Beetroot Varieties
There are several different varieties you may want to experiment with as you plan your spring and fall planting.
Yellow and white beets tend to be sweeter and don't bleed red juice while cooking.
Newer varieties may contain more sugar than you want in your diet.The older varieties will have less sugar than the newer hybrids.
The red ace beet will produce tender greens for your salad, stores exceptionally well over the winter and is more heat resistant than other varieties.
The early wonder tall top has a shorter growing season, cooks well and normally matures between 50 and 60 days.
The baby ball variety grows as a perfectly rounded, small beet with fine tips. The taste is mellow and produces delicious greens for your salad. It matures in about 50 days and is picked at a baby size.
Starting Beets Indoors
Starting beets indoors enables you to control their growing environment, these cool-season vegetables can be grown all year long. But giving them a good start is essential to your success!
Why Starting Beets Indoors?
Beets should be planted from seed, directly into the garden and starting seeds indoors for later transplanting is of course, more time-consuming than direct sowing, so why do we bring extra work on ourselves!
I found that it is simply more effective that sowing outdoors. Beet seed sown in the soil outside in the garden has a lot to contend with in that difficult first weeks of its life and must resist among many things such frost, rain, wind, weeds, slugs, snails and birds. By sowing beetroot seeds indoors you are giving the seedling a chance to get itself established and sturdy before it has to deal with these threats. As a result, you’re more likely to have strong seedlings ready to be transplanted in your garden.
There are different varieties of beetroot and each has its unique properties. Most of them are grown for its beet which comes in a variety of size, shape, and color. Choosing varieties that work best for your growing conditions and take advantage of your environment will ultimately decide the outcome of your growing experience. Always start with good quality seeds!
After having your beetroot seeds packet always check the individual details on it, the information on the back of a seed packet will tell you the vast majority of information that you need to know.
Beetroot Seeds:
As you can see, the beetroot seeds are rough and crinkled, almost like someone just jammed a bunch of seeds together. That’s because beetroot seeds are multi jerm seeds. Multi jerm seeds occur when flowers grow in clusters, fused together by the petals (such as the flowers on beet plant, and chard), which then produce multi jerm seed balls. When the seed balls germinate, they may have two to five seedlings sprout all at once. This explains why, even though you may be diligent about spacing your beetroot seeds properly, you still end up with tight clusters of beets!
Starting beetroot seeds in pots then transplanting the resulting seedlings outdoors will help you manage your garden layout better. The transplants will be sturdy plants that can withstand pests and cool, early-spring temperature fluctuations.
Start the seed indoors about three to four weeks before you want to transplant so the seedlings don't grow too large.
1. Soak the seeds in water overnight to soften their shells and speed up the germinating process.
2. Select a plastic pot that's approximately 2 to 3 inches deep to allow enough space for the seedlings to develop .
3. Fill the pot with seed compost and press down on the compost to create a firm surface.
4. Sprinkle the seeds over the compost surface, approximately 1 inch apart. Cover them with a 1/2-inch layer of moist compost. Lightly press on the compost to firm the surface. One common mistake is to sow a large number of beetroot seeds all at the same time. Try to avoid this, rather sow a small number of seeds every two weeks. Each beet 'seed' is essentially a fruit containing three or four actual seeds inside it, so you want to give each seed that you plant enough space so they have room to grow!
5. Position the pot in a warm area of the house. Aim for a temperature between 75 and 90 degrees F.
6. Water the soil as needed to keep it evenly moist.
7. Plenty of water is necessary for beetroot seeds to germinate. Water the plant on daily basis to sprout. The best temperature to sprout the seeds is 50 F. The seeds should germinate in 5 to 8 days at an optimal temperature of 77°F (25°C)
8. Beetroot seedlings grow best in conditions of uniform moisture. You normally don't need to water them unless the soil in which they reside has become dry. You can check this by pushing your finger into the soil to see if it is dry. Maintain a regular watering schedule however, otherwise you will end up with dry and cracked roots. You normally need no more than 1 inch of water a week.
9. Rotate the pot if the source of sunlight is small, like a window, to ensure every plant gets a uniform amount of sunlight and grow straight upwards. Your beetroot seedlings should be ready to plant out in about 4 weeks.
