Thinning Beets
Thinning beets is not like thinning any other vegetable because you have options. Depending on what you plan to use your beets for, I’ve found two methods of thinning beets that work best.
One is thinning the seedlings like you would most other vegetables.
But the second is similar to how I thin carrots during the second thinning (yes, I thin carrots two times throughout the growing season). I use this method for baby beets.
So let’s dive into the two methods, how I use each, and when I use them.
Why Thin Beets
Because beet seeds are not true seeds, but dried fruit containing many seeds, you have to thin beets every time. Each multi-germ seed cluster can produce 2 to 5 plants in my experience and they’ll compete for nutrients, water, and space to grow.
Depending on what I’m using my beets for, I don’t always thin the traditional way that most people do for most veggies (snipping the extras as seedlings).
Most of the time, I thin beets similar to how I thin carrots. Instead of snipping the smallest seedlings, I let them grow to become baby beets and then I thin the largest ones.
Let’s dive into both methods of thinning beets.
When to Thin Beets
Depending on whether I'm growing beets for slices in hamburgers (big beets) or for a sweeter flavor in stews and salads (baby beets), I thin them differently.
For Big Beets
If I’m trying to grow a big fat beet for sandwiches, then I follow the traditional advice you’ll find on the internet. Once true leaves emerge and the beet sprout is 2 to 3 inches tall, I will thin these beets.
Depending on how I planted my beets and the beet spacing, I will either thin them 6” apart or 3” apart.
When I plant in rows 12” apart, I will thin beets only 3” apart. But when I plant in rows 6” apart, I will thin them 6” apart within those rows. I find that this spacing lets me grow a good 5” beet - great for slicing and easy to peel.
I always keep the sprouts too, they are delicious in a salad as microgreens, sauteed with garlic and oil, tossed into a stir fry, or even in my scrambled eggs in the morning.
For Baby Beets
Most of the time I prefer baby beets. I grow a lot of early wonder and robin beets which mature early and are perfect for baby beets. For these, I thin them the same way I thin my second thinning of carrots.
I will let 2 to 3 grow together in a seed cluster, similar to how I grow onions. If more than 3 germinated, I will thin the additional seedlings once they are 2-3 inches tall. I don’t want more than 3 growing in the same space.
But rather than thinning the smallest seedling when it’s young, I will let all 3 develop and then thin the largest one once it reaches the size of a golf ball.
This gives the remaining two beets room to grow bigger. This works with beet spacing of 6” in all directions. When I tried to plant in 6” rows with a 3” spacing between plants, there was too much competition.
I like this method because I can plant an entire row of beets and enjoy them over the course of several months instead of harvesting them all at once - which isn’t great because beets don’t store well.
How to Thin Beets
Early Thinning
When I thin beets young at 1-2” tall, either for large beets or because I have more than 3 growing in a cluster, I always use a clean pair of plant scissors and snip them at the soil level. I keep the beet sprouts for the kitchen and let the roots return some organic material back to the soil.
Some people do pull the beet seedlings out of the ground, I prefer to disturb the roots as little as possible and I don’t want to remove the root because it will add nutrients back to the soil. Beets also have a windy taproot and you could end up pulling more than one on accident.
When I grow large beets, I grow them in rows spaced 12” apart and thin them to 3” apart within those rows. That has given me the largest beets.
Multi-sow Thinning (Baby Beets)
When I grow baby beets, I do not thin them until they are the size of a golf ball. The only exception is if I have a seed that germinated more than 3 beets.
I let 2 or 3 beets grow together in clusters that are spaced 6” apart in all directions. Once the first beet reaches a golf ball size, I gently pull it away from the other two and harvest it.
This method allows us to eat beets sooner and prolong our harvest. Once you pull one beet, it frees up space for the other two to grow larger.
I continue to do this until all the beets have been pulled.
Beets Thinning Recommended Reading
How to Use Beet Sprouts
Beet Spacing
The Best Beet Fertilizers
