Beets for the Home Garden: Your First Crop From Seed to Storage

Beets are one of the most efficient vegetables you can grow in a home garden. You plant a few seeds in spring, and within fifty to sixty days you are harvesting tender, sweet roots and a supply of leafy greens that rival spinach in flavor and nutrition.

The best thing about beets is that they give you two crops from one planting. The root is the familiar round vegetable you buy at the store. The greens on top are just as edible, just as nutritious, and just as good in the kitchen. You get more food from fewer seeds, less garden space, and less work than almost any other vegetable.

Beets also store well. If you harvest them before the ground freezes and keep them in a cool, dark place, they will last for months. That makes them a practical crop for anyone who wants to extend the life of their garden harvest.

This guide covers everything a Zone 7a gardener needs to know about growing beets: choosing varieties, planting, thinning, seasonal care, harvesting, and storing. It is written for beginners, because beets are one of the best first crops you can try, but it also includes details that experienced gardeners can use to improve their harvest.

Choosing Varieties

There are many beet varieties to choose from, but most home gardeners only need to know the three main types: deep red, golden, and candy-striped.

Detroit Dark Red is the most common variety and a great choice for beginners. It produces uniform, round roots about three inches in diameter with a rich, sweet flavor. It stores well and is reliable in Zone 7a. This is the beet most people picture when they think of beets, and it is the standard for good reason.

Golden Beets have a milder, less earthy flavor than red beets. They do not stain your hands or clothes when you peel them. If you are new to beets and want a gentler introduction, start with gold. They look the same on the outside and perform the same way in the garden, just with a different internal color and a slightly sweeter taste.

Chioggia is a candy-striped variety with alternating red and white rings inside. It has a sweet, delicate flavor and is a fun variety to grow with kids or at a community table. It grows well in Zone 7a but produces slightly smaller roots than Detroit Dark Red. Harvest when the roots are two to three inches for the best appearance and flavor.

For a continuous harvest, choose two or three varieties with different maturation times. This way you can stagger your harvest and enjoy fresh beets over a longer period. Detroit Dark Red is reliable and early. Gold and Chioggia tend to mature slightly later and fill in the gap.

When to Plant Beets

Beets are a cool-weather crop and handle light frosts well. This is unusual for garden vegetables, and it works in your favor. In Zone 7a, you can plant beets as soon as the soil can be worked in early spring, usually late March or early April.

The soil temperature at seed depth should be at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit for germination, but beets will germinate slowly until the soil reaches 50 to 60 degrees. If the soil is too cold, the seeds may rot before they sprout. If it is too warm, the plants may bolt and go to seed quickly.

In Zone 7a, there are two good planting windows for beets:

• Early spring: Sow as soon as the soil can be worked, usually late March to mid-April. The soil will be cool enough to keep the plants from bolting early, and the roots will mature before the peak summer heat arrives.
• Late summer: Sow from mid-July through early August. This is often the best planting window for beets. The seeds germinate in warm soil, the plants establish through August, and then they finish growing in the cooling weather of September and October, which is exactly when these crops taste best. Fall-harvested beets are typically sweeter than spring-harvested ones because the cooler temperatures concentrate the sugars.

You can also plant a midsummer crop in June if you time it right, but beets planted in July heat often run the risk of bolting before the roots fill out. If you plant in June, choose a heat-tolerant variety and provide light shade during the hottest part of the day.

How to Plant Beets

Beet "seeds" are actually seed balls, each containing two to five true seeds. This is why thinning is so important, and it is the single biggest factor between a productive beet bed and a crowded one.

Sow seeds directly into the garden about one-half inch deep and two inches apart in rows that are 12 to 18 inches apart. Water the row gently after planting and keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds germinate, which usually takes 7 to 14 days depending on soil temperature.

Beets do not transplant well. Do not start them indoors and move them outside. The seedlings grow fast but resent root disturbance. A seed planted directly in the garden is usually ahead of a seed started indoors and then moved outside.

If you want an earlier start, you can start seeds indoors three to four weeks before your last frost date in biodegradable pots, then transplant them directly into the garden after the last frost date when the soil has warmed. But direct sowing is simpler and usually more successful.

