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.