Beet in Zone 6 -- plant

Beginner

Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Beets like loose, fertile, well-drained soil with no hard crust on top. Loosen the bed about 6 to 8 inches down and rake out rocks and clods, because beet roots grow rounder and smoother in loose soil and come out forked or stunted in packed, stony ground. The most common beet-specific problem is a hard surface crust: the seed is slow and the seedlings cannot push through a dried crust, so keep the top of the soil loose and damp. Mix in some compost, aim for a soil pH around 6.0 to 7.0, and add a little boron only if a soil test shows you need it, because beets get black spots inside the root when boron runs low.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil

The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight

Full sun to partial shade · 6-8 hrs/day

Water

Regular

Spacing

2-4 inches

Soil

sandy loam, loam

Days to maturity

50-70 days from transplant

Soil pH

6 to 7

Container OK?

Yes · 3+ gal pot

Germination temp

50-85°F

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for beet

Preferred

6 to 7

Tolerated

5.8 to 7.5

Soil pH measures how acidic or alkaline your soil is, on a scale from 1 to 14 where 7 is neutral. Beets like it from about 6.0 to 7.0, slightly acidic to neutral, and they are one of the few vegetables that handle slightly alkaline soil fairly well. The bigger problem is soil that is too acidic, below about 6.0, where seeds come up poorly and the plants cannot take up nutrients well. A cheap soil test from your local extension office tells you your number and whether to add lime. One beet-specific note: low boron in the soil causes black spots inside the root, so if you have seen that before, a soil test can check boron too.Beets grow best at a slightly acidic to neutral pH of about 6.0 to 7.0, and they tolerate mildly alkaline soil better than most garden vegetables. Acidity is the bigger risk: below about 6.0, germination and stand drop off and micronutrient uptake suffers. Above about 7.5, boron, manganese, and iron availability declines, and high pH also favors scab on the roots. Beets are unusually boron-sensitive, so where internal black spot has occurred a soil test should include boron; correct it sparingly, since beets are also easily injured by excess boron. A standard soil test from your local extension office removes the guesswork on both pH and boron before sowing.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much

Frequency

Keep the soil evenly damp, and pay closest attention while the seeds are sprouting and later while the roots are bulking up. From planting until the sprouts appear (often 1 to 2 weeks), keep the surface moist so it does not dry into a hard crust. After that, give about 1 inch of water a week, counting rain, in fewer but deeper waterings.Even, consistent moisture is the rule, and it matters most during the slow germination window and again as the roots size up. From sowing until the seedlings are up, often 1 to 2 weeks, the surface must stay moist and uncrusted. Once established, beets want steady moisture rather than a wet-dry swing: aim for about 1 inch of water per week including rain, delivered in deeper, less frequent soakings.

Amount

About 1 inch of water a week, including rain, once the plants are growing. Give more in hot, dry weather or sandy soil and less in cool weather or heavy soil. While the seeds are sprouting, just keep the top of the soil damp, not soggy.Roughly 1 inch per week including rainfall once established, adjusted up in heat or sandy soil and down in cool or clay soil. During germination the seedbed needs only enough to stay evenly moist near the surface, not soaked.

Method

Water gently at soil level, using a soft spray, soaker hose, or drip line. A hard blast from the hose can wash out the shallow seeds or pack the soil into a crust the sprouts cannot push through, so keep it gentle, especially right after planting.Water at the base with a gentle setting, soaker hose, or drip line to keep the surface evenly moist without crusting the bed or washing out the shallow-sown seed. Avoid hard overhead bursts on a fresh seedbed.

Signs of trouble

Too much water

If the soil stays soaking wet, beets can rot and seedlings can damp off. Watch for yellow leaves, soft roots, and a constantly wet, sour-smelling bed. If you see these, water less and make sure the soil drains well.Constantly saturated soil invites damping-off and root rots and can encourage scab; yellowing tops, soft roots, and a sour, waterlogged bed are signs to back off. Poor drainage is the usual cause, which is why loose, well-draining soil matters.

Too little water

Dry, cracked soil on top, droopy or dull leaves, and slow growth mean the beets need more water. Letting them go dry makes the roots tough and woody, and swinging from bone dry to soaked can crack them. Keep the watering steady.Dry, cracked surface soil, dull or wilting tops, and slow growth signal too little water. Drought also drives tough, woody, strong-flavored roots, and an irregular dry-then-wet cycle can crack them and worsen quality.

Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency

low

Type

Balanced

When to start

Work compost and a balanced fertilizer into the bed before sowing; optional light side-dressing once the tops are established.

