When to Harvest Beets Information

Beets are ready for harvest in 35 to 70 days depending on variety. Baby beets are beets that are harvested earlier than the published date. Beet tops, or greens, are harvested at anywhere between 30 and 47 days depending on cultivar. When to harvest beets is also indicated by the texture, form, size, and color of the beets. Generally, beets are ready for harvest when they have a dark color, are firm and juicy, have a smooth surface and a size anywhere between a golf ball and tennis ball.

Introduction

This write-up explains the process of determining when beets are ready for harvest. In addition, it offers some insights into the best way to harvest beets, how to store them and what to do with them. The import of this last point is that although beets are grown primarily for human consumption, there are other applications worthy to be considered which are associated with excess beets at harvest, for example.

The scientific name for beets is Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva Group. In the United States and Canada the popular name for Beta vulgaris is beets. In the UK and other British English speaking countries the common name is beetroot. The two names essentially refer to the same root vegetable.

Likewise, the University of Illinois Extension identifies four beet variety categories. These are Garden Beets (or open pollinated), Garden Hybrid, Mini and Specialty. Cultivars in each of these categories have varying days to maturity (DTM). DTM is a useful guide in determining when crops are ready for harvest. We provide a comprehensive table later below with this information for a range of beet varieties.

Nevertheless, home gardens usually produce decent beet harvests which require storage for short to medium term use. However, the yield is dependent on variety planted, climate, fertilization and disease infestation. Later in the article, we briefly consider how to go about storing beets after harvest.

Summary of When to Harvest Beets

The following table summarizes useful indicators for the readiness of beets for harvest. In many cases, growers use a combination of these indicators to determine when to pick beets instead of relying on just one of them. This is because factors such as weather, climate, soils and cultural techniques impact these indicators differently. Thus, one indicator alone may not be reliable.

Each of the following summarized signals are explained in greater detail later below.

• Published Days to Maturity (DTM) on seed pack
• Root diameter of 2.5 to 7.6 cm (1 to 3 inches)
• Deep root color
• Size measured by visual appearance
• Exposed root shoulders
• Smooth surface of exposed root shoulders
• Lush green top appearance
• Woody appearance (double edged sword)

Signs of Ready for Harvest Beets

Days to Maturity (DTM)

Beets are ready for harvest at between 35 and 70 days. DTMs are normally published on the seed packages. This wide range of days to maturity is a function of the cultivars involved. The DTM is useful in giving a general expected time of harvest and not exact timing. It must be remembered that factors such as diverse weather conditions in different locations where the seed is planted greatly impact stated DTM. Thus, DTM should be used in combination with other indicators, as earlier stated.

Root Diameter

When ready for harvest, beets have a diameter of between 2.5 and 7.6 cm or 1 to 3 inches. This is about the optimal size for harvest. Spacing of the beets in the garden influences the size of the beets. Beets that are planted closer together will remain small in size due to competition for food although they may be mature. In any case, if beets are allowed to keep growing in age (not size) beyond their optimal point, the roots will become tough and difficult to eat. These are what are referred to as hard, overmatured, woody and bitter beets.

Deep Root Color

Another general indicator of beet readiness for harvest is color. When beets are ready for harvest they tend to have a deep or dark color. However, keep in mind that beet varieties come in a range of colors from red, purple, golden to white as highlighted by Michigan State University Extension. The deep color indicator may be less useful when dealing with white beets or sugar beets, in particular.

Size as measured by visual appearance

Another indicator of when to harvest beets is the size of the root as determined by observation. When ready for harvest, beets range in size between a golf ball and a tennis ball size. Many experienced home growers of beets tend to lean on this indicator to start harvesting beets.

Exposed Root Shoulders

As beets grow, they first begin hidden under the soil. However, as the root grows in size and nears harvest maturity, it is partially exposed above the ground. This is often a very useful and reliable sign that beets are ready for harvest. The exposed part of the root is referred to as shoulders. In addition, the exposed shoulders will appear smooth to the touch.

Woody Appearance

This indicator can easily be cutting it too short. It can be a sign that the beets are ripe and ready for immediate picking. Beyond this point, the beets will become very hard and lose taste. The woody appearance sign is external as observed on the skin of the exposed shoulders of the beets. It must be used with caution.

Beets Harvesting Stages

Depending on the size of the garden or field with beets planted and how close they are planted, some beets seed makers envisage two harvesting stages. The first harvest is recognized as a thinning process which targets the harvest of beets of diameter 3 to 4cm or 1.2 to 1.6 inches. This allows the remaining beets to grow bigger and are harvested at a diameter of 7cm or 2.75 inches.

