Growing Beets - How To Grow Beets In The Garden

Growing beets is akin to conjuring rubies from the soil—both are valuable and unimaginably beautiful. Beets have a leg up over rubies, however: Beets are nutritious and way more accessible than precious gems.

Beets are beloved for their deeply earthy roots and tender, flavorful greens, making them a versatile addition to everything from fresh salads and pickles to hearty stews and sautés. Native to the Mediterranean where wild versions once grew along coastal salt marshes, beets have been cultivated for thousands of years for both their leaves and roots.

Beets thrive in cool, sunny and moderate growing conditions. Similar to growing carrots, beet seeds can be sown either in early spring for a summer crop or in late summer for a fall harvest. For anyone starting a vegetable garden, they’ll be blessed with a beautiful harvest of both vibrant roots and delectable greens This combination of ease and culinary versatility makes beets a great crop for beginner and experienced growers alike.

Quick Beet Facts

What Is a Beet?

A beet is an enlarged root of the Beta vulgaris plant. It is a cool-season crop with many of its home garden varieties being grown for both its roots and edible leaves, making it a “two for one” vegetable. Beets are a member of the amaranth family and are adapted to cooler growing conditions.

Types of Beets

There are several main categories of beets, each bred for a specific purpose.

Garden or table beets are grown for eating and include familiar red, golden, white, and striped types used fresh, roasted, pickled, or juiced.

Sugar beets are grown on a large scale for sugar production and have pale, high-sugar roots not usually used in home kitchens.

Fodder or forage beets are bred as livestock feed, producing large, energy-rich roots.

Leaf beets, commonly known as Swiss chard, are grown for their large, colorful leaves rather than their roots, even though they are the same species as garden beets.

Burpee has seeds in a kaleidoscope of beautifully colored and tasty varieties, from round ruby-red varieties to cylindrical shapes and multi-color mixes.

Planting Beets

Beets are most often grown from seeds. A big, beautiful beet crop begins with care and attention to preparing the soil. As with carrots, a uniform soil will let your beets’ growth expand outward without impediment, creating smooth round or cylindrical roots. In the proper soil texture, beet seeds will

The rest of the planting procedure is straightforward and easily completed in short time. In fact, the quick planting means you can plant a short row of beets every week or two, resulting in a prolonged and fruitful harvest.

When to Plant Beets

Beets are a cool-weather crop, and planting dates for beets depends on one’s USDA zone. In southern US climates, beets can be grown all winter long but do poorly in summer’s heat. In northern soils, beets shouldn't be planted until the soil temperature warms up to at least 40 degrees F. (4 C.), usually around midspring. While they don’t fare well in summer even in northerly locations, a second crop sown in late summer will produce a fall harvest.

Best Soil for Beets

Beets love soil that’s soft, rich, and easy to sink into—think loose and crumbly, something that lets roots grow round and smooth instead of twisted and tough. A sandy loam or well-worked garden bed with plenty of compost is ideal. Rocky or heavy clay soils lead to misshapen roots.

Aim for a slightly acidic to neutral pH, around 6.0 to 7.0, and keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy. Use a soil testing kit such as the MySoil Test Kit, available on Amazon to pinpoint soil pH, allowing you to adjust accordingly. When the soil is right, beets practically do the rest themselves.

Light Requirements

Beets are happiest soaking up the sun, growing best with at least six hours of direct light each day. Full sun means faster growth, sweeter roots, and stronger greens. If full sun is not possible for you, beets will still grow decently in light shade. This is especially true in hot climates where a little afternoon shade can prevent stress. Otherwise, a sunny, open space will result in beautifully colored, richly flavored and study roots and leaves.

When choosing a planting site, be sure it is away from tall neighboring plants or structures such as a house or garden shed that cast long shadows. In cooler regions, a full sun spot also helps warm the soil more quickly in spring, helping you get your beet crop going sooner.

How to Plant Beets Step by Step

Now that you’ve determined the right time of year to plant beets depending on your location and have chosen a sunny spot, it’s time to plant your beet seeds!

• Prepare the soil. Loosen soil to about 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) deep. Remove rocks and clumps, then mix in compost or well-rotted organic matter. A soil sifter, such as the Round Capacity Compost Sifter from Home Depot, can help remove larger items from the soil as you dig. Rake the soil surface so it is smooth. A level surface helps you sow the seeds evenly and helps them make good contact with the soil.
• Sow the seeds. Sow beet seeds ½ inch (1.25 cm) deep and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart in rows spaced 12 inches (30 cm) apart. If you want a continuous supply, plant your beets in several plantings, about three weeks apart.
• Cover and water. Gently cover seeds with soil, making sure the surface is level. Water lightly but thoroughly. A level surface ensures pools of water don’t remain.
• Keep soil moist. Water regularly to keep soil evenly moist until seeds germinate, usually in 7–14 days if temperatures are between 55 to 75 degrees F (13-24 C.).
• Thin seedlings. When plants are 2–3 inches (5–7.5 cm) tall, thin them to 3–4 inches (7.5–10 cm) apart so roots have room to grow. Snip the seedlings rather than pulling them up because pulling will disturb the developing root systems of the plants still in the soil. Bonus—use the seedlings you’ve snipped to top your salad!
• Mulch lightly and remove weeds. Add a thin layer of mulch to hold moisture and reduce weeds.
• Water consistently. Consistency with soil moisture is key to growing most any root crop. Regular watering helps prevent tough or woody roots.