Beets do not need heavy feeding. Mix a balanced fertilizer and some compost into the bed before planting, and give one light feeding later only if the plants look weak and pale. Since you eat the leaves too, a little nitrogen is fine, but too much grows big tops and small roots. The one special nutrient for beets is boron: if your roots have had black spots inside, a soil test can tell you whether to add a tiny pinch of borax, but never guess at it because too much boron harms the plants.Beets are moderate feeders. Work a balanced fertilizer and well-finished compost into the bed before sowing, then side-dress lightly once the tops are established if growth is weak. Because the leafy tops are also harvested, beets tolerate more nitrogen than carrots, but heavy nitrogen still favors tops over roots, so keep it balanced. The nutrient to watch is boron: where soils are sandy or alkaline, a boron deficiency causes internal black spot, corrected with a very small, soil-test-guided amount of borax.

N · P · K = 10-10-10

The three numbers on a fertilizer bag are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K). Beets do well with a balanced blend where the numbers are about even, like a 10-10-10, mixed into the soil before planting along with some compost. Do not pile on high-nitrogen fertilizer, which gives you lots of leaves and small roots. The one extra thing beets care about is boron, and only add that if a soil test says to.Beets are moderate feeders that want steady phosphorus and potassium for root development plus enough nitrogen to drive the edible tops, so a balanced blend such as a 10-10-10 worked into the bed before sowing suits them. Most of the feeding comes from incorporating well-finished compost. Avoid loading on nitrogen, which grows lush leaves at the expense of the root, and watch boron, the micronutrient whose deficiency causes internal black spot.

Try 10-10-10

Who grows well together

Companion planting

Beets are easygoing neighbors. They share a bed nicely with leafy greens like lettuce, with the cabbage family (broccoli, cabbage, kale), and with onions and other alliums, which grow upright and shallow and do not crowd the beet roots. The main plants to keep apart from beets are pole beans and peas, an old caution that climbing beans and beets do not grow well together. As always, do not trust every companion chart online, since many of their claims have never been tested. Beets fit easily into mixed beds. West Virginia University's companion guide lists lettuce, the cabbage family, and onions among beets' good neighbors, all reasonable on space-and-timing grounds: leafy greens and shallow-rooted alliums use the surface layer while the beet swells just below it. The same guide names beans and peas as poor companions for beets, the traditional climbing-bean-and-beet caution. Treat these as sensible defaults rather than proven effects: as University of Minnesota's research review stresses, most companion-planting claims are tradition rather than tested science, so use them as a starting point and watch your own results.

Other

Lettuce and other leafy greens

Lettuce and other quick, shallow-rooted greens grow near the surface and finish fast, while the beet root swells just below them, so they share a bed without fighting for the same space. A handy way to fit more into a small garden.Lettuce and beets interplant well on root structure and timing: lettuce is shallow-rooted and quick, the beet swells just under the surface and takes longer, so they draw on different layers and the lettuce is harvested as the beets size up. This is a space-and-soil benefit rather than a pest one, and it is one of the more dependable interplants for that reason. Traditional

Cabbage family (broccoli, cabbage, kale)

Beets and the cabbage-family crops are both cool-season vegetables that like the same spring and fall weather, and beets sit low while the brassicas grow tall, so they make easy bedfellows. Beets are sometimes said to add minerals to the soil as their leaves break down.Beets and brassicas share the cool-season window and a complementary structure, the low beet rosette under the taller cabbage-family canopy, so they coexist without much competition. Companion lore adds that decomposing beet leaves return minerals such as magnesium to the soil; that part is traditional rather than measured. Treat the pairing as a sensible cool-season combination. Traditional

Onions and other alliums

Onions, leeks, and garlic grow tall and narrow with shallow roots, so they tuck between beet rows without crowding the roots, and their strong smell is widely used to help keep some leaf-eating pests away. A popular, space-saving pairing.Alliums are a classic interplant for root crops: shallow-rooted and upright, they share the bed without competing for the beet's space, and their sulfur volatiles are widely credited with masking the crop from some leaf-feeding pests. The space-use benefit is solid; the pest-deterrence is plausible but not proven for beets specifically. One caution carried over from the bad-companion list, keep alliums away from any beans you are also growing. Well-grounded

Keep apart from

Pole beans and other climbing beans There is an old gardening rule that beets and climbing (pole) beans do not grow well together. Tall pole beans also shade the low beets, which prefer full sun, so it is simplest to keep them apart.Pole beans appear on the traditional avoid-list for beets, and WVU's guide lists beans as a poor beet companion. The lore is old and unmeasured, but there is a practical edge to it: tall climbing beans shade the low, sun-loving beet rosette and compete for light and space as the crop sizes up. Bush beans are a milder case, but the simplest handling is to keep climbing beans out of the beet bed. Traditional

