Garden Care Guide

Beetroot Care

Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris

An easy-to-grow root vegetable whose roots and young leaves are eaten. Each "seed" is actually a cluster containing several seeds, so thinning is necessary.

Hardy · -6 °C / 21 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

March
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Soak the seeds in water overnight and sow directly 2 cm deep, 30 cm between rows.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Fertilizing: Mix in compost before sowing; excess nitrogen produces leaves instead of roots.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Soak the seeds in water overnight and sow directly 2 cm deep, 30 cm between rows.
  • General care: From each cluster of seedlings, keep the strongest and cut off the others; leave 8-10 cm between plants. The young leaves you remove can be used in salads.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
May
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Soak the seeds in water overnight and sow directly 2 cm deep, 30 cm between rows.
  • General care: From each cluster of seedlings, keep the strongest and cut off the others; leave 8-10 cm between plants. The young leaves you remove can be used in salads.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
June
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base 2-3 times a week, in the early morning; do not water again until the soil surface has dried 2-3 cm down.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: Pull the roots when they reach 5-7 cm in diameter; beets that grow too large turn woody. Twist off the leaves 3-4 cm above the root rather than cutting them; otherwise the color bleeds.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see round spots with pale centers and red margins on the leaves (leaf spot), remove the spotted leaves.
July
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base 2-3 times a week, in the early morning; do not water again until the soil surface has dried 2-3 cm down.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: Pull the roots when they reach 5-7 cm in diameter; beets that grow too large turn woody. Twist off the leaves 3-4 cm above the root rather than cutting them; otherwise the color bleeds.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see round spots with pale centers and red margins on the leaves (leaf spot), remove the spotted leaves.
August
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base 2-3 times a week, in the early morning; do not water again until the soil surface has dried 2-3 cm down.
  • General care: Soak the seeds in water overnight and sow directly 2 cm deep, 30 cm between rows.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Fertilizing: Mix in compost before sowing; excess nitrogen produces leaves instead of roots.
  • General care: From each cluster of seedlings, keep the strongest and cut off the others; leave 8-10 cm between plants. The young leaves you remove can be used in salads.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • General care: Harvest: Pull the roots when they reach 5-7 cm in diameter; beets that grow too large turn woody. Twist off the leaves 3-4 cm above the root rather than cutting them; otherwise the color bleeds.
November
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Harvest: Pull the roots when they reach 5-7 cm in diameter; beets that grow too large turn woody. Twist off the leaves 3-4 cm above the root rather than cutting them; otherwise the color bleeds.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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