Growing Beetroot in Containers

Quick facts

  • Container: at least 40 cm wide and 40 cm deep, with drainage holes

  • Varieties: round types such as 'Boltardy' or 'Pablo'

  • Spacing: single plants 10 cm apart, or small clumps 15 cm apart

  • Compost: multi-purpose compost

  • Time to harvest: usually 50–60 days from sowing

  • Key moment: keeping the compost evenly damp, as dry pots give woody or split roots

Beetroot is one of the most productive vegetables for a pot. It grows fast, stays compact, and can be sown again as soon as one batch is lifted. You also get two crops in one, because the young leaves are good to eat as well as the roots.

Choosing a container

  • Size: at least 40 cm wide and 40 cm deep. A wide pot holds more plants, and depth keeps the compost from drying out too fast.

  • Drainage: make sure there are holes in the base, and stand the pot on feet or bricks.

  • Several small pots: instead of one big one, these make it easy to sow in batches a few weeks apart.

Shallow grow bags dry out quickly and only really suit baby beets picked small.

For more on choosing pots for vegetables, see growing vegetables in containers

Choosing a variety for pots

Round varieties suit containers better than long, cylinder-shaped ones. Good choices include:

  • 'Boltardy': slow to run to flower, so good for early sowings (RHS Award of Garden Merit)

  • 'Pablo': dark red roots that can be sown right through the season (RHS Award of Garden Merit)

Golden and candy-striped varieties also grow well in pots and look striking in a salad.

Sowing beetroot in containers

  1. Fill the container with multi-purpose compost and water it well.

  2. Place seeds about 10 cm apart on the surface.

  3. Cover with about 2.5 cm of compost.

  4. Sow from late March or April to July, once the weather has warmed.

For more beets from one pot: sow two or three seeds together at spots about 15 cm apart and leave them to grow as a clump. You'll get several smaller roots at each spot instead of one large one.

Starting in modules: you can also sow into modules and plant out once the seedlings are at least 5 cm tall. Plant single seedlings 10 cm apart, or whole clumps 15 cm apart without splitting them up.

For sowing times, see when to plant beetroot in the UK

Thinning container beetroot

Each seed usually produces two or three seedlings. If you want full-size roots, thin to one plant every 10 cm once the seedlings are about 2.5 cm tall, and add the thinnings to salads. If you're growing baby beets or clumps, leave them as they are.

Watering container beetroot

Beetroot in pots needs regular watering right through its growth. Dry compost makes the roots tough and woody, and a soaking after it has dried right out can make them split. Check the pot every day or two in warm weather and water when the top few centimetres feel dry. Don't overdo it either, as constantly wet compost gives lots of leaves and small roots.

For more detail, see how often to water beetroot

Where to put container beetroot

Stand the pot in a sunny spot. Beetroot copes with a little shade but grows more slowly there.

Sowing little and often

Rather than sowing a whole pot at once, sow a new container every three or four weeks from spring to midsummer. As you lift one batch, the next is coming along, giving a steady supply instead of a glut.

Harvesting container beetroot

Lift roots when they're about 4–7 cm across, taking the biggest first to give the others room. Tip the compost gently aside with your fingers, or ease each root out by the base of its leaves. You can also pick a few young leaves while the roots grow, as long as you leave at least four or five on each plant.

For more detail, see when to harvest beetroot

Common problems in containers

  • Small roots with lots of leaves: often too much water, or plants left too crowded.

  • Woody or split roots: compost drying out, or uneven watering.

  • Bolting: plants flowering early, usually after a cold start or in hot, dry weather.

  • Leaf miner: pale, blotchy tunnels in the leaves. Pick off affected leaves. The same pest attacks Swiss chard, which also grows well in pots.

For more on growing chard in pots, see growing Swiss chard in containers. If your beetroot isn't forming roots, see why beetroot doesn't grow. For the whole growing season, see how to grow beetroot in the UK

Common questions

Can you grow beetroot in pots?
Yes. Beetroot is one of the best vegetables for containers. Use a pot at least 40 cm wide and deep, choose a round variety and keep the compost evenly damp.

How many beetroot can you grow in a pot?
In a pot 40 cm across, space single plants 10 cm apart, or sow small clumps 15 cm apart for more, smaller beets.

Can you grow beetroot in grow bags?
Only for baby beets picked small. Grow bags are shallow and dry out quickly, so full-size roots do better in a deeper pot.

How long does beetroot take to grow in a pot?
Usually 50–60 days from sowing, the same as in the ground, and sometimes as little as 40.

Container size, spacing, varieties and care based on RHS guidance.

 
laura tennant