How to Grow Beets in a Home Garden

Both the bulbous roots and leafy tops of the beets can be harvested.

Beets grow well in well-drained soils and are relatively low maintenance, according to Ohio State University. For areas with poor soil quality, consider installing a raised bed for planting beets. Beets are most often harvested for their bulbous roots, which range in color from red to yellow. However, beet tops can also be used as a salad green, according to Iowa State University.

Things You'll Need

• Garden shovel
• Beet seeds
• 5-10-10 fertilizer
• Compost
• Watering can
• Water
• Garden scissors

Instructions

1. Dig small holes in the garden about ½-inch deep. Place the beet seeds into the hole and cover with dirt. Space the next beet seed about 1-inch away.

2. Space the next row of beet plants 12 to 18 inches away from the previous row. For a continuous beet crop, establish a new row of beets two weeks after the previous row was planted

3. Mix a 5-10-10 fertilizer into the soil at the time of planting. Treat beet plants with fertilizer again when the seedling are about 2 to 3 inches high.

4. Pull up weak plants when beet tops reach a height of about 2 inches. Thin out plants so that the plants are spaced 3 to 4 inches apart in a row. This helps ensure a healthy crop.

5. Cover the plants with a layer of compost after thinning the crop. This will help prevent the garden from becoming infested with weeds

6. Water plants weekly during dry spells with a watering can. Soil should remain moist but not wet to the touch.

7. Check plants regularly. Observe the width of the beet root at the soil line. Harvest beets by gently pulling them out of the soil when the greens are about 4 to 6 inches tall and the root is about 2- to 2 ½-inches wide. Generally, beets mature in 50 to 60 days.

8. Use garden scissors to snip the greens to a length of about 1 inch after harvesting. This prevents the beet root from bleeding during cooking.

Tips & Warnings

• Beets larger than 3 inches in diameter are generally fibrous and not as tender as smaller roots.

• Do not plant beets during the day when temperatures exceed 80 degrees. Wait for cooler, evening temperatures to plant the seeds.

References

• Ohio State University: Growing Beets in the Home Garden
• Iowa State University: Growing Beets in the Home Garden