Thinning: The Most Important Step

When the beet seedlings are about two inches tall and have developed their first set of true leaves, thin them to three to four inches apart. This is the step most beginners skip, and it is the step that determines whether your beets grow to a usable size or stay small and struggling.

If you do not thin your beets, the plants will crowd each other and compete for space, water, and nutrients. The result is a patch of many small, thin beets instead of a few full-sized ones. In extreme cases, none of them will reach a harvestable size at all.

When thinning, do not pull the seedlings out, because that disturbs the roots of the plants you want to keep. Snip them at the soil line with scissors or a small pair of garden snips. The thinned seedlings are edible baby greens and are not wasted.

Baby beet greens are a delicious addition to salads and sautes. They have a mild, slightly sweet flavor that is similar to young spinach leaves. Save the greens from thinning and use them the same day. They are tender and do not need cooking.

Thinning is one of those gardening tasks that feels wasteful at first, but it is essential. A few well-spaced plants will always outproduce a dense stand of crowded ones. If it makes you feel better, think of thinning as harvesting a first crop of edible greens while your main crop establishes.

Seasonal Care

Once your beets are thinned and growing, maintenance is simple. Beets are one of the low-effort crops in the home garden. They do not need special treatment beyond three things: water, soil, and basic weed control.

Watering

Consistent moisture is the most important care task for beets. Inconsistent watering, especially dry periods followed by heavy rain, causes roots to split and develop a tough, woody center. The soil should stay evenly moist, not soaked and not dry.

Aim for about one inch of water per week, either from rainfall or from supplemental watering. During hot, dry stretches in July and August, beets will need more than the average inch. Water deeply two or three times a week if rainfall is light.

Mulching around the plants with straw, shredded leaves, or grass clippings helps retain moisture and keeps the soil cool. This is especially important for spring-planted beets that mature during the approach of summer heat.

Soil and Feeding

Beets are not heavy feeders. If you have amended your garden bed with compost before planting, that is usually enough. Adding too much nitrogen can cause lush greens at the expense of root development.

If the leaves turn pale yellow or the plant stalls in growth during midsummer, a light side dressing of compost or a balanced organic fertilizer around the four-leaf stage is optional but not required. Most Zone 7a home garden soils have enough natural fertility for a beet crop.

Pest Management

Common beet pests include beet leafhopper, aphids, leafminers, and cutworms.

Beet leafhopper transmits curl top virus, which causes leaves to twist and curl and roots to become deformed. This is the most serious disease affecting home-grown beets. There is no cure once a plant is infected. Prevent it by using floating row covers from planting until mid-summer to exclude the leafhoppers.

Aphids cluster on the undersides of leaves and can be washed off with a strong spray of water or managed with insecticidal soap if the infestation is large.

Leafminers create squiggly tunnels inside the leaves. They are mostly a cosmetic problem and rarely affect the root. Remove the worst-affected leaves and compost them.

Cutworms attack young seedlings at the soil line, cutting them down overnight. Protect young plants with cardboard collars pushed an inch into the soil, similar to the protection used for other seedlings.

Harvesting Beets

Beets are ready to harvest 50 to 60 days after planting for full-sized roots, or as early as 35 to 40 days for baby beets. You can harvest at any size, but most gardeners wait until the tops of the roots reach about two to three inches in diameter for the best balance of sweetness and tenderness.

To check if a beet is ready, brush away a small amount of soil at the base of the stem and look at the top of the root. You do not need to dig it up to check. If it is close to the right size, dig it gently with a garden fork and see.

To harvest, loosen the soil around the beet with a garden fork and gently pull the plant by the greens. If the soil is compacted or dry, water the bed thoroughly the day before harvesting to make removal easier. Pulling from dry, hard soil can break the top off and leave the root in the ground.

Harvesting Greens

You can harvest the greens throughout the growing season by cutting outer leaves when they are four to six inches long. The plant will keep producing new leaves as long as the root is growing. Baby greens from thinning are a bonus crop that costs nothing extra to produce.