10. Beetroot seedlings are ready to plant outside when they get their second set of leaves, which is their first pair of true leaves. Waiting too long to transplant results in larger, more easily damaged roots and increases the chances of transplant shock, which can stunt or stop plants' growth.
Transplanting Beetroot Seedlings In The Garden
Beetroot are one of the few root crops that can be grown from transplants providing the seedlings are planted out before they become constricted. Late winter is the best time for transplanting beets outdoors in areas with mild, generally frost-free temperatures. Before transplanting the seedlings, it's important to harden off the seedlings. Begin by placing the pot in a shady area for two to three hours per day for about a week. Next week, increase the time outdoors by an hour or so every day as you gradually move the seedlings into brighter light. At the end of the second week, the beet seedlings are ready for their permanent place in the garden.
Transplanting Seedlings
Growing Organic Beetroot in The Garden
Beetroot is one of the easiest vegetables you can grow, it is a cool-season crop that like cool weather. So it’s best to plant them during cool weather. They grow well in cool temperatures in spring and fall and do poorly in hot weather.
If you plant beets in the fall, use a slightly heavier soil to help protect against any early frost. Remember that they can be grown all winter long in many southern states. In northern soils, beets shouldn’t be planted until the temperature of the soil is at least 40 F. (4 C.).
Beetroot although can handle warm temperatures once they're established. In a full sun location.
Soil Prepartion
The biggest keys to success in organic gardening is the condition of the soil. Beetroot grow best in deep, well drained soil, but never clay, which is too heavy for large roots to grow. Clay soil should be mixed with organic matter to help soften it. Hard soil can cause the roots of the beet to be tough. Sandy soil is best.
1. Choose a site in the garden that gets full sun and dig down deeply, to promote good root development. Your soil needs to be loose enough for good aeration and drainage, which will help promote strong root development. Beets are not particularly heavy feeders, but like a bit of well-rotted manure or organic compost worked into the soil. Avoid using fresh manure or incomplete compost, as the beet roots will become bitter and hairy.
2.Work the soil and compost together.
3. Remove any large rocks or old roots.
4. loose the soil to allow the beets free room to grow.
You can add a general granular fertilizer a few weeks before sowing and rake it into the soil to let the nutrients absorb.
Direct Sowing Beetroot Seeds
1. Sow beetroot seed from March to July. For early crops of small, delicious tender vegetables sow a bolt resistant variety like Pablo beet under cloches in early March. The variety you choose will depend on the look and flavor that appeals to you most!
2. Sow your beetroot seeds 2cm (3/4"-1") deep.
3. Keep seeds at a distance of at least 5 to 10cm (2-4").
4. Water daily, your seeds need plenty of water to start the germination process.
5. Seeds should germinate in 5 to 8 days at an optimal temperature of 77°F (25°C)
6. Once you have sprouts, only water them every 10-14 days in dry spells.
If you're succession planting, sow beetroot every 14 days for a continuous harvest. This is an easy alternative to succession harvesting.
Thinning is essential when growing beeroot. Thinning the seedlings helps maximize crop production and ensures a healthy development and growth of the beetroot plants. Plants will grow well if proper spacing is provided for their growth. Beetroot seedlings require thinning for their growth. After germination, beet seedlings need to be thinned to prevent malformed roots. Beetroot seeds are clusters of seeds which will produce 3 or 4 separate seedlings. Thin the new seedlings to leave the strongest otherwise the beets will be crowded and remain small. It is important to water the seedlings before you start thinning them.
1. You can start thinning beetroot seedlings once a set of true leaves emerge.
2. Thin the new beetroot seedlings to leave the strongest otherwise the beets will be crowded and remain small.
3. You can either pull out the seedlings you want to thin out with your hand or use scissors to cut the unwanted seedlings.
4. Leave a space of 3 inches between beet plants.
5. You may be able to transplant some of the seedlings if you are careful not to disturb their roots too much when you move them.
Fertilizing Beetroot Plants
Remember that applying too much nitrogen can cause lots of leafy growth and little root development. If you notice large leaves and smaller roots, reduce fertilizer applications!
How to Grow Beetroot in Containers
Your container grown beets are easy to care for if provided with water, aerated conditions and great drainage!