Peas Like climbing beans, peas are listed as a poor neighbor for beets. Keep your pea trellis in a separate part of the garden.WVU's guide groups English peas with beans as beets' poor companions. There is no measured mechanism here, only the long-standing legume-and-beet caution and the practical point that a pea trellis shades a sun-loving root crop. Treat it as a low-confidence tradition: kept apart for tidiness more than for any proven antagonism. Traditional

Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key

Harvest signals

When to pick

Beets give you two harvests. You can pick the leaves young all along, taking a few outer ones per plant so the root keeps growing, and the seedlings you thin out are your first baby greens. The roots are ready by size, not a set date: brush the soil off a shoulder and pull when the beet is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches across, the sweet, tender stage, usually around 50 to 70 days. You can let them grow up to about 3 inches, but bigger beets get woody and strong. There is no rush in cool weather: they get sweeter after a light frost and hold in the ground, and the roots take more cold than the leaves. In cold areas, pile straw over the row and dig them into early winter until the ground freezes. Pull by hand, or loosen with a fork in heavy soil, and twist off the tops, leaving an inch of stem on beets you want to store so they do not bleed out their color.Beets are a dual harvest. The leaves can be picked young throughout, taking a few outer leaves per plant so the root keeps sizing; the thinnings at the seedling stage are the first baby greens. The roots are ready by size rather than the calendar: brush soil from a shoulder and pull when it is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches across, the sweet, tender stage, which for most varieties lands near 50 to 70 days. Beets can be eaten larger, up to about 3 inches, but oversized roots turn woody and strong. There is no rush in cool weather: flavor sweetens after light frost, and roots hold in the ground, withstanding more cold than the tops. In cold regions a heavy straw mulch lets you dig through early winter until the ground freezes hard. Lift by hand, or loosen with a fork in heavier soil, and twist off the tops, leaving an inch of stem on roots you plan to store so they do not bleed.

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Yield

What to expect

Each plant gives you one beet root, plus leaves you can eat as it grows. It helps to think by row length: a 10-foot row gives roughly 2 to 5 pounds of beets depending on size, plus greens picked as outer leaves.One root per plant, plus a flush of edible leaves along the way. Yield is best thought of by row length: at a 3 to 4 inch final spacing, a 10-foot row yields roughly 2 to 5 pounds of roots depending on size at harvest, alongside greens taken as outer leaves.

Beets do not regrow a new root after you pull them, since each plant makes one root. A planting is ready about 50 to 70 days after sowing and you harvest it over a couple of weeks, while the leaves give a longer, light harvest. For a steady supply, plant a new short row every 2 to 3 weeks.There is no repeat root harvest; a sowing matures over a short window roughly 50 to 70 days after planting and is pulled over a couple of weeks. The greens give a longer, light pick-as-you-go harvest. Continuous supply comes from succession sowing every 2 to 3 weeks. Beets are grown fresh from seed each year, so your very first planting can do just as well as any later one. The main things that decide your results are loose soil, thinning the seedlings, and keeping the bed evenly damp.Beets are an annual grown fresh from seed every season, so there is no first-year-versus-later distinction as with perennials; the first sowing performs as well as any, provided the soil is loose, the stand is thinned, and moisture stays even.

What changes yield

Thinning: because each seedball sprouts a cluster, an unthinned stand yields small, misshapen roots.Even moisture: drought or dry-then-wet cycles toughen, crack, and zone the roots.Temperature at finish: roots maturing in sustained heat above about 75°F lose sweetness and turn woody.Boron supply: a deficiency causes internal black spot that cuts usable yield.Soil looseness: stones and compaction cause forked, misshapen roots.

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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

There are lots of fun beet varieties. Detroit Dark Red is the dependable classic for roots and greens. Early Wonder grows fast and gives great leaves. Bull's Blood is grown mostly for its pretty dark-red leaves. For something different, Chioggia has red-and-white rings inside and golden beets are sweet and do not stain your hands. Cylindra grows long instead of round, handy for slicing. If you hate thinning, look for monogerm beets (like Moneta), whose seeds grow just one seedling each instead of a clump. Most beets are ready in about 50 to 70 days.Beet variety choice spans color, shape, and purpose. Detroit Dark Red is the reliable all-rounder; Early Wonder matures fast and yields heavy tops for greens; Bull's Blood is grown chiefly for its deep-red leaves. For novelty, Chioggia shows red-and-white internal rings and the golden types (Touchstone Gold) are sweet and non-bleeding, while Cylindra produces long roots that slice into even rounds. If thinning is a chore, choose a monogerm cultivar (Moneta), whose seed yields a single seedling rather than the usual cluster. Most table beets mature in about 50 to 70 days.

