Beets trace their ancestry to the Mediterranean region, where their leafy tops were eaten long before the swollen roots became a familiar table vegetable. Today’s garden beets may be round, flattened, cylindrical, red, golden, white, or boldly striped, and both the roots and tender leaves are useful in the kitchen.
Closely related to Swiss chard, beets are cool-season biennials grown for harvest during their first year. They develop their best color, sweetness, and texture in loose soil with steady moisture and mild temperatures, moving quickly from clustered seedlings to tender roots ready for the table.
Growing Guide
Timing
Direct sow beets about 2–4 weeks before the expected last spring frost, once the soil can be worked and has warmed to about 45–50°F.
Make small sowings every 2–3 weeks for a longer harvest. For fall crops, sow early enough to allow about 55–70 days before the first hard freeze. Beets tolerate light frost and often become sweeter in cool weather.
Sowing & Starting
Sow seed clusters about ½ inch deep and 1 inch apart in loose, well-drained soil. Keep the seedbed evenly moist until seedlings emerge.
Because each corky “seed” may produce several seedlings, thinning is usually necessary. Space plants about 3 inches apart for most varieties, or slightly wider for large and cylindrical types. Young thinnings are edible.
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