Beets are a popular vegetable and a great addition to your garden. Beets have a lot of uses, but they’re most commonly used for their bulbous roots. They are easy to grow as long as you know when to harvest them. Here’s everything you need to know about harvesting beets!
Basic Beet Information
You can cook or eat beetroots raw. These vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain folate, potassium, and iron. That makes them an excellent source of nutrients.
Beets contain phytochemicals that have anti-cancer properties and other health benefits. They can reduce cholesterol levels or prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Ways To Tell When Beets Are Ready For Harvest
You can tell when beets are ready for harvest by checking several things:
By Size
Beets should be at least 2 inches in diameter, but if you have a smaller variety and they’re ready to eat, get started! You can always cook them whole and slice them after cooking. If they’re too small, they won’t hold up through cooking and will break apart into mush.
By Color
A deep red indicates that it’s ripe—and there’s no better way to know for sure than biting into one! If your kids don’t like fresh produce, check out some recipes using roasted or pickled beets.
By Its Leaves
Look at their condition and ensure they haven’t started wilting yet (this means they have plenty more growing left).
How To Harvest Beets
To harvest beets, remove the greens from the root and store them in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. Wash and cut off the tops when you’re ready to use them.
Preparing For Storage
To prepare beets for storage, wash them with a veg brush and remove any greens. Then, cut off the top 1/2 inch of each beet and its root end. It’ll make it easier to peel them when you’re ready to cook them.
Beets will store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. So don’t worry about spoiling them if you cannot use them immediately.
Harvesting Beets At The Right Time
The best way to tell when beets are ready to harvest is by size and color. Beets growing in your garden should be at least 1 1/2 inches across and deep red, purple or golden. If you pull a beet out of the ground and it’s smaller than this, leave it in the ground until it gets bigger.
Beet greens should also be about 3 inches tall (or taller) before they can be harvested. If you’re only harvesting greens from your beet plants, wait until these are at least 4-5 inches tall. Once they reach that height, cut them off at their base with scissors or by hand.
Growing Beets
Beets grow best when temperatures stay between 50°F and 70°F (10°C-21°C). They can withstand frosty nights but will not thrive in hot summer weather. Beets prefer full sun and well-drained soil high in organic matter such as compost or manure. If your garden has poor drainage, raising the beds can help raise the soil above the water table.
You can plant beet seeds directly into the ground after all danger of frost passes. Still, they’re also great candidates for container gardens if space is limited.
When to Harvest Beets
Beets should be about 1 1/2 inches across when harvested, so if the beet is smaller than this, wait until it’s larger.
The second factor is maturation. Beets can stay in the ground over winter. They will become fibrous and woody as they age. To prevent this from happening, try to pull them as soon as you think they’re ready.
Harvesting Beet Greens
Harvesting beet greens is easy! You can do it with a knife or scissors, but use a sharp blade. The leaves are very thin and delicate, so you don’t want to tear them up. If you have a wide variety of beets in your garden, ensure to harvest the greens from them at once.
The root crop will grow in size until mid-summer. If left alone too long after maturity has been reached, it will become tough and woody. The beets will also be tender and sweet, like most prefer their root crops to taste. So if you plan on eating any beetroots this year, before they get too big, take note: now’s when they’re easiest! It’s also the time of year when most people harvest their roots for dinner or storage (more on that later).
Harvest your beets when they are large enough but not too mature.
The best way to tell when your beets are ready for harvest is by their size. When the size of your beet is 1 1/2 inches across, it’s mature and ready for harvest. But, if you harvest beets when they’re too small or too large, they won’t taste as good and will be more prone to disease. If you want some beets that can stay in the ground over winter, wait until after the first frost to harvest them.
Wrapping Up
If you’re looking for a new crop this year, consider growing beets! Beets are easy to grow and harvest and have many uses. The plant is easy to grow in most soil types. The greens can be used as a leafy vegetable or added to salads or smoothies.
