Planting

Beets

Planting Time Plant beets in early spring or when fall cools things down. They love chilly soil and sprout fast, faster than a rumor spreading at the feed store. If you can poke a finger in the dirt without it snapping off from frost, you’re good to go.

Depth & Spacing Plant seeds about one-half inch deep and give each beet around three inches of elbow room. Rows about twelve inches apart keep them from bumping shoulders underground like Bubba at Thanksgiving.

Soil & Fertilization Loose, crumbly soil helps beets grow smooth instead of lumpy. Mix in compost or old manure to feed ’em. Avoid heavy clay unless you want beets shaped like confused potatoes.

Watering Needs Keep soil evenly moist, never swampy or bone-dry. Mulch helps hold moisture and keeps beets tasting sweet instead of bitter enough to pucker a mule.

Sunlight Requirements Full sun works best, but light shade won’t hurt ’em. Just make sure they get at least six hours of sunlight so they grow strong and colorful.

Harvesting Pick beets even when they reach about two inches across. Twist the greens off gently. Beet greens cook up like spinach and will make you feel fancier than a rooster in cowboy boots.

Captain Greenhouse Tip Beets stain everything: your hands, your shirt, maybe even your pride. But that deep red badge means you grew ’em right. If the neighbors ask why your hands look like you lost a thumb-wrestling match with a raspberry, tell ’em you’ve been officially promoted to Beet Wrangler by Captain Greenhouse.