Detroit Dark Red: the classic all-purpose round red beet, dependable for roots and greens

Early Wonder: fast-maturing, with especially good edible tops

Bull's Blood: grown mainly for its deep-red ornamental and edible leaves

Chioggia: Italian heirloom with red-and-white candy-stripe rings inside

Touchstone Gold and other golden types: sweet, mild, with non-bleeding yellow flesh

Cylindra (Formanova): long, cylindrical roots that slice into uniform rounds

Monogerm types (such as Moneta): one seedling per seed, so little or no thinning

Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp

Not good for more than a few days. Left out, beet roots go soft and the leaves wilt fast. Cut the tops off, keep out only what you will eat soon, and refrigerate the rest.Poor for more than a few days. At room temperature beet roots lose moisture and soften, and the greens wilt within a day; cut the tops from the roots and refrigerate both. Counter storage is only for what you will use within a couple of days.

Fridge

This is the best way for everyday storage. First twist or cut off the leafy tops, leaving about an inch of stem, because the leaves draw water out of the root. Keep the greens in a separate bag and eat them within a few days. Put the unwashed roots in a loosely closed or vented plastic bag in the crisper drawer, where they stay firm for several weeks to a couple of months.The best everyday option. Twist or cut off the green tops first, leaving about an inch of stem, since the leaves pull moisture from the root; store them separately and use the greens within a few days. Keep the unwashed roots in a perforated or loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper drawer, where high humidity and cold hold them for several weeks to a couple of months.

Freezer

You can freeze beets, but cook them first. Boil or roast them until tender, slip off the skins, slice or dice, cool, and freeze. The greens freeze like spinach after a quick dip in boiling water. They keep well for about 8 to 12 months.Workable after cooking. Beets are best frozen cooked rather than raw: boil or roast until tender, slip the skins, slice or dice, cool, and freeze. The greens freeze like spinach after a brief blanch. Quality holds for roughly 8 to 12 months.

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When something goes wrong

Common problems

Black spots inside the beetBlack spots inside the root

01 of 06

What happened The beet has hard brown-black corky spots inside. This is a boron shortage (a micronutrient), most common in sandy or limed soil and in dry spells.The root developed corky brown-black areas inside, called internal black spot, caused by boron deficiency. It is most common in sandy soils, high-pH soils, and during dry spells that limit boron uptake. Next season Get a soil test and add boron only if it is low, using a tiny measured amount of borax, because too much boron harms beets. Keep the soil evenly moist and do not over-lime.Test the soil and correct boron only if it is low, applying a very small, measured amount of borax, since beets are easily injured by excess boron. Keep moisture even and avoid pushing pH high.

Beets flower instead of making rootsPlants bolt (run to seed)

02 of 06

What happened The beet sent up a tall flower stalk instead of growing a good root. This usually happens when young plants get a cold spell, often from planting too early in cold soil, followed by the long days of late spring. Once it flowers, the root stays small and tough.The plant sent up a flower stalk instead of sizing a root. Beet bolting is triggered by a cold spell (vernalization) on young plants, often from sowing too early into cold soil, followed by lengthening spring days. The root stays small and woody once the plant bolts. Next season Do not plant too early into cold soil, and choose bolt-resistant varieties for early plantings. Wait until the soil is about 45 to 50°F, and try a fall planting, which avoids the long days that trigger flowering.Avoid sowing into cold soil well before the recommended window, and use bolt-resistant varieties for early sowings. Wait until the soil reaches about 45 to 50°F, and add a fall sowing, which dodges the long-day trigger.

Tough, woody beetsWoody, tough, strong-flavored roots

03 of 06

What happened The beets came out tough, fibrous, and strong-tasting. This usually comes from growing in heat above about 75°F, leaving them in the ground too long, or letting them get too dry.Roots grew coarse, fibrous, and strong-tasting. The usual causes are maturing in sustained heat above about 75°F, over-maturity from being left in the ground too long, or drought and uneven moisture. Next season Plan the crop so the beets finish in cool weather: sow earlier in spring and add a fall planting. Harvest them at 1 1/2 to 2 inches instead of letting them get big, and keep the watering steady.Time the crop so roots mature in cool weather, shifting spring sowings earlier and adding a fall crop, harvest at 1 1/2 to 2 inches rather than letting roots oversize, and keep moisture even.

