DETAILS
Overview
The beet plant is a fast-growing vegetable that can be grown just about anywhere. Although beets are known as a root crop, all parts of the beet plant are edible. Tender beet greens can be harvested when thinning a row of beets. The most commonly known root beets are red, but golden and striped varieties are now popular. They are a cool-season crop, and you may be able to get both an early crop planted in the spring as well as a crop planted in the summer or fall.
Sun Exposure
I need at least 4 hours of afternoon sun but can go all day
Growing Season
Dimensions
Height: 3-4”
Width: 2-3”
Spacing: 14-16”
Matures
- 50-60 Days
Maintenance Notes
Physical indications of maturity include reddening of the leaves and desired root size. The optimal root diameter is around 1.5”. Roots that are too small will produce chicons with loose heads; too large and the chicons may have off-shoots. We used a plastic mulch lifter, which has long finger-like forks in the front of the toolbar that use the force of the soil to lift the roots to the surface. Because the soil is lifting the roots up there is minimal breakage of roots and harvesting is more efficient. On a smaller scale, roots can easily be dug with a digging fork, similar to carrots or parsnips. Care should be taken not to nick or damage the roots, since damaged roots may be prone to rotting during storage or forcing.