Common Beet

How to grow Common Beet

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Sow direct from April to July, 2–3 cm deep, thinning to 10 cm for beetroot and 25–30 cm for chard. What looks like one beetroot seed is usually a cluster of several, so expect to thin unless you buy a monogerm variety. Soaking the seed for an hour before sowing speeds germination. A late-summer sowing of chard will crop through winter and again in early spring.

Pruning

For chard and leaf beet, pick outer leaves continuously from the outside of the plant and leave the growing point intact; it will keep producing for months.

Propagation

From seed. It is biennial, so a plant that survives winter will run to flower in its second spring — pull it out unless you want seed.

Pests and diseases

Leaf miner makes pale blotchy tunnels in the leaves; pick off affected leaves. Downy mildew and leaf spot occur in wet seasons. Birds strip young seedlings, so net early sowings.

Notes

Beetroot is best pulled at the size of a golf ball to a tennis ball — bigger roots turn coarse and woody. Early sowings into cold soil are prone to bolting, so wait for the ground to warm or use a bolt-resistant variety. Twist the tops off rather than cutting them, which reduces bleeding.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Beta vulgaris but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

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