How to Grow Beet Greens

Loosen the soil in the early spring as soon as you can work it with a garden hoe. Scrape the surface of the soil to remove any weeds that sprang up over the winter. Dig a shallow 6- to 8-inch trough with the hoe, breaking up any clumps of soil and removing any rocks from the row.

Mix in some fertilizer with the ratio of 5-10-10 of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Rake the area with a garden rake to smooth out the surface while working the fertilizer into the soil.

Plant the seeds in the row, setting them 1/2-inch deep into the loose soil, 1 inch apart from each other. If you are planting more than one row, space the rows 12 inches apart. Tamp the soil down over the seeds.

Water the seeds, or wait for the next rainfall since spring rains tend to come often in many areas. Watch for the beets to sprout after about 10 days. Thin out the small beet greens to 1 inch apart from each other -- each seedpod contains several seeds -- when they are about 3 inches high. Pinch off the stems at ground level with a pair of scissors and save for serving in a spring salad.

Trim a few leaves from each plant as you need them over the next three or four weeks. If you take too many leaves at once, the plant will suffer and possibly die.

Harvest the whole beet plant by pulling it from the ground when the root is about 2 1/2 inches wide. Cut off the greens an inch from the beet and use for cooking or salads.