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Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Beets
Planting
Choose a planting site that gets full sun. Beets should ideally receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Beets grow best in well-prepared, fertile soil, but will tolerate average to low soil fertility. A soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is best, and slightly alkaline (7.0+) soils can be tolerated. Beets will not tolerate acidic soils (pH below 6.0). To allow the round beetroots to develop properly, the soil should be free of rocks and other obstacles.
Avoid planting beets where Swiss chard or has recently been grown, as they are cousins of beets and are susceptible to similar pests and diseases.
When to Plant Beets
- Start your first round of beets in early spring, as soon as the soil is workable. Make successive plantings every 2 to 3 weeks until mid-summer.
- Successive plantings are possible through summer as long as daytime temperatures don鈥檛 exceed 75掳F (24掳C).
- In soil that鈥檚 at least 50掳F (10掳C), germination takes place in 5 to 8 days. In soil colder than that, germination 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
- We prefer to sow beets directly in the garden so that we don鈥檛 have to disturb their roots. However, beets鈥攗nlike many root crops鈥攄o generally tolerate being transplanted while still young. Since they are cold tolerant, , though.
- Sow seeds 陆-inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart in rows that are about 12 to 18 inches apart. After sowing, cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil.
- Make sure the soil remains moist for optimal germination. Soak seeds for 24 hours prior to planting to speed up germination.
Beet seeds are actually capsules that contain several seeds, so you may get two or three sprouts from each one.
Check out this video to learn how to plant beets:
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)!
- 鈥楥丑颈辞驳驳颈补鈥: red skin; when sliced open, reveals red and white concentric rings.
- 鈥楧etroit Dark Red鈥: Sturdy, traditional variety. Round, red root.
- 鈥楩辞谤尘补苍辞惫补鈥: Long, cylindrical beets that grow in the same fashion as carrots. Excellent for canning.
- Yellow varieties include 鈥楤辞濒诲别谤鈥 or 鈥楾辞耻肠丑蝉迟辞苍别&苍产蝉辫;骋辞濒诲鈥
- White varieties include 鈥楢惫补濒补苍肠丑别鈥 or Dutch heirloom 鈥楢濒产颈苍辞鈥
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!
Cooking Notes
Beets are a nutrient-dense food considered especially beneficial for health. Learn more in 鈥Beets: Health Benefits!鈥
Catherine Boeckmann
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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?
I have avoided beets most of my life but gave them a try after getting them in a box. I found a recipe that called for beets, potato, carrots, etc to be roasted in the oven after being coated with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was delicious. You can find that recipe on allrecipesdotcom.
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.
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!
If anyone knows what the planting material used for beets are can you please tell me. Its a matter of utmost importance.
Starting the first planting of Florida grown Organic 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 are the beets in your garden doing?
I am planting here in at. Petersburg. Do you have tips ?
Thanks
Jules
How can I tell when the beets are ready for 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.
