Beetroot Beet, Table Beet, Garden Beet, Blood Turnip, Red Beet, Beet, Mangelwurzel

Beta vulgaris

Beetroot belongs to the Beta genus. Beetroot is also known as Beet, Table Beet, Garden Beet, Blood Turnip, Red Beet, Beet, Mangelwurzel

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The Beetroot Plant Wiki

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A compact plant grown for both its leaves and its roots. The leaves are tall and held erect from the ground, with a semi-savoyed texture. In most varieties the leaves are dark green and the stems and veins are dark red, although this is not universal. The leaves are edible, and can be eaten either raw or cooked. The root grows into a ball or cylinder ranging from 5cm (2 inches) to 15 cm (6 inches) or more in diameter. The most common varieties produce dark red roots, although pink, gold, yellow and even striped varieties are available. Beets don’t take up a lot of space, and do well in small gardens or containers.

Beetroot belongs to the Beta genus.

How to grow and keep Beetroot happy

Requires loose, well-drained soil. Although fall beets will be the sweetest, you can grow this from 2-4 weeks before the first frost, all the way through summer, and into fall, past the first frost. You can harvest small, tender leaves once the plant is established, but never take more than 1/3 of the plants leaves at any one time. Harvest the root when it is 5 to 7 cm (2-3 inches) across. At that time, you can use all the larger, older leaves the same way you would use Swiss Chard or mature spinach.

How to sow and germinate Beetroot

Beet seeds are clusters of 6-9 seeds, so thinning will be required. They can be hard to germinate, so score the seeds with a nail file, then soak in tepid water for 12 hours before planting.

Because of their long taproot, it is not recommended to transplant beets. They are best sown in place.

How to transplant Beetroot

How to harvest Beetroot

Companion plants for Beetroot

These plants will grow well with Beetroot:

Lettuce, kohlrabi, onions and brassicas ¹

Repellent plants for Beetroot

These plants will not grow well with Beetroot so avoid planting these within close proximity:

Runner or pole beans (stunt growth). ¹

Common Beetroot pests

These pests are known to attack Beetroot plants:

Common Beetroot diseases & problems

These problems and diseases are known to effect Beetroot plants:

How long does Beetroot take to grow?

These estimates for how long Beetroot takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world. Start logging and journaling your observations to participate!

When should I sow or plant Beetroot?

These estimates are relative to your last frost date. Enter your frost dates and we'll calculate your sowing and planting dates for you!

Beetroot Etymology

When Carl Linnaeus classified beets in his original binomial nomenclature system, he created three varieties: the wild beet, the leaf beet and the root beet. These have sometimes been considered varieties and sometimes subspecies, but they are now all classified as varieties. The type we call beetroot is simply that. It’s the kind of beet that we grow for its root. The botanical epithet is from the Latin vulgaris meaning “common”