Beet Varieties & When to Harvest

As earlier mentioned, different beets cultivars have different days to maturity. Furthermore, DTM as indicated on the seed package is the primary indicator of when to harvest the beets. The following table presents the DTMs of some of the most common beet varieties on the market today. 

Most varieties fall within the 50 to 59 days DTM range. While just a few beet varieties are ready for harvest in under 50 days. The table also shows that there are a handful of beet varieties that are only ready for harvest at 60 days. These tend to be heirloom varieties with a long heritage such as Cylindria introduced to the US from Europe in the early 1890s according to West Coast Seeds.

When to Harvest Beet Greens

Beet greens refer to the tops, the leaves and foliage that appear above the ground. Unbeknown to many, beet stems and leaves are fully edible and are harvested for consumption. They can be used in place of popular veggies such as spinach, swiss chard, and bok choy.  According to Illinois Extension, beets are low in calories and are a source of vitamins A and K, calcium, and potassium.

1. Beet greens are harvested when the leaves are young, small and yet to mature. At this stage they are tender and tasty. Once they mature, they become tough, rubbery and unsuitable for eating.
2. The harvesting of beet greens can also begin when the beets are still seedlings. At this stage they are much closer to microgreens. 
3. Generally, harvest of beet greens can be done at any time. However, it must be done thoughtfully and in moderation as the root will not form without the leaves.

How to Harvest Beets 

Once the question when to harvest the beets has been settled, it is time to think about how to do it. Harvesting beets is easy. The following are some practical steps to take when harvesting beets.

1. Ensure the garden is moist before harvesting
2. Use a spading fork to gently lift the roots out of the soil. If the soil is soft enough, a quick and practical method is to pull the root out of the ground by the greens.
3. Harvest alternate beet plants to allow remaining plants to grow bigger (staged harvest explained earlier)
4. Only wash the soil off the roots when ready for use as moisture can precipitate rotting

Storing Harvested Beets

Once beets have been harvested, they need to be properly stored. Beets store best at 0 C or 32 F with 95% humidity. At these conditions, the University of Wisconsin Extension puts forward that the beets can last for up to 3 months.

Once the beets are pulled from the soil, the root is separated from the greens. The greens can be stored in a poly bag and put in the fridge where they last for one to two days. The beets themselves can also be put in poly bags and placed in a refrigerator lasting for up to 2 weeks.

It is recommended that beets that are not ready for use should not have the soil washed off to prevent rotting that is induced by water. If they have to be washed they must be thoroughly dried.

What to do with Harvested Beets

Culinary Application

The primary application of harvested beets is human food. Beets are used for a variety of things including juicing, cooking, and in salads. The root itself when peeled and prepared can be used raw in salad or by itself with a sprinkle of chile and lemon.

The following are some interesting easy to make beets recipes.

• How To Cook Beets
• Balsamic Roasted Beets  
• Perfect Roasted Beets
• Creamy Beet Hummus
• Beet Smoothie
• Beet, Mushroom and Beef Burgers
• Beef and Beet Borscht
• Vegan Beet Burgers

Honey Roasted Beets (Video)

This is a delicious side dish of roasted beets, carrots and parsnips. This recipe produces a very colorful dish that can go with your dinner main dish.

Animal Feed

Beets can be used to feed livestock such as horses, cattle, sheep or goats. The high calorie nature of beets makes them suitable supplemental feed for animals. According to North Dakota University cattle can be fed whole beets and a variety of other beet byproducts. 

Furthermore, beet greens and stalks are a favourite feed for chickens, ducks and rabbits/bunnies. This is an ideal source of small animal food on a farm or homestead setting.

Composting

If there are no takers, human and animals, beets are good for compost. Composting beets usually arises as a result of excess harvest or bad harvest. 

To quicken the composting process, the beets are first chopped up and then composted. There are claims that beets can also be used as natural fertilizer for other plants without need for composting. The following video demonstrates the preparation process.

Beets as natural fertilizer (Video)

In this video, a beet is cut up and soaked in water for some days and then applied to plants. We have not been able to establish scientific proof of the efficacy of the fertilizer. We share it here for information purposes.

How and When to Harvest Beets (Video)

In this video a useful demonstration is given on when and how to harvest beets. The video uses the beautifully stripped Chioggia heirloom beet (buy seeds) for the demonstration.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when to harvest beets is primarily guided by the date of maturity published on the seed package itself. Granted, this information alone is not enough as other independent factors may influence the maturity of the beets. As such, date of maturity is used to determine when to harvest beets in conjunction with other useful factors such as the size of the beets, shoulder exposure and so on. Furthermore, after the readiness for harvest is known, how to harvest and what to do with the harvested beets are equally important considerations.