Roots are red, purple, golden or white, and either round or cylindrical. Leaves are similar to their close relative Swiss chard. Beets are cool-season crops but are fairly heat tolerant.
Beets do best when daytime temperatures are between 60 and 65 degrees. This is typically in the spring and fall months in Marin, but they can survive some frost. They don't like temperatures above 75 degrees.
A cool-season vegetable, they grow best in the spring and fall seasons, but can be nurtured through winter and summer as well with a little extra care.
Semi-hardy vegetables that can withstand light frost of air temperatures in the range of 28 to 32 degrees include beets, carrots, parsnip, lettuce, chard, garden pea (before flowering), Chinese cabbage, endive, radicchio, cauliflower, parsley and celery.
Detroit Dark Red is a reliable, versatile, heat-tolerant, longtime favorite heirloom variety that can be harvested both when small for baby beets or when fully mature for medium-to-large red globe roots.
Choose a site that receives full sunlight. Beets should ideally receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Beets prefer deep, loose, fertile soils with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Beets will not do well in acidic soils (pH below 6.0).
Overcrowded seedlings are another common problem when growing beets. Seedlings should be thinned to 3 to 4 inches apart to ensure good root development. Each "seed" that is sown is actually a fruit that contains several seeds.
Beets do not take a lot of time to mature and give desired yields provided you allow them a breathing space when you grow together with other plants. However, you should avoid growing them around mustard and pole beans.
Plus, there are many colors and cultivars of beets available, including red, golden yellow, white, and even pretty white and red ringed roots. Beets grow best in cool weather, so plant them in early spring (as soon as you can work the soil) or late summer/early fall to harvest before the ground freezes.
Can you leave beets in the ground too long? Yes. Unlike most vegetables, beets don't need to be harvested right away and remain fresh in your garden for up to four months. However, if beets are left to grow for too long, they become fibrous, tough, and unpleasant to eat.
Beets like moist but not soaked soil. An inch per week, between rainfall and supplemental watering, will do the trick if your soil is rich in organic matter and well drained. Beets' taproots grow high, sticking well out of the ground, so water gently to avoid washing the soil away.
Root vegetables like beets and carrots also flourish when sown midsummer, as they can stand a little frostnip and can be left under the snowpack to harvest later for a sweeter taste. Broccoli and cabbage starts or transplants also stand a chance when planted in July.
While the soil doesn't need to be soaking, it should be a little moist to the touch. If you allow beets to dry out during their germination or early growth period, you can delay the growth of their roots by days or even weeks. Once the beet greens start to show, beets need about 1 inch of rain or water per week.
Sometimes beets are too small or malformed as a result of too much shade or overcrowding. Beets prefer full sun but will tolerate some partial shade. For the best quality, aim for at least five hours of sun a day. Beets don't like acidic soil and may perform poorly in soil with a 5.5 or less pH rating.
Sow beets several weeks before the last spring frost, throughout the summer, and up until 6 weeks before the first killing frost in the fall. Seed germination temperature range is 45° to 85°F. Thinnings can be used in salads. Watering - Keep plants uniformly supplied with moisture for best performance.
Some common mixed fertilizers are 5-10-5, 5-10-10, 8-16-16, and 12-12-12. Apply these fertilizers at rates of 1 - 2 pounds per 100 feet of row. After plants are 3 to 4 inches tall, sidedress nitrogen in narrow bands or furrows and water thoroughly after application or apply through the drip system.
Days to maturity tend to be between 55 and 70 for most varieties. In other words, plan to harvest beets about 2 months after planting. Harvest roots when golf ball-size or larger; very large roots may be tough and woody.
Like most vegetables, beets prefer growing in full sun and they like to get about 1" of water each week. Beets are cold tolerant, so they can be planted in early spring, several weeks before the last frost date.
Beets can take their sweet time germinating, but you can speed things along a bit by soaking your beet seeds in room-temperature water about 24 hours before you intend to plant them. Water is what tells the seeds it's time to wake up and grow.
Coffee grounds
As the grounds break down, they will release potassium, nitrogen, magnesium and other beneficial minerals into the soil. Coffee grounds also lower the soil's pH which is beneficial for some types of plants, like artichokes, broccoli, lima beans and beets.
Tomatoes can actually help beets last into the summer when they're planted together. Tall-growing tomatoes will help shade the beets, giving them a respite from summer's hot sun.
Anyone with low blood pressure or is currently taking blood pressure medication should speak with a healthcare professional before adding beets or beetroot juice to their diet. Beets contain high levels of oxalates, which can cause kidney stones in people with a high risk of this condition.
If you're growing in a warmer climate, late summer or autumn is a superb time to sow beets as these cool-season roots definitely don't like it too hot – you'll get a much better crop as they grow on into the fresher temperatures of late season.
Preparing Soil for Beets
Loose, light soil will make it easy for the roots to swell. If your soil is very compacted you'll need to churn up the top several inches with a garden fork and rake it well to break up clods of earth. Growing in raised beds and containers is also an option, but make sure they don't dry out.
Beets are ready to harvest when their roots are the size of a golf ball, typically 50 to 70 days after planting. Harvesting times depends on the gardener's preference, but larger bulbs will have a tougher texture. Clip the tops off the beets and enjoy the greens, as well.