Tips for Growing the Sweetest Beets

My partner will devour beets any old way, whether that’s in a bitter pickled version or a creamy cold soup.

Me? I adore these root veggies, but I have to admit, I like some better than others. I prefer mine candy-sweet, maybe roasted and tossed with some blue cheese and walnuts.

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When I first started growing these marvelous roots, I noticed that some were more appealing to my palate than others from one year to the next, even when I was growing the same cultivar.

That’s when I set out on a journey to discover what makes them so marvelous one year and just average in another.

It turns out, there’s a lot you can do to influence how your roots taste.

Choosing the right cultivar is a big part of the process, but soil quality, fertilizer, temperature, and the time of year in which you grow beets can all impact their flavor.

Ready to make some garden magic? Here are the topics we’ll talk about:

Whether you love beets already or you’re just looking for a way to make them more palatable for yourself and your family, get ready to grow the tastiest roots you’ve ever had!

And by the way, if you need a refresher on how to grow beets, check out our guide.

Before we dive into the mechanics, it helps to understand why some vegetables taste sweeter than others.

We’ve all bitten into a sugary-sweet carrot that seems like it must have been candied, and we’ve probably all had carrots that seem closer to a potato in terms of their texture and flavor.

Kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and turnips all do the same thing, varying from sugary sweet and juicy to mild or even bitter.