Growing Beetroot, also Beets

Beta vulgaris : Amaranthaceae / the amaranth family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
P P P P P P P P P P P P

(Best months for growing Beetroot in New Zealand - sub-tropical regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 45°F and 77°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 12 inches apart
  • Harvest in 7-10 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Onions, Silverbeet (Swiss Chard), Lettuce, Cabbage, Dwarf Beans, Dill, Peas. Strawberries
  • Avoid growing close to: Asparagus, Carrots, Sweetcorn, Spinach
  • Young beetroot
  • Seedlings before thinning

Soak seeds in water 24 hours before planting so that you can separate the seeds. Thinning is nearly always required as seedlings emerge from a seedball of several seeds. If you don't thin them, you will get a number of rather pathetic plants which don't grow to an edible size. Harvest in 55 - 70 days but will keep in ground for longer.

Keep well-watered as dry beetroot develop a woody and inedible core. Tip from the Italian Gardener "Make sure the top of the beet's bulb is covered with soil; this keeps the entire bulb the same color and prevents 'corkiness' at the top of the bulb." For tasty and tender beetroot, start harvesting at golfball-size.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Beetroot

Apart from boiling whole for salads, beetroot roast well, cut in wedges.
They also make a tasty salad grated raw with carrot and a little fresh orange juice.

Your comments and tips

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05 Jun 24, Murray (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Why does it say not to grow beetroot next to carrots? I have done this.....
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17 Jun 24, (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Probability a mistake.
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26 Jul 24, Liz (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
It is because they are both root crops and might deplete the soil
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19 Jun 20, Anthony Peddie (New Zealand - temperate climate)
What fertilizer do you recommend for beetroot seedlings. Can you grow peas at this time of the year.
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20 Jun 20, Anonymous (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Any general garden fertiliser - just not too high in Nitrogen - you want the beet to grow not a huge amount of leaf. Peas check the planting time here for them.
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07 Mar 18, Tek Bir Rai (New Zealand - temperate climate)
How to sow beetroot seeds ?
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13 Sep 18, Mike (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Get a Styrofoam box from a supermarket - cut the top half off - a lot less soil to put in and lighter to carry. Fill it up with some loose soil or potting mix or a mixture of both.
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29 Dec 17, Mary (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Why is it advised not to grow beetroot next to spinach?
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30 Dec 17, Liz (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
We advise that some plants should not be grown together (i e in the same bed) because their growth might be affected. Or because they attract similar pests.
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18 Mar 17, Iona Jelf (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I can grow good beetroot ( sown on the appropriate moon into soil well replenished with good compost, mulching the young plants with seaweed, and foliar feeding seaweed and fish several times) but it always takes double the time stated on the packet for them to bulb up well. I'm experimenting with sowing times, does anyone have experience with sowing as late as mid March? I was thinking i could microfleece them over winter and maybe the'd get away again in spring and give me some early beetroot....
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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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