Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
1 yearUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Green Purple | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Green Purple | |||
Autumn | Green Purple | |||
Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H3Botanical details
- Family
- Amaranthaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Genus
Beta can be annual, biennial or perennial plants, often with rosettes of basal leaves and thick, fleshy roots. The genus includes a range of wild species, as well as cultivated food crops such as beetroot, chard and sugar beet
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Best grown in a fertile, free-draining soil in full sun. Sow at fortnightly intervals from March to July for a successional harvest. See Beetroot section in Vegetable cultivation for more advice
Propagation
Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds
Suggested planting locations and garden types
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, flea beetles, cutworm and beet leaf miner
Diseases
May be susceptible to downy mildew, beetroot heart rot , black leg and leaf spot and Boron deficiency
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.