How to grow & care for Beetroot
Beetroot is the ultimate vegetable to grow for root-to-tip eating! Its young tender leaves can be eaten raw in salads or sandwiches, the older leaves can be cooked like spinach and the flavoursome beet or root can be used in a huge range of dishes.
Beetroot can be grown year-round but prefers to grow in the cooler months of the year in Australia. Avoid growing beetroot during the height of the wet season or the peak of summer.
Choose a full-to-part sun spot to grow beetroot. It will tolerate as little as 4 hours of direct sun per day and will happily grow in the part-shade of taller vegetable crops.
Top 4 tips for growing Beetroot
- Beetroot can be grown year round
- Grow beetroot in a full sun to part shade spot
- Beetroot is edible, root to tip! Pick a few leaves while the root grows.
- Grow beetroot easily from seeds or seedlings
Shopping List
- Beetroot seeds or seedlings
- Scotts Performance Naturals Organic Based Soil Improver
- Scotts Performance Naturals All Purpose Organic Based Fertiliser
- Garden trowel
- Pot & Scotts Performance Naturals Premium Organic Based Potting Mix - if growing in pots
Prepare
- Choose a spot in your garden with full sun to part shade. Remember beetroot can be planted amongst and under taller growing crops.
- Enrich the soil with organic matter before planting by mixing through Scotts Performance Naturals Organic Based Soil Improver and Scotts Performance Naturals All Purpose Organic Based Fertiliser.
Growing from seeds
Sow seeds 1cm deep, 5-10cm apart into your prepared garden soil or Scotts Performance Naturals Premium Organic Based Potting Mix if growing in pots. Protect germinating seeds from slugs and snails with Defender Snail & Slug Pellets.
Beetroot seeds are “aggregate seeds” which means each seed will produce 2-3 seedlings. Thin seedlings out to the strongest one as they grow once the seedlings are 3-5cm tall. You can replant any seedlings in another place in your garden.
Growing from seedlings
Carefully separate each beetroot seedling and plant them into prepared garden soil or Scotts Performance Naturals Premium Organic Based Potting Mix if growing in pots. Space seedlings 5-10cm apart.
Planting in the garden
Sow seeds or plant beetroot seedlings into prepared soil, in a spot with full sun or part shade. Beetroot will tolerate growing in the dappled shade beneath taller growing crops, so it’s a great one to inter-plant amongst other longer-term crops in your garden.
Planting in pots
Sow seeds or plant beetroot seedlings into a 30cm wide by 30cm high pot filled with Scotts Performance Naturals Premium Organic Based Potting Mix. Allow 5-10cm spacing between each seed or seedling and water them in well. Ensure the pot has good drainage so the roots don’t become soggy. Regular watering will help produce sweet, plump beets that aren’t cracked and tough.
Harvest
You can begin to harvest a few outer beetroot leaves around 4-6 weeks after planting. Just make sure you only remove a few of the outer leaves from each plant, so that it can continue to grow happily.
The best time to harvest beetroots for their root or “beets” is when they’re about 3-6cm across - these are often called “baby-beets” and it’s when they’ll be at their sweetest. Beets up to 10cm across are still fine to eat, but they may be less flavourful and more woody - turn them into a tasty soup or beetroot dip.
Pests & Diseases
- Slugs and Snails can cause significant damage to beetroot leaves. Protect beetroot plants by setting beer traps (saucers filled with beer) amongst them or use Defender Snail & Slug Pellets.
- If whitefly or caterpillars attack beetroot use Defender™ Pyrethrum Insect Spray as per the labels instructions to control them.
