How to Know When My Beets Are Ready

Beets (Beta vulgaris) are cool-season vegetables grown for both their edible taproot and greens. These annuals can be planted as soon as soil temperatures reach 40 degrees Fahrenheit in spring and again in late summer for a fall harvest. Most beets are dark red in color; although there also yellow varieties and the eye-catching "Candy Cane" beet (Beta vulgaris "Candy Cane"), which has alternating layers of white and red flesh. Depending on the variety, beets are ready to harvest between 60 and 80 days from planting. However, it is the size of the root and the greens that determine the optimum time to harvest. The tops of the beets' roots will bulge from the earth as they ripen, making it easy to measure them to determine if the beets are ready.

Things You'll Need

• Ruler
• Beets in the garden

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Measure the beets that are bulging above the ground. Thin out every other beet when the beets measure 1-inch in diameter. Use these sweet, tender baby beets and allow the rest to grow larger in the ground.

   • 2

     Measure the height of the greens from the tops of the roots, which bulge above the ground, to their tips. Harvest those that are 4 to 6 inches tall at any time during the life cycle of the beet.

   • 3

     Measure the diameter of the beets again 3 to 4 weeks after the first harvest. Harvest these when they reach 2 inches in diameter. Beets over 3 inches in diameter start to become woody and tough.