Light rings inside the beetPale rings or poor color in the root

04 of 06

What happened The beet had pale rings inside or weak color. Some of this is just the variety, but heat and stress make it worse. Beets get their best color in cool weather, and hot weather fades the red.The root showed pale concentric rings or weak color. Zoning is partly varietal but is worsened by heat and stress; beets color best in cool weather, and high temperatures during root development fade the red. Next season Grow beets in cool weather so they color up well, keep the watering steady, and pick a deeply colored variety like Detroit Dark Red if strong color matters to you.Grow beets in the cool part of the season so roots color up well, keep moisture even, and choose deeply colored varieties such as Detroit Dark Red where strong color matters.

Seeds did not come up wellPoor or patchy germination

05 of 06

What happened Few seedlings came up, or they came up patchy. Beet seed is slow, and the sprouts cannot push through a dried crust. Most failures come from the bed drying out while sprouting, old seed, cold soggy soil, or planting too deep. Remember each seed grows a clump, so the stand can look uneven at first.Few or uneven seedlings emerged. Beet seed is naturally slow, and the fine seedlings cannot break a dried, crusted surface; a bed that dried during germination, old seed, cold wet soil (damping-off), or sowing too deep accounts for most failures. Clusters from the seedball can also look uneven before thinning. Next season Soak the seeds before planting, keep the soil surface damp from sowing until the seedlings appear, plant shallow (about 1/2 inch) with fresh seed, and wait until the soil warms to about 45 to 50°F.Soak the seed before sowing, keep the surface evenly moist from sowing to emergence, sow shallowly (about 1/2 inch) with fresh seed, and wait for the soil to warm to about 45 to 50°F before sowing.

Forked or lumpy beetsForked or misshapen roots

06 of 06

What happened The beets came out forked, twisted, or lumpy because they hit something hard as they grew, like a rock or packed soil, or because they were too crowded. Fresh manure can also misshape them.Roots grew forked, twisted, or lumpy because they met an obstruction, a stone, clod, or compacted layer, or because the stand was left unthinned and crowded. Fresh manure can also distort roots. Next season Loosen the bed and pull out rocks before planting, thin the beets to 3 to 4 inches so they are not crowded, and skip fresh manure. On rocky or heavy soil, use a raised bed or a deep, loose container.Work the bed loose and remove stones before sowing, thin to 3 to 4 inches so roots are not crowded, and avoid fresh manure. On heavy or rocky ground, use a raised bed or a deep, loose container.

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The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests

Leafminer (beet and spinach leafminer)

P · 01

Symptoms You will see pale, squiggly trails or blotchy patches inside the leaves, with the green skin of the leaf intact above and below the tunnel. Hold a leaf to the light and you can see the larva working inside. Since you eat beet greens too, this mainly ruins the leaves, the root underground usually grows fine.Pale, winding or blotchy tunnels appear between the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves, where the larvae feed inside the leaf. Early adult feeding leaves the foliage stippled with small white spots. Because beets are grown for both the root and the greens, the damage matters most on the leaves: heavily mined leaves are blotched, brown, and unappetizing, though the root itself sizes up unharmed unless an early planting is severely defoliated. Cause The young (maggots) of small flies called leafminers. The adult fly lays tiny eggs on the underside of the leaves, and the maggots that hatch tunnel inside. The same pest goes after Swiss chard and spinach, beet's close cousins, so it helps not to plant those right next to each other. They can have several generations in a season.The larvae (small yellow maggots) of leafmining flies, chiefly the beet and spinach leafminer (Pegomya species) and the vegetable leafminers (Liriomyza species). The adult is a small black fly that lays eggs on the undersides of leaves; the hatching maggots tunnel within the leaf. The same leafminers attack beet's close relatives Swiss chard and spinach, which is one reason these crops are rotated apart. Generations are short and several can occur per season. Organic treatment Pick off and throw away (do not compost) any leaves with trails in them, which gets rid of the maggots inside before they grow up. Sprays usually do not work because the pest is tucked inside the leaf, and you rarely need them. Keep the plants healthy and well watered so they grow past light damage, and let the helpful wasps that hunt leafminers do their work.Pick off and destroy mined leaves as they appear (do not compost them), which removes the larvae before they mature. Leafminers rarely require insecticide in a home garden, and most sprays are ineffective because the larvae are protected inside the leaf; keeping plants vigorous with even moisture lets them outgrow light damage. Naturally occurring parasitic wasps usually keep populations in check. Prevention A row cover, a light fabric laid over the bed right after planting, keeps the flies from laying eggs on your seedlings and is the best home defense. Also move beets away from where you grew beets, chard, or spinach last year, clear out old leaves and weeds like lambsquarters that the pest also uses, and pull off the first trailed leaves you see.A floating row cover laid over the bed at sowing keeps the egg-laying flies off the seedlings, which is the most effective home defense. Rotate beets away from where beets, chard, or spinach grew last season, clear crop debris and weed hosts such as lambsquarters, and remove the first mined leaves promptly to break the cycle.

