How to Grow Sweet Beets

Beet greens are also edible.

Beets are a root vegetable with a unique color and sweet flavor. To grow beets that are especially sweet, start by growing a variety that is known for sweetness. Aside from cultivar selection, proper care is the best way to ensure your beets are sweet, as opposed to fibrous and bitter. Beets are a low-maintenance plant that grow best in cool soil that is consistently moist.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Cardboard

Instructions

1. Prepare the planting site 30 days before the last frost date. Remove the weeds and loosen the soil with a shovel.

2. Insert the seeds into the soil 1/2 inch deep, 1 inch apart. Space rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Water until the soil settles. When the seedlings sprout, thin them so there is just one plant every 3 inches.

3. Place a piece of cardboard over the soil until the seedlings sprout. This will protect the soil from crusting during rains.

4. Continue watering frequently enough to keep the soil moist. Stress due to improper watering is the leading cause of bitterness in beets. Remove the weeds by hand-pulling them as they appear.

5. Pull up the beets after 60 days, when they are between 1 1/2 inches and 3 inches in diameter. If you wait longer, they will not be sweet and tender.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Beets
• Mother Earth News: Sweet Beets, Cultivating Beets; John Navazio; April/May 2004