Beet Care

Beets may be an easy-care crop, but paying attention to the basics results in a far superior crop to one that is left to its own devices.

Watering

Beets’ water requirements depend on their maturity, soil conditions and the climate. In cool spring and fall temperatures, the soil dries slowly, especially in humid areas. Small, young plants won’t require as much water as those close to maturity; however, their relatively shallow roots may need water a bit more frequently until they reach the moisture reserves deeper in the soil.

Generally speaking, a good watering schedule for beets provides an inch (2.5 cm.) of water per week. This is a combination of rainwater and supplemental irrigation. If you receive a half inch (1.5 cm.) of rain, you only have to provide an additional half inch (1.5 cm.) of irrigation water. Use a rain gauge to measure the amounts of rainfall and irrigation water your garden receives.

The watering schedule for beets should be less about assigned days of the week and more concerned with providing consistently moist soil. It never hurts to stick your finger in the ground to feel for moisture. Over watering beets can be just as detrimental as underwatering this thirsty crop.

Fertilizing

Feeding beet plants is almost as important as soil tilth and water. Prepared beds should have organic matter worked into the soil to increase porosity and add nutrients, but beets are heavy feeders and will need supplemental nutrients during their growing period.

Beets need a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8 to ensure efficient nutrient uptake and optimum growth. The plants can tolerate a slighter higher pH, but no more than 7.0. is preferable. Perform a soil test to determine the status of pH levels prior to planting and adjust as necessary. Apply a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer seven days before planting. After that initial fertilizer application, use a lower-nitrogen fertilizer. Beets need more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen to promote root growth. Choose something like 5-10-10 or 4-8-8. About 2–3 weeks after seedlings emerge, apply fertilizer along the row, about 3–4 inches (7.5–10 cm) away from plants. Use roughly 1 tablespoon per 10 feet (3 m) of row, then water well. A second fertilizer application may be necessary if growth seems slow or soil is poor. Repeat once more about 4 weeks later using the same amount.

Note that boron is a necessary element for growing beets. Low levels of boron will cause black sunken spots on and in the root. Internal black spot can be prevented with ½ ounce of Borax per 100 square feet (14 g. per 9 sq. m.). For additional sources of boron, Walmart offers BioAg’s OMRI-Listed Boro-Mino Boron Fertilizer in 1 kg pouches.

Mulching

Mulch around the plants to retain moisture; water stress within the first six weeks of growth will lead to premature flowering and low yields.

Pruning

Beets require very little pruning, which is one reason they’re so easy for home gardeners to grow. In general, avoid cutting healthy leaves during the growing season because the tops are what feed the developing root.

The only routine “pruning” is cleaning up damaged or distressed foliage. If leaves become yellow, damaged or diseased, snip them off at the base using clean scissors or pruners. This helps keep plants tidy and improves air circulation.

Harvesting

When to harvest beets largely depends on your intended use for them. Some say the smaller the beet, the more flavorful, while others allow them to reach a medium size before picking beets. Will you use beets and greens fresh in salads? Will you pickle the roots and sauté the greens? Will you juice the entire plant?

Harvesting beets is easy once you know what to look for. Shoulders of the beets will protrude from the soil. When to harvest beets depends on the size of beet you desire. The best beets are dark in color, with a smooth surface. Smaller beets are most flavorful. Larger beets may become fibrous, soft, or wrinkled. The time table for harvesting beets will depend on when the beets were planted, temperatures where the beets are growing, and what you are looking for in your beet crop.

Depending on soil and recent rainfall, you may want to water the beet crop a day or two before picking beets to make them slip from the soil more easily. This is particularly true if you will be picking beets by hand. To harvest beets by hand, firmly grasp the area where the leaves meet the beet root and give a firm and steady pull until the beet root comes out of the ground.

Digging is an alternative way of harvesting beets. Carefully dig around and below the growing beet, being careful not to slice through, and then lift them out of the ground. After picking beets, wash them if they will be used soon. If storing for a length of time, place them in a dry, shady place until the soil on them has dried, then gently brush the dried soil off.

To harvest beet greens, they can be trimming individually and intermittently while the roots are still growing. Alternatively, leaves can be cut off the beet root in a bunch after the beet has been harvested.

Storing Beets

When harvesting, you should have a plan for what you’ll do with the beets afterward. Beet greens will last only a few days in the refrigerator after harvesting. Beet roots will remain usable only a few weeks unless stored in sand or sawdust in a cool place, such as a root cellar. When picking beets, try to eat some of them fresh for the best flavor and highest nutritional content.

