Beet

This old-fashioned favorite is becoming trendy once again. Use beetroots fresh, steamed, or roasted. At room temperature, beetroot is great in salads. It's also a favorite for pickling and canning. Although beetroots are usually red, they may also be yellow, pink, or stripped, creating a beautiful effect.

The leaves of beets are also prized. Usually, leaves are green with veins that match the root color, though some produce reddish purple leaves. Tender young beet greens can be added to salads. When they're larger, they're usually steamed, sauted, stir-fried, or cooked. They're especially appreciated in The South, where they're "cooked down" with ham or bacon either solo or combined with other greens, such as mustard greens or collard greens.

Light:

Sun, Part Sun

Plant Type:

Vegetable

Plant Height:

4-12 inches tall

Plant Width:

2-8 inches wide

Top Varieties

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'Bull's Blood' beet

features deep burgundy foliage that's especially attractive in salads. Its roots develop a candy-stripe interior. 55 days
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'Chioggia' beet

is an Italian heirloom variety with green leaves and pink stems. It produces candy-stripe roots 60 days after planting.
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'Cylindrica' beet

features dark red cylindrical roots that are ideal for uniform slices of pickled or canned beets.
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'Golden' beet

has green leaves with yellow stems and sweet golden roots. 55 days
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'Red Ace' beet

offers round, smooth, deep red roots and is ready to harvest 50 days after seeding. 55 days
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'Red Sangria' beet

offers consistently deep purple-red roots that stay smooth and are ready to harvest in 55 days.
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