Do not remove more than one-third of the greens at any one time, or the plant will slow down its root growth. The greens need to stay on the plant to photosynthesize and feed the developing root. Think of the greens as the plant's solar panels, not just a side crop.

Baby Beets

Baby beets are one of the most underrated vegetables in the garden. They are ready in 35 to 40 days, have a delicate, sweet flavor, and require no peeling because the skin is paper-thin. They roast beautifully in ten minutes and look stunning on a plate.

To grow baby beets, sow seeds more densely and thin aggressively at the baby stage. Harvest when the roots are one inch or less in diameter. They do not store as long as full-sized beets, so plan to use them within a week.

Storing Beets

Beets are one of the most storables vegetables in the home garden. With proper handling, they will keep for months in a cool, dark place, making them a practical crop for extending your harvest season through winter.

Harvesting for Storage

Harvest your beets before the first hard frost. Gently brush off excess soil but do not wash them. Watering before storage adds moisture that encourages rot.

Cut the greens off, leaving about one inch of the stem attached. Storing beets with the greens attached will cause them to lose moisture quickly and become soft and wrinkled within a few weeks. The greens draw water from the root during storage.

Root Cellar Storage

The best storage method is a cool, dark, well-ventilated place such as a root cellar, basement, or unheated garage. The ideal temperature is 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit with 90 to 95 percent humidity.

Place unwashed beets in perforated plastic bags or in boxes of damp sand or sawdust. Do not pack them tightly. Leave some air space between the roots so moisture does not build up and cause rot. Stored properly, beets will keep for two to four months.

Refrigerator Storage

If you do not have a root cellar, most beets will keep for several weeks in the crisper drawer of a refrigerator. Pack them in a sealed container or zip-top bag with a damp paper towel to maintain humidity. They will stay firm and sweet for about four to six weeks this way, longer than most other garden vegetables.

Freezing Beets

Beets can be frozen for longer storage, but they must be cooked first. Raw beets do not freeze well. Blanch whole or cubed beets for 25 to 30 minutes before freezing. Pack them in freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, and label with the date. Frozen beets will keep for eight to twelve months and work well in cooked dishes, soups, and smoothies.

Canning Beets

Beets can also be pressure canned for shelf-stable storage. Use a tested pressure canning recipe from a reliable source such as the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Do not use water bath canning for beets, because their low acidity makes them unsafe for that method. Properly canned beets will keep for twelve to eighteen months at room temperature.

Common Problems

Even experienced gardeners run into issues with beets. Knowing what to expect makes it easier to prevent or address them.

Woody, tough roots. Caused by inconsistent watering or heat stress. Keep the soil evenly moist and avoid planting beets during the peak of summer heat. Fall-planted beets rarely develop this problem.

Splitting roots. Also caused by irregular watering. A dry period followed by heavy rain or heavy watering causes the root to expand faster than the skin can keep up. Mulch helps prevent this by keeping soil moisture stable.

Poor root development. Usually caused by overcrowding. Thin early and thoroughly. A dense stand of beet seedlings will not produce harvestable roots no matter how well you water or fertilize.

Beet leafhopper and curl top virus. The most serious disease affecting beets. Prevent it with floating row covers from planting through midsummer. Once a plant is infected, there is no cure. Remove and destroy infected plants to prevent spread.

Rust or leaf spots. Fungal diseases that thrive in wet conditions. Water at the base of the plants, not from overhead. Provide good air circulation between rows and avoid planting beets in the same spot year after year.

Why Beets Are Worth Your Time

Beets give you more than most gardeners expect from a single crop. The roots are versatile and delicious roasted, boiled, pickled, or eaten raw in salads. The greens are a nutritious, fast-growing crop in their own right. Because beets are cold-hardy, you can start planting them as soon as the soil is workable in spring and grow them again in the cool fall weather.

If you have never grown beets before, start with a short row of Detroit Dark Red or a handful of gold beet seeds. They are easy, productive, and one of the first crops that will make you want to keep growing food all your life.

The rules are simple: sow deep enough, thin thoroughly, water consistently, and harvest before the hard frost. Everything else is just practice.

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— C. Steward 🍅