Beetroot, also known simply as beets, is more than just a vibrant addition to salads and juices. This root vegetable is packed with essential nutrients and has been recognized for its health-promoting properties for centuries.
Rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, beetroot offers a wide range of benefits, from reducing blood pressure to improving athletic performance.
Here’s an in-depth look at the healing benefits of beetroot and how to grow it successfully in containers.
Nutritional Profile
Beetroot is low in calories and high in valuable nutrients, including:
- Fiber: Helps to maintain bowel health and lower cholesterol levels.
- Vitamins and Minerals: Particularly rich in folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C.
- Nitrates: Naturally occurring chemicals in beetroot can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure.
Cardiovascular Health
One of the most well-documented benefits of beetroot is its ability to help lower blood pressure. The nitrates in beetroot are converted into nitric oxide in the body, which helps dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow, consequently reducing blood pressure.
Regular consumption of beetroot juice has been shown to significantly lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Athletic Performance
Beetroot juice is popular among athletes and those who lead active lifestyles because of its impact on physical performance. The nitrates found in beetroot improve the efficiency of mitochondria, which are responsible for producing energy in your cells.
This can lead to enhanced stamina, increased oxygen use, and better exercise performance. Studies have shown that beetroot juice supplementation can improve cycling and running performance, increase stamina, and decrease oxygen consumption during physical activities.
Inflammation and Pain Reduction
Beetroot contains betalains, pigments that give the root its red color, which have potent anti-inflammatory properties. Regular consumption of beetroot or beetroot supplements can help reduce pain and discomfort associated with conditions like osteoarthritis.
Additionally, the anti-inflammatory effects of beetroot make it a beneficial food for reducing the risk of chronic diseases driven by excessive inflammation, such as heart disease and cancer.
Brain Health
The high nitrate content in beetroot may also benefit brain health. Increased blood flow to the brain due to nitrate-induced dilation of blood vessels could help enhance cognitive function.
This is particularly important in older adults, as studies suggest that a diet high in nitrates can improve the blood flow to areas of the brain associated with executive functioning.
Detoxification Support
Beetroot is a valuable food for detoxification. It contains compounds that help purify the blood and liver and promote detox processes.
The fiber in beetroot also aids in regular bowel movements, helping to eliminate toxins from the digestive tract efficiently.
How to Include Beetroot in Your Diet
Beetroot can be enjoyed in various ways, making it easy to incorporate into your diet:
- Raw: Grated beetroot adds a crunchy, sweet element to salads.
- Juiced: A popular way to consume beetroot is in juice form, often combined with other fruits and vegetables like carrots, apples, and ginger.
- Cooked: Roasting beetroot brings out its natural sweetness and makes a tasty addition to meals.
- Pickled: Pickled beetroots are a great condiment or snack.
Growing Beets in Containers is easy, and this quick-growing vegetable doesn’t require much care. For a beginner, container gardening is the perfect way to enjoy fresh beets without any hassle!
Choosing a pot
Choose the best container for your plant. A clay pot with adequate drainage holes is an excellent choice!
- Growing beets in small pots is possible but make sure they are at least 8 inches deep.
- The right pot size can make all the difference in your garden. 10 to 12 inches deep pots are IDEAL as they will encourage roots to develop!
- You can use a wide container to grow more beet plants. The wider the better, and it will be great if you have room for them!
- Window boxes, the smaller of two sizes and large containers are good options for growing beets.
Best Time to Plant Beets in Containers
The best time to plant beets is in the spring, three-two weeks before your average last frost date. The early yields will make you rich with their sweet roots! You can continue planting every 3-4 weeks until temperatures start rising above 80 F (27 Celsius).
How to Grow Beets in Pots
To start, don’t use seed trays! Rather select desired pots and sow seeds 1/4 inch deep. With the first signs of life your veggies should reach a height significant enough to separate them from other plants by 3 inches or more if possible.
To speed up the germination, you can also soak seeds in non-chlorinated water before planting. However if they’re treated with fungicide avoid this method as it will reduce their effectiveness and may harm your plants rather than help them grow strong roots!
When will They Appear?
The time in which your plants will sprout depends on a variety of factors, such as temperature and sunlight. You can expect them to emerge anytime between 5-15 days after planting at their optimum growing conditions!
You must maintain the moisture in your soil or else it will be difficult to germinate and grow up. Once these babies are 3 inches tall, thin them out so they can keep their spacing recommendation from earlier!
Best Beet Varieties for Containers
Beets are a great option for those who want to grow their own vegetables. They’re easy and fun, with many varieties available! The Detroit Dark Red is our favorite – it’s not quite as red as other beets but the flavor makes up for any lack of pigment in this case.
Requirements for Growing Beets in Containers
Position
You can grow beets in any type of soil, but make sure to place your containers with good air circulation. It’s important for the best growth that you give them 6+ hours worth sunlight per day and provide excellent drainage so it won’t rot before its time!
Soil
Beets are an excellent root vegetable that can be grown in soil with the right qualities. You should make sure you have loamy, penetrable and richly-soil for growing this crop successfully as it benefits greatly from these properties to promote large roots development – avoid adding gravels or stones when planting Beet Roots!
If you’re not using a commercial soil mix for growing beets, prepare your own by adding 1 part garden soil and 2 parts compost or well-rotted manure.
If you want to make a soilless mix, add 1 part peat moss or coco coir and 1 part compost. You can also use well-rotted manure for an added benefit of better nutrient cycling in your garden’s ecosystem! Or, You can also add slow-release fertilizer as well.
Watering
The secret to a tender beetroot is watering it regularly and evenly. To keep soil from drying out, make sure you don’t let the pot go too long without water, and make sure you don’t over-fertilize with nutrients as this will cause stemmy roots.
Spacing
Maintain the 3 inches of distance between each plant from all directions to grow beets successfully. You can grow them 2 inches apart if you’re growing it for tasty greens, but this will hamper root growth and maturity level- so only go with that spacing if your goal is primarily leafy vegetable production.
Temperature
The perfect environment for growing beets in containers is 50 F -85F (10 C-29C), but it can also grow at temperatures between 40° and 90 degrees with some difficulty.
Beet Care in Containers
Fertilizer
Beets are a root vegetable, so it’s important that they have plenty of food for roots. To increase the development of these roots use low-nitrogen fertilizers like an NPK 5-10-10 formula.
The best way to get your garden thriving is by fertilizing it with a water soluble fertilizer at two week intervals. If you notice that the beetroot plants in pots need more Nitrogen than usual, use 20-20-20 complete mix.
Pests and Diseases
Beets in pots are a breeze to care for. They don’t need much maintenance, and the pests that do menace them can often be controlled by early measures like aphids control or crop rotation. Root rot is uncommon because of how deep your beet roots grow.
Harvesting
Beets are nutrient-dense, delicious and easy to grow! They can take anywhere from 6-9 weeks for harvest after germination.
You may also want to consider harvesting beet greens if you’re looking for something different in your salads; their tender leaves taste wonderful with just enough bitterness that balances out the flavor nicely.