How do you grow BEETS?

The weather has been nice the past few days. I set out a few beets to harden off under the porch.

I couldn't wait any longer... Today I transplanted eight beet seedlings into the garden! The weather is supposed to continue to be good for the next week.

We forgive you...and, we understand!

Thank you :)

I left their little plastic cups out there beside them just in case the night time temperatures are forcast to dip below freezing. I can go out and cover them quickly if necessary.

Honeybee,

I'm eagerly watching this thread and your progress because I've had the same troubles as you with beets. They would sprout, make a couple of true leaves and then stall out. Previously I've planted in the fall, so this time I'm trying in the spring. I'm in Atlanta, so I direct sowed them around Valentines Day. They have sprouted but don't have true leaves yet. (Well SOME of them have sprouted anyway). I swore that this would be my last attempt, but I never considered transplanting them. I had always heard that root crops don't like it. But I'm excited by the idea that they may be able to get an indoor head start and that may make them successful for me! I can grow turnips, diakon, radishes, but beets and rutabaga have stumped me. Wishing you the best success!

By the way, Linda, you can tell your cousin that she can plant her tomatoes around April 15 in Atlanta. I also plant eggplant, peppers, etc. around then. Wait until May for things that like heat, like squash, cucs, okra, beans. Cool Crops by Valentines day (direct sow root crops or transplant brassicas. Fall stuff started from seed by July 4 - transplants before Labor day.

Hope that helps!
Fingers crossed about the beets for everyone!
Susan

Susan, you are correct in saying root crops don't like to be transplanted, but I figured I had nothing to lose in trying to do so with beets. The ones I have already set-out look good, but don't seem to be growing. I'm giving them to the end of March, and if I'm not successful this time around, I'll have to scratch my head some more, and come up with another solution.

Linda, Susan is correct, the time-table I gave your cousin also says the middle of April to set out tomato plants.

Thanks, guys. I'll let her know! She's got tomato seedlings popping as we speak, so that should be right on track for her.

(She's sooooooooooo excited!)

Thanks, Evelyn. I am a very impatient gardener! I keep looking at the calendar and telling myself that they haven't had enough time to develop those sweet red globes of goodness.

Update - the beets are starting to put on more leaves. I'm uncovering them during the days I'm working outside so I can keep the birds from pecking at them.

All beets I started from seed have flourished, so I'm glad my thinning techniques seem to be working. I still have some to transplant into the garden, but they are hanging out in the porch for a few days to harden off first.

Now for a question: Will the swollen roots develope above or below the ground?

Mine grew sorta halfway in and out. Like an onion. But, I've often wondered if they should've been planted a bit deeper.

They will show above ground. A lot easier to harvest when you can see the size of the beet.

Thank you, Gymgirl and CountryGardens.

Mine haven't started to swell, yet.

I purchased fresh beets from the market the other day -- can't wait until I harvest my own.

The beets are looking happy:

They sure are! Not a hole in sight! Great going! Such perseverance!

Just read most of this thread. Making me so sad I didn't get to plant my winter garden! I love beets, their greens and turnips, chard, kale, arugula, leaf lettuces. I have a few snow peas started and some brussel sprouts that I put in pots. And I have to get my beds ready for the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant I just bought.
Your beets are beautiful! I hope you enjoy them! Janet in W Houston

I decided to give the beets some fertilizer today. Well, I sprinkled the stuff around, and then my daughter called and said: "Let's go for a walk!" I'm always up for a walk, so off we went.

I had intended to scratch the fertilizer into the soil around the beets when I returned, but by then the wind had really picked up and most of the fertilizer was "blowing in the wind".

Moral of this story? Don't fertilize on a windy day!

Local weather report for today: WINDS...WEST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

For once, the weather prognosticators were correct!

I have beet mania at my place. Grabbed this picture early this morning. Evelyn is right, once they start, they take off. Roasted beets with olive oil, garlic and balsamic, feta cheese at the end! To die for.....

Those are some handsome beets. Isn't it getting hot in AZ for beets?

Yep Jo. I'm pulling them all this weekend and planting tepary beans and summer squash.

So jealous!! I LOVE beets and couldn't plant my winter garden this year. Enjoy them! Janet

Mary, those beets look lovely. What kind are they? Mine are just sitting there! It's supposed to warm up (again) this coming week, so perhaps they'll pick up.

Honeybee, those beets are Early Wonder. I also planted Detroit Dark Red is another bed. This link says you can plant beets now through August. Hummmm, probably not in Phoenix though. Mine were a winter crop. And we had some serious cold snaps here this winter.

http://www.humeseeds.com/beet_ew.htm

This message was edited Apr 3, 2011 8:17 AM

Mary - Those Early Wonder sound just what I was looking for. I like the greens as well as the roots. Thanks for the info.