Flea beetle

P · 02

Symptoms The leaves get covered in tiny round holes and pits, like buckshot, worst on young seedlings. The beetles themselves are small and dark and hop away like fleas when you come near. On big plants it is mostly a looks problem, but on tiny seedlings heavy damage can stunt or kill them.Tiny, round shot-holes and pits riddle the leaves, heaviest on young seedlings, giving the foliage a sandblasted look. The small dark beetles jump like fleas when disturbed. Damage is mostly cosmetic on established plants but can stunt or kill seedlings when populations are high, and it disfigures leaves grown for greens. Cause Small jumping beetles called flea beetles that chew the holes. They spend winter in garden trash and come out in spring, hitting tender young plants hardest in warm, dry weather. They feed on beets, chard, and spinach.Several species of small leaf-feeding flea beetles whose adults chew the characteristic pits and holes. They overwinter in garden debris and become active in spring, with the heaviest pressure on tender new growth in warm, dry weather. Beet, chard, and spinach are all hosts. Organic treatment Keep seedlings well watered and growing fast and they will usually outgrow the damage. If beetles are swarming young plants, you can dust the leaves with kaolin clay or use a vegetable-labeled product, and clear out weeds nearby. Grown beets rarely need anything.Healthy, fast-growing plants outgrow flea beetle feeding, so keep seedlings well watered and unstressed. Where pressure is high, treat the leaves with kaolin clay or an insecticidal product labeled for vegetables, and clear nearby weedy hosts. Mature beets seldom need treatment. Prevention A row cover over the seedbed during the early weeks is the best protection, keeping the beetles off while the plants are small. Clean up old plant debris where the beetles spend winter, and you can stagger your plantings to dodge the worst spring wave.A floating row cover over the seedbed is the most reliable defense, excluding the beetles during the vulnerable seedling stage. Clean up garden debris where adults overwinter, and delay or stagger sowings to avoid the peak spring flush where it is severe.

Aphids

P · 03

Symptoms Little soft insects, usually green or black, gather in clusters on the undersides of leaves and on new growth. Leaves curl and yellow and turn sticky from the sugary honeydew the aphids leave behind, which can grow a black sooty mold. Aphids can also spread plant viruses, so it is worth knocking them back early.Clusters of small soft-bodied insects, often green or black, collect on the undersides of leaves and on new growth, leaving leaves curled, yellowed, and sticky with honeydew that can blacken with sooty mold. Beyond direct feeding, aphids can transmit virus diseases, so colonies on beet foliage are worth removing early. Cause Sap-sucking aphids (such as the green peach aphid and bean aphid). They multiply fast in mild weather, especially on soft, over-fertilized growth, and fly in from weeds and other plants.Several aphid species, including the green peach aphid and bean aphid, that feed on beet sap. Populations build fastest in mild weather and on lush, over-fertilized growth, and winged forms move them in from weeds and other crops. Organic treatment Spray the colonies off with a strong stream of water, which often does the trick. Ladybugs and other helpers usually take care of the rest; if not, insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on the undersides of the leaves works well. Do not over-feed with nitrogen, which just grows more aphids.A strong jet of water knocks colonies off the leaves and is often enough in a home garden. Natural enemies (ladybugs, lacewings, parasitic wasps) usually bring numbers down; where needed, insecticidal soap or horticultural oil sprayed on the undersides of leaves is effective. Avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen, which fuels aphid buildup. Prevention Let helpful bugs like ladybugs live in your garden by not spraying broadly, go easy on nitrogen fertilizer, and keep weeds down. Check the undersides of leaves now and then so you catch aphids while there are only a few.Encourage beneficial insects by avoiding broad-spectrum sprays, keep plants from being pushed with excess nitrogen, and control nearby weeds that host aphids. Inspect new growth and the undersides of leaves so colonies are caught small.

