Beets are bold, beautiful, and delicious! Here’s how to grow perfect beets every time, from sowing to harvest, ensuring a tasty and nutrient-rich crop.
Where to Grow Beets
Beets thrive in sunny spots with moist, well-drained, and fertile soil. Enrich your soil with 2 cm of well-rotted compost or manure before planting. This improves fertility, retains moisture, and prevents waterlogging, which can cause root rot.
Sowing Beets
Beets can bolt (flower prematurely), especially early in the season. To avoid tough roots, choose bolt-resistant varieties like ‘Boltardy.’ For unique flavors and colors, try golden beets or the striped ‘Chioggia.’
- Direct Sowing: Sow seeds 1 cm deep, spaced 5 cm apart, with 30 cm between rows. Beet seeds are actually seed capsules containing multiple seeds, resulting in natural clusters.
- Plug Trays: For early or succession planting, sow seeds in trays filled with firmed potting mix. Thin seedlings to 3-4 per plug for robust plants. This method also allows you to plant seedlings as soon as garden space is available.
Beets germinate within a week in warm conditions. In cooler areas, sow in spring; in warmer climates, sow in late summer or autumn for a better harvest in cooler temperatures.
Transplanting and Spacing
Transplant seedlings after 4-6 weeks when roots are well-developed. Space plants 20-25 cm apart in both directions. Beets grow well in clusters, pushing roots apart as they develop. Harvest smaller roots as baby beets, leaving others to mature.
Pest Protection
- Birds: Cover young plants with netting in early spring to prevent bird damage.
- Leaf Miners: Remove and crush leaves showing tunneling to kill larvae. Use fine mesh or fleece to prevent infestations.
Watering and Mulching
Keep beets well-watered to prevent cracking, bolting, and woody roots. Mulch with grass clippings, straw, or shredded leaves to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. In hot climates, plant beets in the dappled shade of taller crops or use shade cloth for extra protection.
Harvesting Beets
Harvest baby beets when roots are golf ball-sized and mature beets when they reach tennis ball size. Twist and lift roots carefully to avoid disturbing neighboring plants. For clustered beets, harvest the largest root from each group and let the rest grow. Avoid letting roots grow too large, as they can become woody.
Store harvested beets in the refrigerator or in damp sand for winter storage.
Using Beets and Their Leaves
Don’t discard beet greens! Use them as you would spinach or chard—steam, stir-fry, or add raw to salads. Beet roots are versatile, perfect for roasting, pureeing, baking into desserts, or dehydrating into nutrient-dense powder.
Packed with antioxidants and nutrients, beets are a superfood that can be enjoyed in countless ways. Whether as roasted roots or fresh greens, they’re a delicious and healthy addition to your table.