When to Harvest Beetroot in the uk
Quick answer:
Beetroot is usually ready 50–60 days after sowing, and a run of small sowings gives you roots to lift from June through to October. It's at its best between 4 and 7 cm across, roughly ping-pong ball to tennis ball size. Bigger roots tend to go tough. Ease each one out with a hand fork, taking the largest first so the smaller ones have room to fill out. Late sowings made from June can be lifted in autumn and kept for winter.
Beetroot is one of the quickest root crops to reach the kitchen, and one of the easiest to get right, as long as you pick it at the right size. Bigger isn't better with beetroot. The sweetest, most tender roots are the small and medium ones.
When beetroot is ready
Beetroot sown in spring and early summer is usually ready to start lifting 50–60 days later, and sometimes in as little as 40. Sow a short row every three or four weeks between spring and July, and you'll have roots to pull from June until October.
For sowing times, see when to plant beetroot in the UK
The right size to harvest
About 4 cm, ping-pong ball size: baby beets, tender enough to grate raw into salads.
4–6 cm: the handiest size for roasting, boiling or pickling.
About 7 cm, tennis ball size: the upper limit. Past this, the flesh often gets stringy and woody.
The top of the root usually pushes up above the soil as it swells, so you can check the size without digging.
How to lift beetroot
Loosen the soil beside the root with a hand fork.
Hold the leaves close to the root and ease it out.
Shake off the soil.
Twist the leaves off, or cut them, a little way above the root rather than right at it. This stops the colour bleeding out when you cook it.
Thin as you harvest. Pick the biggest roots along the row first. Each gap you leave lets its neighbours bulk up, so one row gives you small beets now and larger ones a few weeks on.
Harvesting beetroot leaves
Beetroot leaves are good to eat too. Small leaves add colour to a salad, and bigger ones can be wilted in a pan like chard.You can take a few leaves from each plant as it grows, as long as you leave at least four or five on every plant so the root keeps swelling. Or use the leaves from the roots you lift.
Harvesting beetroot in containers
Beetroot in pots is lifted in the same way. Loosen the compost with your fingers or a hand fork, and take the biggest roots first to give the others room. Pot-grown beetroot dries out quickly, which can make roots woody, so keep watering between harvests.
For more detail, see growing beetroot in containers
Storing beetroot for winter
Roots from June sowings are the ones to keep for winter, and bigger roots hold up better in store than baby ones.
Dig them out gently, so the skin isn't nicked.
Let any soil dry on, then rub it away by hand. Don't wash them.
Twist the foliage off, keeping a short stub of stalk, about 2.5 cm, on top of each root.
Pack them in a crate or box, separated by dry sand, coir or old compost.
Store the box in a cool, frost-free place, such as a shed or garage.
Stored this way, beetroot should keep for at least a couple of months. Long varieties such as 'Cheltenham Green Top' are known for storing well.
Leaving beetroot in the ground
In mild areas where the soil doesn't freeze, late beetroot can stay in the ground until you need it. In colder parts of the country, it's safer to lift and store the roots in autumn.
Beetroot left too long
Roots that grow much past tennis-ball size often turn woody, especially after a dry spell. If you have a glut, lift the biggest first and store or pickle them. Uneven watering can also make roots split.
For more detail, see how often to water beetroot. If your roots never swelled, see why beetroot doesn't grow
For other crops to lift this autumn, see when to harvest parsnips
Common questions
How big should beetroot be when you harvest it?
Start lifting at golf-ball size, about 4 cm across, and finish before the roots reach cricket-ball size, about 7 cm. Bigger roots tend to turn woody.
How long does beetroot take to grow?
Usually 50–60 days from sowing, and sometimes as little as 40. Sowing a short row every few weeks gives a steady supply from early summer to mid-autumn.
Can you leave beetroot in the ground over winter?
Only in mild areas where the soil doesn't freeze. Elsewhere, lift the roots in autumn and store them in boxes of dry sand or compost somewhere cool and frost-free.
Can you eat beetroot leaves?
Yes. Young leaves are good raw in salads and larger ones cook like spinach. Leave at least four or five leaves on each plant if you're picking while the root is still growing.
Harvest times, sizes and storing method based on RHS guidance.