How to Grow Beets Like a Pro – Expert Tips for Bigger, Sweeter Harvests

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

Beets – also known as beetroot – 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.

These popular root vegetables 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.

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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 types 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, as they don't like being transplanted. 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 germinate quickly.

The rest of the planting procedure is straightforward and easily completed in short time. In fact, the quick planting means you can plant a little 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 depend 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°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 types that are 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 soil 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 sturdy 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!

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Keep soil moist. Water regularly to keep soil evenly moist until seeds germinate, usually in 7–14 days if temperatures are between 55 and 75°F (13–24°C).
5. Thin seedlings. When plants are 2–3 inches (5–7.5 cm) tall, thin seedlings 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!
6. Mulch lightly and remove weeds. Add a thin layer of mulch to hold moisture and reduce weeds.
7. 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.

How Often to Water Beets

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. This simple AcuRite gauge from Amazon does the job without spending much.

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. Overwatering beets can be just as detrimental as underwatering this thirsty crop.

Fertilizing Beets

Beets are not heavy feeders, but they benefit from nutrient-rich soil. About one week before planting, apply a general-purpose balanced fertilizer – ideally with an NPK of 10-10-10.

After that initial application, a lower-nitrogen product is best for fertilizing beets. These root vegetables need more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen to promote root growth. Choose something like 5-10-10 or 4-8-8. Cz Garden Organics' 5-10-10 Tomato & Vegetable Fertilizer is a good pick.

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 the 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 m²). For additional sources of boron, try this Opulent Boron liquid fertilizer.

Mulching Beets

Mulch around beet plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Water stress within the first six weeks of growth will lead to premature flowering and low yields.

Organic mulches such as straw, shredded leaves, untreated grass clippings, or compost work well, helping to keep the soil evenly moist and cool during warm weather.

How to Prune Beets

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 Beets

Beets can be harvested at almost any stage, depending on how you plan to use them. Will you use beets and greens fresh in salads? Will you pickle the roots and sauté the greens? Will you juice the entire plant? Smaller roots tend to be sweeter and more tender, while larger beets are better suited to roasting, pickling, or storage.

Most varieties are ready to lift once the exposed shoulders reach around 1–3in (2.5–7.5cm) across.

To harvest beets, loosen the soil if necessary and pull the roots gently by hand, grasping them where the leaves meet the crown. Watering the bed a day before harvest can make lifting easier in dry conditions.

Young beet green leaves can be picked sparingly throughout the season, or the entire top can be removed once the root has been harvested.

Beets Care Calendar

Overwintering Beets

In mild climates, mature beets can be left in the ground over winter and harvested as needed. Protect roots from repeated freezing and thawing with a thick layer of straw, shredded leaves, or another organic mulch. In colder regions, harvest and store roots before the ground freezes solid.

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. Beet roots will remain usable for 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 gardeners purchase beet seed from a nursery, garden center, or home store, but it's possible to harvest your own seeds. To do this, 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 grocery store root. The tops will regrow, but you won't get a whole new root. Simply place the beet top in a shallow dish, just covering it with water. After a few days, new leaves will have begun to form, and you can harvest these once they are big enough. Change water frequently to avoid rot.

Beet Problems

Beets are usually a trouble-free crop, but gardeners can run into certain common garden 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.

For sap-sucking pests such as aphids, an insecticidal soap spray, like Bonide's ready-to-use spray from Amazon, can help keep populations under control.

Good spacing, crop rotation, well-drained soil, and keeping leaves dry when watering go a long way toward preventing most beet problems.

Development Problems

• Bolting – Beets may bolt in response to temperature fluctuations or heat stress, causing the plant to flower and reducing root growth.
• Wilting or falling beet plants – Sudden wilting may indicate insect damage, root rot or other diseases affecting the plant's roots and foliage.
• Small or misshapen beets – Usually caused by overcrowding, insufficient sunlight, poor soil conditions, or nutrient imbalances that restrict root development.
• Black heart (boron deficiency) – A nutrient issue that causes dark, cracked centers.

Common Pests

• Leaf miners – Tiny larvae tunnel through leaves, leaving winding white trails. Leaves may look blotchy or papery.
• Armyworms – Can eat tender young transplants to the ground and defoliate older plants.
• Flea beetles – Make tiny “shot holes” in young leaves, slowing early growth.
• Aphids – Cluster on the undersides of leaves, sucking sap and spreading disease.
• Cutworms – Chew through young seedlings at soil level.
• Root-knot nematodes – Yellowing foliage, poor growth, and swollen roots can all be signs of root-knot nematode damage.
• 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.
• Curly top – Causes curled, stunted foliage and distorted roots, and is spread by beet leafhoppers.
• Southern blight – A soil-borne fungal disease that causes yellowing, wilting and root rot, often identified by white thread-like fungal growth around the base of plants.
• Mosaic virus – Spread by aphids, causes yellow mottling and pale blotches on leaves, sometimes leading to stunted growth

Growing Beets in Containers

When growing beets in containers, choose a variety that will not grow to an overly large diameter. You want plenty of room in the pot to grow a healthy crop, so choose one with a minimum depth of 6 inches (15 cm). The Eclipse Round Planter for indoor and outdoor use from The HC Companies via Amazon is ideal.

Fill the pot with potting soil amended with organic matter to improve drainage and fertility. Then, plant the seeds ½ to ¾ of an inch (1.5–2 cm) deep and keep the soil lightly moist. It will take 7–12 days for seedlings to emerge, which should be thinned once they are 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) tall.

Position your potted beets in a full sun position and harvest them when grown in the ground.

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 Beets

As with most other crops, companion planting beets helps improve success and yields. This might be through adding nitrogen to the soil, providing shade, and encouraging beneficial insects. Good beet companion plants include:

• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Bush beans
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chard
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Garlic
• Kohlrabi
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Shallots
• Tomatoes

However, not every plant makes a good companion plant for beets. Bad plot neighbors include:

• Carrots
• Field mustard
• Wild mustard
• Pole beans

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.
• If growing beets in containers, provide plenty of depth for growth, the Eclipse Round Planter from The HC Companies on Amazon.