Beets: How to Grow It

Description

Figure 1. A) Garden beets can come in an array of colors. B) These white beets look almost like turnips.

General Description: Beets are commonly grown for their bulbous roots, but their tops can also be harvested for greens, and they are an excellent source of Vitamin A as well as calcium. Beet juice is sometimes used in flavoring and for coloring ketchup and tomato juice. Swiss chard is a very close relative. Both are the species Beta vulgaris.

Types: Red beets are the common garden type (Figure 1-A), also known as table beet. Edible beets can also be golden, white (Figure 1-B) or internally striped (as in the Chiogga beet). There are other types of beets, such as sugar beets or forage beets, but these are not consumed by humans.

Planting

Figure 2. Timeline for planting and harvesting beets.

Timeline: Beets grow best in the cooler temperatures of spring or fall (Figure 2). The plants can tolerate light frosts. For a continuous supply of tender beet greens and roots, sow every two weeks until late May. Plant again in mid- to late-August for a fall harvest. In gardens, beet roots can grow 3-to-4 feet deep in good soil. However, because of their small size, beets can easily be grown in containers or raised beds.

Figure 3. Beets need to be thinned when they are 3 to 4 inches tall.

Sowing and Transplants: Plant beet seed directly into the soil once soil temperatures have reached 45° Fahrenheit. Light or loamy soil is preferred. Heavy clay soil should be amended with compost or other organic matter. Plant seeds ½ inch deep and one inch apart. Each beet seed will produce 2-to-6 plants, which will need to be thinned.

Alternatively, beets can be sown indoors about 5- to-6 weeks before transplanting. Transplants should be set 3 inches apart. Transplanting reduces the time to harvest by 2-to-3-weeks. If grown in a container, or in wide rows, there should be between 5 and 9 beet plants per square feet.

Thinning: Thin beets once their tops reach a usable size, about 3-to-4 inches tall (Figure 3). The plants should be thinned to 2-to-3 inches apart.

Pests and Diseases

Figure 4. A) Flea beetles on beets. Courtesy: MNartists.org. B) All tops condition on beets. Courtesy: Mary Roduner.

Major Pests

• Flea Beetles: Flea beetles chew small, round holes in leaves (Figure 4-A). They can heavily damage the crop, especially when the plants are very young. Planting mustard greens, such as arugula or radishes near the beets can sometimes act as a trap crop.

Major Diseases

• Cercospora Leaf Spot: Avoid this disease by not planting beets in the same spot two years in a row and by removing any remaining plant debris after harvest.

Minor Problems

• All Tops: All tops with no roots or small roots is a condition usually caused by planting too close or by not thinning plants (Figure 4-B). Excessive nitrogen fertilization can also contribute to extensive top growth at the expense of root growth.
• Tough Roots: Tough roots can be caused by drought or too high soil temperature, along with white interior rings.