You're very welcome! Let us know how they do.

I finally had a chance to take a picture of my beets. You can see that I need to thin them! You can also see how the soil has a high clay/silt content and crack when dry. I watered this area two days ago...

David

Edited to add: This double row is about 30 feet long. I hope to have enough beets to can several dozen pints of pickled beets.

This message was edited Apr 6, 2011 5:51 PM

VERY nice. I planted too close as well. They have done fine in spite of that. How long until you can harvest?

I spaced my beets about a foot apart. So far only two have started to swell. We are having some warmer weather, so I'm hoping they will pick up soon.

I sowed my first seeds (indoors) on January 11th.

David,
Just be sure to keep that soil nice and moist so they can swell up! Remember, beets (and most other root crops) are made up primarily of water!

Okay, so from reading this, I messed up and my beets aren't going to grow, because I'm in South Florida and it's too hot now....great.

They took off like a shot while in the Jiffy Pots, but once I put them outside, they're growing SOOOoooo SLOOoooowwwww. But I am seeing growth.

So, what do I do now?

I have beets on the southern 'leg' of my U-shaped raised bed, about six-eight inches off the 'wall' of the raised bed . Next to them in a line I planted onions, then on the other side near the other 'wall' of the raised bed, I have some bush beans that I just thinned out. On either end, I have marigolds to deter slugs.

Did I do something wrong? The beets aren't growing too fast.

thanks.

Ok. So you planted at the wrong time. Two options. Keep going, or give it up.

I planted my very first veggie back in 2007 in May. It was a cabbage. A cool/cold weather plant. There were three, and I didn't know any better. But, I didn't give up.

Kept them alive thru our BRUTAL Texas summer heat. Once the cool of fall hit, they perked up and began to thrive. Grew all three (one was dessimated by stupid worms who ate it into a lace doily while not putting one hole in the other cabbage sitting right next to it in the same pot...) from May 30th 2008 until March 20, 2009 -- NINE whole months!

Sweetest cabbage I ever ate. And, not a bug hole in either of the two I harvested.

So. You can keep 'em alive until the cool of the fall -- or you can give up the beets...

Here's that cabbage...

This message was edited Apr 7, 2011 1:50 PM

well, I am a firm believer in "Go Big, or Go Home"....I'll keep the beets.

But what do I do to protect them from our brutal humid South Florida weather? they are planted in a part of the planter box that gets 10 hours of sun a day ....and what do I fertilize it with? or just leave them alone (save for water) until fall and mess with them then?

SFC,
I'd suggest some sort of shade cover over them. Even an umbrella will suffice. Long as they're getting some bright light but not the scorching sun all day. Keep the soil moist, and keep them cool with periodic misting from your hose. Don't let the soil dry out - EVER!.

I never once fertilized my beets, cause I didn't know any better. Now, I guess I would hit 'em with some Miracle Grow from a hose end sprayer about once every 2 weeks or so.

That's about all you can do. Luv em...

Yesterday, I ran the mower a few times through some leaves collected last fall, and this morning I mulched the beets to keep the soil from drying out. It's supposed to rain this afternoon.

I would post a photo, but I want to get some shopping done with daughter before the rain gets here.

I grow beets in dirt rows and now mostly in raised beds filled rose soil. This soil drains really well so I have to watch how little I water seedlings. With this soil I use liquid fertilize every week alternating between MG for Tomatoes and Medina Hasta Grow for Plants. In dirt I side dress with 13-13-13-11sulfur as soon as they are up about 2" and then in about a month. I found that you don't want beets as with most veggies to stall out in their growth curve. They need enough food and water to keep them growing. If planted too crowded I sometimes don't get beets but only tops.

Here we go!. It won't be long now.

Nice! That baby looks ready to pluck. I've been very lazy about fertilizing. the beets I've harvested so far seem none the worse for my laziness, but the other bed, the Early Wonder beets, are a bit sluggish. That's proably why. I can give them a blast of something tomorrow.

Thanks for the tips.

SUH-weet!

Pretty pics! But I gotta ask, T-rock, what is "I side dress with 13-13-13-11sulfur".... I've never heard of triple 13-11 sulfur.

Shoe (who set out beets last week and they sure are enjoying the cool rain we are getting today! Yay!)

Mary, I quit trying to grow Early Wonder because they just didn't like the way I do things. The beets in the picture are Krestrel F1. I don't know how they taste, but at least I like the way they grow for me. I am trying Red Ace but they just came up last week so too early how they will do for me.

Shoe, Here it is http://www.apfcorp.net/products/multi-pels.html