Diseases

Cercospora leaf spot

D · 01

Symptoms The leaves get many small round spots, about 1/8 inch wide, with a pale tan or gray center and a darker reddish-purple or brown ring around each one. They start on the older outer leaves and spread inward, and when there are lots of them the leaves brown and die. That shrinks the plant's leaves, so the root grows smaller, and it spoils any leaves you wanted to eat.Numerous small, round spots about 1/8 inch across appear on the leaves, each with a tan to gray center and a distinct darker, reddish-purple to brown margin. They show first on the older, outer leaves and spread inward; when spots are numerous they merge and the leaf withers and dies. Because the canopy drives the root, heavy leaf loss reduces root size, and the disease ruins leaves grown for greens. Cause A fungus (Cercospora beticola) that lives on old beet leaves and debris and gets splashed onto the plant by rain or overhead watering. It loves warm, humid weather, growing fastest when it is roughly 77 to 95°F and the leaves stay wet, so it is worst in warm, wet areas and rainy spells.The fungus Cercospora beticola, which survives on infected beet debris and on related weeds and is splashed onto the leaves by rain and overhead watering. It is favored by warm, humid weather, with disease building fastest in the roughly 77 to 95°F range under prolonged leaf wetness, so it is most damaging in warm, wet regions and seasons. Organic treatment You cannot cure leaves that are already spotted, only slow it down. Pick off and throw away the worst leaves, water at the soil in the morning so the leaves dry fast, and give plants room so air moves through. In a very wet year a copper fungicide labeled for vegetables can help if you start early, but mostly it is about keeping the leaves dry and uncrowded.There is no cure for tissue already spotted; management slows the spread. Remove and destroy badly infected leaves, water at the base in the morning so foliage dries quickly, and thin or space plants for airflow. In a wet season a copper-based fungicide labeled for vegetables can suppress spread if started early, but cultural control carries most of the load in a home garden. Prevention Do not grow beets (or chard and spinach) in the same spot two or three years running, clean up old leaves and debris where the fungus lives, and water at the base instead of overhead. Give plants room so the leaves dry quickly, and pick a tolerant variety if it keeps coming back.Rotate beets and their relatives (chard, spinach) out of the bed for two to three years, clear and destroy crop debris that harbors the fungus, and avoid overhead watering. Space and thin for airflow, water at the base, and choose tolerant varieties where the disease recurs.

Scab

D · 02

Symptoms The beet root gets rough, corky, scabby patches or cracks on its surface, much like the scab you see on potatoes. The leaves look fine, so you usually notice it only when you pull and wash the beets. It does not kill the plant and the root is still fine to eat once peeled.Rough, raised or sunken corky lesions and cracks form on the surface of the root, similar to the scab seen on potatoes. There are no leaf symptoms, so it is found at harvest. It is a cosmetic and quality problem rather than a plant-killer, and affected roots are still edible once peeled. Cause A soil germ (the bacterium Streptomyces scabies, the same one that scabs potatoes). It is worse in dry soil and in soil with a high (alkaline) pH, and it often goes along with low boron, so it shows up most in dry, sandy, or over-limed beds.The soilborne bacterium Streptomyces scabies, the same organism that causes potato scab. It is favored by dry soil and high (alkaline) pH, and it is often associated with boron deficiency, so it tends to appear in dry, sandy, or limed-up beds. Organic treatment There is nothing to spray once the roots have it; just peel off the scabby skin when you cook them. The fix is in how you grow the next crop.There is no rescue once roots are infected; the affected skin is simply peeled away in the kitchen. Management is preventive and cultural for future crops. Prevention Keep the soil evenly moist instead of letting it dry out, and do not let the pH get too high; if your soil is already above about 7.0, skip the lime, and fix any boron shortage. Adding organic matter and moving beets to a new bed each year both help.Keep the soil evenly moist rather than letting it dry out, especially as roots size up, and avoid pushing the pH high; where it runs above about 7.0, do not lime, and correct any boron deficiency. Maintaining organic matter and rotating away from beets, chard, and spinach reduces recurrence.