Propagating Beets

Beets are typically propagated via seeds. Most folks purchase beet seed from a nursery, garden center or home store, but it's possible to harvest your own seeds. To harvest your own, you must first wait until the beet tops have flowered and then turned brown before attempting to harvest. Then cut 4 inches (10 cm.) off the top of the beet plant and store these in a cool, dry area for two to three weeks to allow the seeds to ripen. The seed can then be stripped from the dried foliage by hand or placed in a bag and pounded. The chaff can be winnowed, and the seeds plucked out.

A fun project is to attempt to regrow a beet plant from the top cut off of a beet root. Similarly to how one can start an avocado plant from a pit, the beet tops will regrow, but do not expect a root to form. Using a shallow dish place the beet top in it and add just enough water in the dish to cover. Wait a couple of days and you will see new leaves begin to form. To prevent rot, change your water frequently. Keep the water level consistent with the top curve of the beet cutting, but not to the new stem line. In just a week or so you will have new beet greens to cut.

Beet Problems

Beets are usually a trouble-free crop, but gardeners can run into certain pests and diseases on occasion, especially in warm or wet conditions. While some pests and diseases affect leaves, it is not a huge issue for root production unless the damage becomes so severe as to kill the entire set of leaves. Good spacing, crop rotation, well-drained soil, and keeping leaves dry when watering go a long way toward preventing most beet problems.

Common Pests

• Leaf miners – Tiny larvae tunnel through leaves, leaving winding white trails. Leaves may look blotchy or papery.
• Flea beetles – Make tiny “shot holes” in young leaves, slowing early growth.
• Aphids – Cluster on undersides of leaves, sucking sap and spreading disease.
• Cutworms – Chew through young seedlings at soil level.
• Slugs and snails – Feed on leaves, especially in damp gardens.

Common Diseases

• Cercospora leaf spot – Causes small purple or brown spots on leaves that can merge and kill foliage.
• Downy mildew – Creates gray or fuzzy growth on leaf undersides, often in cool, wet weather.
• Powdery mildew – White, dusty coating on leaves during warm, dry spells.
• Root rot – Happens in soggy or poorly drained soil; roots become soft and discolored.
• Black heart (boron deficiency) – Not a disease, but a nutrient issue that causes dark, cracked centers.

Growing Beets in Containers

When growing beets in containers, choose a beet that will not grow to an overly large diameter. You want plenty of room in the pot to grow a healthy crop of beets. The minimum depth of your container should be 6 inches (15 cm.). The HC Companies offers a range of deep pots perfect for the job on Amazon, including the Eclipse Round Planter for indoor and outdoor use. Fill the pot with potting soil amended with organic matter.

While they are tolerant of low fertility, beets like well-draining soil with a pH of between 6.0 and 7. Plant your beet seeds when air temperatures are between 50-85 F. (10-29 C.), although germination will still occur if temperatures are as low as 40 F. (4 C.) and as high as 90 (32 C.). Plant the seeds ½-¾ of an inch (1.9 cm.) deep. Seedlings will emerge within 7-10 days or, if cooler, up to two weeks. You will likely have to thin the seedlings when they are 4-5 inches (10-12.7 cm.) tall. Situate the growing beets in containers in full sun. Harvest when the roots have reached your desired size.

Growing Beets Indoors

Yes, beets can be grown indoors, especially smaller or round varieties that don’t need deep soil to form good roots. They need bright light—ideally 12–14 hours a day from a sunny window or grow lights—and containers at least 6–10 inches (20–25 cm) deep so roots can develop properly. Use loose, well-draining potting mix, keep soil evenly moist, and thin seedlings so each plant has room to grow. While indoor beets may grow a bit slower than outdoor ones, they can still produce tasty roots and tender greens right in your kitchen or sunroom.

Companion Planting

Almost any plant can benefit from companion planting in one way or another and planting companions for beets is no exception. Benefits of companion planting might be to add nutrients into the soil, act as a support for vining plants, shade roots to keep them cool and moist, deter pests, and even provide shelter for beneficial insects. Most importantly, companion planting diversifies the garden much as nature intended.

Beets have many friends in the garden. Suitable beet companion plants include:

• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Bush beans
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chard
• Kohlrabi
• Lettuce
• Onions

Don’t expect every crop to get along with beets even though they are pretty easygoing. Crops that should not be planted near beets include pole beans, field mustard, and wild mustard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Beet Growing Essentials

• Looking for seeds? Burpee has many to choose from, including different shapes and colors and even multi-color mixes.
• Beets grow best in soil that is slightly acidic to neutral pH. Use a soil testing kit such as the MySoil Test Kit, available on Amazon to pinpoint soil pH.
• For smooth and round beets, remove rocks and clumps from the soil with the Round Capacity Compost Sifter from Home Depot.
• Boron is a necessary element for growing beets. Provide it with BioAg’s OMRI-Listed Boro-Mino Boron Fertilizer from Walmart.
• If growing beets in containers, provide plenty of depth for growth the Eclipse Round Planter from the HC Companies found on Amazon..