How to Harvest Beets

Overview

After about 50 to 60 days, beets are ready to harvest. Not only can the roots be dug up and chopped to add flavor to a meal, but the greens of the beets can be harvested periodically and put in salads. Given how well these beets fare in different weather conditions, they can be grown several times in a summer.

Harvesting the Greens

Step 1

Wait until the greens have stopped growing.

Step 2

Gently twist the leaves off where the bottom of the leaf meets the rest of the beet stem.

Step 3

Wait for some of the leaves to grow back before cutting more of them.

Step 4

Gently wash the greens.

Step 5

Wrap the beet greens in plastic, then store them in a very cool area or within a refrigerator. Beet greens can be stored for one week before they spoil.

Harvesting Beet Roots

Step 1

Check the beet roots out after 40 to 50 days. Healthy beets should be one to two inches in diameter. They should also be tender instead of being hard.

Step 2

Push the tip of the soil scoop into the soil near the beet. If the soil is moist, digging the beet out shouldn't be too difficult. Keep digging and loosening the soil around the beet while gently pulling at the beet until you feel the roots loosen in the soil.

Step 3

Gently pull the root out of the soil. Clean off as much dirt as possible.

Step 4

Wash the freshly harvested beet root. Wait for the beet root to dry before storing it.

Step 5

Cut off the top of the beet two inches from the top of the root. Store the beets in plastic bags in the refrigerator. They should last for one and a half weeks.