious with nitrogen. Too much nitrogen will result in abundant greens with tiny bulbs. Remove weeds by hand so as not to disturb the roots.
If you’re short on garden space, this root vegetable can also be grown in pots as long as they are at least 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter and depth. Just fill the pot up to the top with loose, multi-purpose compost and sow seeds thinly across the surface, covering with 0.75 inches (2 cm) of compost. Once the seedlings begin to grow, thin plants out aiming for 5 inches (12 cm) between plants. They will need to be watered more than those in the garden, but otherwise can be cared for in a similar manner.
Pests & Diseases
Beets are relatively disease and pest-free but some pests and diseases that do affect them include: cercospora, flea beetles, leafhoppers, beet leaf miners, leaf spot, and mosaic virus. Practice crop rotation – avoid planting beets where swiss chard or spinach has been recently grown as they are susceptible to similar pests and diseases.
Harvest Time
This root crop is ready to harvest when approximately the size of a small orange and you start to see the root pop out of the ground. This will likely be around 2 months after sowing seeds. If beets get too large, they will be fibrous and won’t taste great. Ideally, beets with the best flavor are roughly 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter. Alternatively, you can harvest at the baby beet stage when beets are around the size of a golf ball. At this stage not only are they are sweet but the skin is so soft and tender you don’t need to peel them. To harvest, loosen the soil around the beet, and gently pull it from the earth. Beet greens can be harvested at any time, provided some are left to allow proper development of the roots. When harvesting beets, leave 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of the stems attached to prevent any staining or “bleeding.” Beets can be enjoyed straight from the garden or can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks in a root cellar or other suitable location.
Not only is this veggie delicious, but the bright green tops with red veins and stems will add some pop to your vegetable garden as well. Best of all, the fresh taste of this veggie straight from your garden can’t be “beet!”
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