Beetroot Plant Care
While beetroot are still being established, weeds compete with them for water, nutrients and light so it's a good idea to keep the area around your plants weed free. I recommend simply doing this by hand, and completely pulling out any weeds that may show up. Once the beet plants have become established, however, weeds will not be a particularly difficult problem. Fungal disease can be a problem for some crops and weeds can contribute to this by cutting down the air circulation around your plants. Plants with good, clear space between them will be much healthier than congested crops. A simple defense against pests is to plant marigolds around the garden. Marigold roots release a chemical that kills nematodes. The best off all that once they are established in the soil, beets will generally take care of themselves, provided the soil has the right pH and good nutrient content.
Beets are delicious both for their tasty roots as well as for their nutrient packed leafy greens. The leaves are edible and excellent for bringing colour to salads. The tastiest leaves are the youngest ones, leaves from fully grown beetroot can taste slightly bitter.
Harvesting Beetroot
Beetroot can be harvested at any stage of development, from the thinning to the fully mature stage at about 2 inches in diameter. The {thinnings} are beets that have been pulled from the ground prematurely to make room for others when rows are overcrowded. Thinnings can be eaten raw, in salads or roasted.
All parts of beet plants are edible. The young green tops are delicious steamed. If you wish to harvest the tops before the roots are ready, do so selectively, taking only a few leaves from each plant so that the root can continue to grow.
Beets are at their sweetest and most tender when harvested young. Begin pulling them when the roots are about 2 inches in diameter. Most taste best before they reach 3 inches in diameter.
1. Pull the root from the ground.
2. Cut the tops off approximately 1-2 inches above the root to prevent color bleed and loss of moisture.
3. Wash the beets well in cool water. At this point they can be stored in a cool location for several months.
Beetroot Pest and Diseses
Insects: Flea beetles, leafminers, and aphids may attack the beet leaves, but should not affect the roots.
Diseases: Certain leaf spot disease may affect beets. To avoid problems, grow them in full sun with good air circulation and remove any infected leave.
The best prevention against disease and pests is a strong healthy plant, growing in organic well-drained, and well-weeded soil. Keep in mind that excessive humidity and lack of air circulation may lead to diseases!
Keep beetroot foliage dry and improve air circulation by removing weeds and thinning out crowded plants. Rotate your crops around the garden from year to year.
Beetroot Companion Plants
Beets thrive when planted near bush beans, soybeans, butter beans, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, peas, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, leeks, scallions, onions, garlic, mint, summer savory, borage, and Swiss chard. Mint also is a helpful companion plant for beets and keeps away flea beetles, cabbage moths, fleas and even rodents with its strong scent. Plant marigolds around the garden. Marigold roots release a chemical that kills nematodes.
Health Benefits of Beetroot
Red beetroots have been ranked as one of the 10 most potent antioxidant vegetables and are also one of the richest sources of glutamine, an amino acid, essential to the health and maintenance of the intestinal tract. Eat the whole beet. The entire plant is edible, tastes good and is good for your body. Being the only plant to contain betalains, they are an important part of every healthy diet.
Beetroot Juice
Research shows drinking beetroot juice may benefit your health and beetroot juice is low in calories and has many vitamins and minerals in it.
1. Drinking beetroot juice increases plasma nitrate levels and boosts physical performance.
2. Beetroot juice may help lower your blood pressure.
3. Straight beetroot juice is low in calories and has virtually no fat. It’s a great option for your morning smoothie to give you a nutrient and energy boost as your start your day.
4. Beetroot juice is a good source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps boost your immune system and protect cells from damaging free radicals.
5.There are many benefits of beetroot juice for skin. Beetroot juice can work on your skin in either way. It’s a powerhouse of antioxidants which can scavenge free radicals and keep your skin young, glowing and problem free.
If you decide to add beetroot juice to your diet, take it easy at first. Start by juicing half a small beetroot and see how your body responds. As your body adjusts, you can drink more. Juicing beets is a superior way to enjoy them because cooking beets reduces their nutritional profile. But If you don’t like beetroot juice straight up, try adding some apple slices, mint, or citrus to cut through the earthy taste.
Watch: How to Harvest Beets Video
Beetroot are easy to grow, take up little space and are ideal for beginner gardeners. They’re also nutritious, delicious, and are probably one of the most under appreciated vegetables by most gardeners. I hope that this step by step guide will help you to grow your own organic beetroot!