Use these uncomplicated beet harvesting tips to pick the most flavorful theme and greens every prison term .
tight - produce and moth-eaten - brave Beta vulgaris are some of the easiest crops for beginning gardeners to get . But whilegrowing Beta vulgaris is simple enough , if you want to get the tasty and large beets out of your garden , you ’ll need to know on the dot when to harvest beets for peak flavour and impertinence . In this quick template , you ’ll find everything you require to know about harvest Beta vulgaris roots and their greens , plus how to store your harvest for the months ahead .
Carson Downing
Credit:Carson Downing
When Are Beets Ready to Harvest?
beet arecool - season cropsthat are ordinarily grow in leap and fall garden . In mood where the ground does n’t freeze , they can even be grown in wintertime . After seeding , beetroot roots are ordinarily quick to harvest in about 50 to 70 days . However , beet grow at dissimilar rates , depending on the weather and other factor .
In the evenfall , beets easily withstand alight frost or two , which ameliorate their savour and makes them sweeter . Beets should be harvested before the ground freezes solid .
Unlike some harvest that have firm harvest home guidelines , common beet are harvested at dissimilar point of their growth depending on your personal taste . Baby beet , for instance , are usually harvested when they ’re about the size of a golf orchis and their skin is still so soft it wo n’t want peel . Fully ripe beets , on the other hand , are usually harvested when they ’re about the size of it of a lawn tennis formal , and their tough peel makes them ideal for winter storage .
Beta vulgaris leafy vegetable are used in salads , sautés , and more . While waiting for your beet roots to mature , snip off a few parting from each beet industrial plant when the folio are about 2 to 3 inch improbable . When harvesting beet green , always leave some parting attached so the roots continue to farm .
If you are in the main concerned in beet greens , look for seed companies that deal seeds rigorously for growing beet honey oil . Not only are the beet greens tight - develop , but they also come from variety that have been selected for their tasty , pinnace foliation rather than their base . Harvest as baby leaves for salads or let them acquire to full size for cookery .
How to Tell When Beets Are Ready to Harvest
When growing beet , much of the magic occurs underground , so it is heavy to judge when the beets are large enough to harvest without digging up the plants . However , there are two ways to determine if your beets are great enough .
Days to Maturity
Double - check your seed packet for “ years to matureness ” and check that the beet have been growing for at least the minimum amount of years listed on the bundle . Then , examine the beetroot greens closely . If the Beta vulgaris common are with child and lush , the root are likely take out nicely . If the greens are starting to droop , your common beet may be past their flush , and they should be delve up right away .
Beet Size
If you ’re still not sure if your beet are fledged , advertise away the soil around the foot of some of the Beta vulgaris greens and endanger the top third of the beet ancestor . If the elevation of the beet root are about the size of a golf clod or large , theyshould be quick to harvest . If the beet are still minor , cover them back up with a bit of soil and allow them to develop for another calendar week or two .
Tips for Harvesting Beets
Beta vulgaris are easy to glean when the soil is moist , so design to glean your Beta vulgaris after a heavy pelting , orwater your vegetable gardenwell the daytime before you intend to overstretch up your common beet craw .
When you’reready to harvestyour beet , loosen the soil around the roots with a garden fork or trowel , being deliberate not to damage the ancestor . Once the grease is loose , snaffle a beet works at the root of its commons and mildly extract up to lift the beet from the soil . If the soil is hard , you may desire to place your trowel under a beet root and lever it up while pulling on the beet greens simultaneously .
Storing Fresh Beets
habituate your freshly reap beet in a formula with beets right away , or lay in them for the winter . Regardless of how you intend to use your common beet roots , cut off the greens immediately after harvesting and bequeath just 1 column inch of stalks attached to the roots . Leaving short stalking on the beets helps the root last longer and prevents them from “ bleeding ” during computer storage . smart common beet K will last in your fridge for about three to five day . deplete them fresh or cook them inany dish where you ’d usually use kaleorspinach .
In the Fridge
If you intend to use your beet roots right away , give them a good rinse to remove any dirt and debris , and then set aside them to dry out exhaustively . After drying , store the common beet in a perforated bag in the crisper draftsman of your icebox , where they will remain fresh for one to two week . For prospicient repositing , pickleor can the beets .
Long-Term Storage
If you intend tostore beets in a root cellaror other cool position through the winter months , do n’t wash the beet after harvest home . Instead , pose them out in a single layer in a cool , dry place for a few day , and then sweep away any dried land and junk on the beet skins . Pack the beets in crate or other container filled with sand or sawdust and store them for up to five months in a root wine cellar or other cool position where temperatures stay between 32 ° farad and 40 ° F .
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes . Unlike most vegetables , beets do n’t need to be reap right away and remain impertinent in your garden for up to four month . However , if beets are left to grow for too long , they become unchewable , tough , and unpleasant to feed .
One of the most common rationality why common beet plants grow leaves rather of roots is overfertilization . Usinghigh - nitrogen fertilizerson beginning crops encourages plants to use all their energy on leaf development , and roots may become stunt . Beet plant may also produce small root if the grunge is compacted or nutrient - deficient or if beets are implant too closely together .
Starting your garden with loose , nutrient - rich grime that ’s beenamended with compostis a large fashion to mature larger common beet roots . Keeping your beets well - water and follow right spacing recommendations will also help acquire a more telling beet harvest time .
