Grow more cold-tolerant veggies in your garden.
Caring For Beets
Beets grow best in loose, well-drained soil and at least 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. If your soil is clay or boggy, plant beets in raised beds or large containers filled with quality topsoil. For best results, plant beet seeds directly in the garden in early spring, two to three weeks before the average last frost date for your area. Sow seeds 1 inch deep and 1 inch apart in rows 10 inches apart. Cover the seeds with a loose layer of soil and water seedbed gently. When the seedlings are 3 to 4 inches tall, thin them to stand 3 to 4 inches apart (save the thinned-out plants to use in salads). Thinning is especially important because every beet “seed” is actually a cluster of several seeds. If seedlings are not thinned, the young roots don’t have space to grow and produce harvestable beets. Beet plants typically need consistent moisture, so provide supplemental water during hot or dry spells during the summer. Enjoy beets and their greens at all stages of maturity. Beetroots are ready to harvest when they are 1 to 1½ inches in diameter. These petite beets are often called baby beets. Mature beets are 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Beet greens are especially delicious in salads when they’re young and tender. Treat mature beet greens like chard when cooking.
