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Most gardeners can learn how to grow beets by following a few handy growing tips. In the current recession, many people are turning to gardening to help them cut their weekly food shopping bill and put healthy, fresh vegetables on the table. Learning how to grow your own organic vegetables can reduce the food bill dramatically, and what is more, it is fun and educational. Beets are nutritious and tasty and can seem like quite a delicacy when enjoyed as baby beets. Indeed, in times gone by, even the leaves of some beet varieties were eaten.

If you are new to gardening, or to vegetable growing, the first tip is to choose a reliable well-tested beet variety that is suitable for beginners. For example, steer clear of those that are prone to bolt, at least for now. The best time to plant beet seeds in cool temperate areas is March and April. In zones warmer than eight, beets make a great winter through spring vegetable crop.

Then, decide whether you are going to grow your beets in a vegetable patch or in containers. If growing your beets in a vegetable bed, prepare it with soil that is free-draining and rich, but not heavily manured. They like a plot that either in full sun or partly shaded. If planning to eat the beets when they are at their smallest and tastiest, you can plant them relatively close together, so gaining maximum use of your vegetable growing space. You will find that spacings of two inches are perfectly acceptable. Bear in mind that their height will be about thirty centimetres , as will the spread. Keep the growing area well watered and weed frequently you will find a beet hoe very useful for this.

If growing the beets in pots, it is well to keep in mind that they may need extra quantities of water, as beet plants are prone to bolting in very dry conditions. Be prepared to water copiously in very hot dry weather conditions. Special beet growing medium is also a boon for beginning vegetable gardeners.

Beets have very attractive foliage, so while you are waiting for them to grow large enough to harvest, they will put on a pretty dark red through dark green color display. It may even be worth prettying them up even further by siting them near to complementary plants such as chard, red lettuces or even pots of brilliant white flowers such as Bizzy Lizzies, or hot orange marigolds.

Harvest the beets when they are about three inches as some varieties become woody and pulpy after this point. Now all you need are some tasty baby beet recipes!

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