Damping-off

D · 03

Symptoms Seeds that never come up, or tiny seedlings that flop over and die just after sprouting, with a dark, pinched, wet-looking spot on the stem right at the soil line. You see it as bare gaps in the row. Cool, soggy soil and the slow-sprouting beet seed make it more likely.Seeds fail to emerge, or young seedlings topple and collapse soon after emergence with a dark, water-soaked, pinched spot at the stem base right at the soil line. Losses show up as bare gaps in the row. Cool, wet soil and the slow beet seedball germination prolong the vulnerable window the pathogens exploit. Cause Soil organisms (mostly Pythium and Rhizoctonia, which are fungus-like) that attack sprouting seeds and baby seedlings. They thrive in cool, wet, poorly drained soil and when you overwater, and old seed or a hard, soggy seedbed makes it worse.Soilborne pathogens, chiefly Pythium and Rhizoctonia species, that attack germinating seed and young seedlings. They are favored by cool, wet, poorly drained soil and by overwatering, and old or weak seed and a crusted, slow-draining seedbed increase losses. Organic treatment Seedlings that have flopped will not recover. If it shows up, stop watering for a bit and let the soil surface dry out some, and clear away the fallen seedlings. There is no good home cure once it starts, so this one is mostly about prevention.Affected seedlings cannot be saved. If damping-off appears, stop watering and let the surface dry somewhat to slow the pathogens, and clear collapsed seedlings. There is no effective home cure once it takes hold, so the real lever is prevention. Prevention Wait until the soil is warm enough and not cold and soggy, and keep the seedbed damp without keeping it soaking wet. Soaking the seed for a day before planting helps it come up faster, and using fresh seed, not planting too deep, and improving drainage (or a raised bed on heavy soil) all cut down losses.Sow into warm-enough, well-drained soil rather than cold, wet ground, and keep the seedbed evenly moist without saturating it. Soaking the seed for a day speeds emergence and shortens the risk window, and using fresh seed, not sowing too deep, and improving drainage or using raised beds on heavy soil all reduce losses.

Downy mildew

D · 04

Symptoms Pale yellow patches show on top of the leaves, with a grayish or purplish fuzzy growth underneath in damp weather. The young leaves in the center can be twisted, thick, and curled. It is worst in cool, wet weather and mainly hurts the leaves.Pale yellow, indistinct blotches appear on the upper leaf surface, with a grayish to purplish downy growth on the corresponding undersides in damp weather. Young central leaves are often distorted, thickened, and curled. It is most damaging in cool, wet conditions and chiefly disfigures the foliage. Cause A fungus-like water mold (Peronospora farinosa) that infects in cool, wet weather, best around 45 to 59°F and hardly at all above about 68°F. It survives on old plant debris and spreads in damp air and splashing water.The water mold Peronospora farinosa (also called P. betae), which infects in cool, moist conditions, with optimal temperatures for infection roughly 45 to 59°F and little infection above about 68°F. It survives on crop debris and related hosts and spreads in moist air and splashing water. Organic treatment You cannot cure infected leaves, so pick off and throw away the worst ones and help the plants dry out by giving them room. Keeping the leaves dry does most of the work; a copper fungicide is a last resort in a very wet stretch.There is no cure for infected tissue; remove and destroy affected leaves to reduce spread, and improve airflow and drying. Cultural control is the mainstay for a home crop, with copper fungicides a last resort in a persistently wet season. Prevention Water at the soil instead of overhead, give plants room so air moves through, and stay out of the bed when the leaves are wet. Move beets away from where you grew beets, chard, or spinach, clean up old debris, and pick a tolerant variety if it keeps showing up.Water at the base rather than overhead, space and thin for airflow, and avoid working among wet plants. Rotate away from beets, chard, and spinach, clear crop debris, and where it recurs choose tolerant varieties.

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Seasoned

Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

Move your beets to a different spot each year, and do not put them (or their relatives chard and spinach) back in the same bed for about three years. This keeps shared pests and diseases from piling up. Beets do well following beans or peas, which add nitrogen, or onions and garlic.Rotate beets on a roughly three-year cycle, keeping them and their close relatives chard and spinach out of a bed for two to three seasons after they are grown there. This breaks the buildup of the leafminers, flea beetles, and leaf diseases the goosefoot family shares. Following a legume that has added nitrogen, or an allium, suits beets well.

Family

Amaranthaceae

Years between

3 years

in the same bed

Avoid following

Do not grow beets where you grew beets, Swiss chard, or spinach last year. These are all in the same plant family and share the same leaf pests (leafminers, flea beetles) and diseases (leaf spot, downy mildew), which build up in the soil and on debris over time. Wait about two to three years before beets or their relatives go back into the same bed.Do not plant beets where another goosefoot-family (Amaranthaceae) crop grew the previous season, including beet, Swiss chard, and spinach, since they share leaf pests such as the leafminer and flea beetle and leaf diseases such as Cercospora leaf spot and downy mildew, which build up where the family is grown repeatedly. A two-to-three-year gap before beets or their relatives return to a bed breaks that cycle.

Plant after

Legumes such as beans and peas that have added nitrogenAlliums such as onions and garlicFruiting crops such as tomatoes and squash

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