How to Grow Beetroot

Aussies, Kiwis, and Brits know it as beetroot but our American friends call them beets. No matter what you call them, they are low in calories and are a fantastic source of folate, manganese, copper, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and iron. What’s even better is they are a great, low maintenance crop for beginners with few pest problems and a fast turnaround!

When to grow beetroot

Beetroot can be grown in quite a range of climates. It likes soil temperatures of 10-30°C or 50–86°F to germinate from seed and doesn’t like to get too hot throughout the lifespan of the plant. For this reason, if you are in a warmer climate with mild winters, planting in autumn and growing through winter is ideal. For colder climates, planting right at the end of winter when temperatures are starting to increase will work better.

Beetroot varieties

There are a lot of different beetroot varieties available to purchase as seeds. For traditional beetroots, you might want to consider Early Wonder or Detroit Dark Red which are commonly grown varieties. For something a bit different, you may want to try some of the following varieties:

· Golden Globes which are a brilliant yellow colour

· Chioggia for red and white concentric circles

· Bulls Blood or Red Devil for red/purple leaves and deep red roots

· White Beetroot

· Cylindra for longer thinner beetroots

· Heirloom mix for a variety of colours and shapes

How to grow beetroot from seeds

The key to growing beetroots from seed is getting your soil right first. They don’t like to be waterlogged and they also do like quite a lot of water so you don’t want your soil too free-draining – you are looking for a happy medium with soil that will hold water for 2-3 days. Ensuring you have a quality soil rich in organic matter such as compost or chicken manure and a good mulch to stop the soil drying out will make all the difference.

Raised garden beds are perfect for growing beetroots in – it ensures good drainage, and you can fill them with quality soil. Birdies garden beds [LINK to discount codes] are Mark’s raised beds of choice.

The second thing you are going to want to consider is location. Like most plants, beetroots do love sun but they also tolerate partial shade and in warmer climates, will appreciate a bit of

protection from the hot sun by being in the shade of another plant such as peas or beans or perhaps from some shade cloth.

Sow the seeds around 10-15mm or around half an inch deep and around 100mm or 4 inches apart and cover them over with soil before giving them a light water. Continue to water frequently to keep the soil moist but not wet.

Seedlings will begin to emerge around 5-10 days after planting.

How to grow beetroot from seedlings

To grow beetroot from seedlings, you still want to ensure that your soil is right and pick a good location as mentioned above.

Plant out each seedling 100mm or 4 inches apart for best results. It’s your choice whether you plant them in the clusters or prick them out and plant each one individually. The ideal time to do this is very late in the afternoon or first thing in the morning to give your plant an opportunity to get established without being blasted with the hot sun immediately. Lightly water the seedling in with a seaweed solution such as the Plant Doctor’s Seaweed Secrets (use SSME10 for 10% off your order) to minimise transplant shock.

Beetroots are relatively low maintenance so if you keep them watered regularly, there isn’t much else you’ll need to do.

If you see leaves looking wilted and flat, that is a sign that they need more water. It can happen quickly so as soon as you notice it, be sure to give your beetroots a good watering and they will soon perk back up. Provided this isn’t happening too often, the wilting won’t harm the plant long term.

How long does beetroot take to grow?

Most varieties of beetroot will take around 50-70 days to reach full maturity but look at the individual varieties that you choose to grow as some can grow as quickly as 30 days and others can take as long as 80 days. Either way, all varieties are still a comparatively quick crop to grow and you can always harvest earlier for delicious baby beetroots.

When to harvest beetroot

The Greeks originally started growing beetroots for their leaves in around 300 B.C. and they are still a fantastic addition to any salad or stir fry now. You can begin harvesting the leaves once they are large enough but be careful to ensure the plant still has enough leaves to continue growing.

The only real way to know if your beetroots are ready to harvest is to have a look at how big the root is. You can carefully scrape away the soil around the top of the root to see how big it is and if it’s the size you are looking for then pull it up. If it’s not big enough yet, ensure you cover the root back up with soil and let it grow a bit longer.

Avoid letting them grow too big as the root can become “woody” with a thick skin and not as tasty.

Be sure not to waste the leaves – if there’s more than you can eat you can share with friends, feed them to your chickens, ducks, or pigs, or simply compost them to feed future crops.

Mark’s top tips for growing beetroot

Beetroot seeds are multigerms meaning they are a cluster that contains multiple seeds inside it so the seedlings can come up very close together. Instead of pricking them out as seedlings and spacing them out for conventional growing, try leaving them in clusters. Then, as they grow, harvest the small beetroots (as baby beets which are wonderful and tender to eat) creating more space to let the other plants grow on to full size. This allows you to grow more in a smaller area and you don’t have to deal with transplant shock from relocating seedlings. You may also want to check out Mark’s video “5 Top Tips How to Grow a TON of Beetroot” for more tips.

How did you go growing beetroot?

Mark and the Self Sufficient Me team love hearing about your growing success so leave a comment and a photo below to let us know how you went growing beetroot.

If you had some trouble growing beetroot or simply want to pick Mark’s brain about your self-sufficiency goals or projects, you may want to consider becoming a patreon for exclusive content and email access for less than a restaurant meal each month!