Learn how to grow beets easily, and why you want to this year! Beets have an earthy flavor and are very versatile as a main course dish, side, or a salad topping. They’re also super easy to grow, making them a great choice for beginner gardeners!
We love growing beets and then pickling them to enjoy in veggie trays… Pickled beets are one of my favorite ways to eat beets, and they are always the first thing to disappear on a veggie tray!
Are Beets Hard To Grow?
NO! Beets are not hard to grow at all! In fact, they are one of the easiest vegetables to grow!
That’s because they rarely have pest or disease problems, and grown in as little as 6-8 weeks! Plus you don’t have to do anything to them… Just plant, water, harvest and enjoy!
Planting Beets
Beets are usually planted from seed each season, and sown directly into the garden soil! Beet seeds (like these ones) are a nice size, so they’re not too small to plant by hand, and don’t need to be pelleted for easy handling.
Sow beets seeds about 3 inches apart each, in rows at least 5-6 inches apart, so they have room to grow between them!
If you happen to plant beets closer, it is easy to do, then you’ll need to thin them so they can grow. Beets that are too close together never grow to a mature size.
Remember to mark your beet rows so you remember where they are!
When To Plant Beets
You can first plant beets 2-3 weeks before the last average frost date in your area each spring. And, You can succession plant beets every 1-3 weeks until temps get up to 80 degrees.
Then take a break, and start planting beets again in the fall! You can plant beets again in the late summer to early fall. Plant beets again 8 weeks before the first average frost date in autumn for your fall-winter beet crop!
How To Grow Beets
Beets don’t require fussing over, and you don’t need to stake them or anything, so they’re really easy to grow. After sowing seeds, get your watering system down. I like to use the little mist sprinklers that attach to the drip line.
Keep the soil your beets are planted in moist. If beets don’t get enough water, it can stunt their growth, producing a smaller beet.
Weed beets every week or two, so that your beets get all the nutrients from the soil they need.
And that’s it… Beets are easy to grow!
What Do Beets Need To Grow?
Beets are super selfless plants, because they don’t require much. All beets really need to grow is good soft loamy soil, regular watering, and plenty of sunshine!
The best soil for beets is a bit acidic, with a PH ranging between 6 and 7.5. If you have alkaline, clay, or hard… Just mix in a couple inches of compost! Plus: You can also add wood ashes, because wood ash is full of potassium and it promotes root growth!
Harvesting Beets
Beets can be harvested after growing for 6-8 weeks! (Then you can plant more!)
You can tell that your beets are ready to be harvested when the crown (where the stems come out of the root) is 1-3 inches in diameter, you’re beets are ready to be picked!
Smaller beets are a bit more tender and tastier, and bigger beets are a bit harder and earthy in flavor. ( happen to like the earthy flavor, and it’s easier to peel larger beets so I pick them large. However, may people prefer a sweeter tenderer beet and harvest them small. Do what you like!
You can also harvest the beet green! Pick just a couple beet greens from each plant at a time, leaving plenty to help grow the root… They taste better when they’re small!
What happens if you leave beets in the ground too long?
If you wait too long to harvest your beets they grow bigger and become harder and have a tougher texture. However, they are still yummy, so go ahead and cook them up!
Do Beets Come Back Every Year?
No, generally beets do not come back every year. In mild climates beets that aren’t harvested may live a couple seasons…. HOWEVER, beets are an annual plant, and need to be replanted each year.
As you harvest a beet, you remove the root so there is no more plant to keep growing.
Can You Leave Beets In The Ground Over Winter?
Yes, you can leave beets in the ground over winter for storage, and pull them for use when needed! This is a great way to store beets for use over winter if you’re like me and don’t have a root cellar!
Beets are a semi hardy, or frost tolerant, vegetables and can survive a freeze. However, if temps in your neck of the woods get much below 30 degrees during the winter, then you need to cover them!
To do this, you will need to cover your beet crop to protect the beetroot from freeze damage. Cover beet beds with about a foot of straw in the fall.
More on Gardening!
How To Start A Garden For Beginners
Grow Strawberries The Easy Way
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Juliea Huffaker is a 40 year old mother of 3 girls and 3 boys. She loves home design, gardening, cooking from scratch and natural country living… Learn more!
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If you use this info on how to grow beets, and love it, Tag me on Instagram @farmhouse_harvest with your crop!
Sources
The National Gardening Association
University of Idaho Extension – Gardening Source
