We show the best traditional and new varieties of beetroot. Seeds and seeds of these varieties can be obtained on the Internet.
In the beginning, the hobby gardener has to decide whether to choose one of the well-established varieties or a variety that belongs to the newer breeds. In general, the germination of the beetroot begins in April and you can start planting outdoors in May. Depending on the variety, you can expect a rich beetroot harvest for several months. As said, when exactly you should harvest depends on the exact strain. It is therefore advisable to take a look at the bag of seeds you have bought or to look at our article Portrait of a beetroot. For the hobby gardener who wants to grow the red tuber on the balcony or terrace, we have another tip: The special "Baby Beets" are extra small breeds that also work well on smaller cultivation areas.
A very unusual Bete variety, the Bete 'Rainbow Mix', is included in our Plantura vegetable growing set. Also included in this set are seeds for four more bute vegetables, as well as all the materials you need to sow the vegetable seeds - seed pots, substrate, plant markers and a reusable mini greenhouse.
Beetroot seeds can be purchased from a specialist garden retailer or online from us. The varieties have differences in size, shape, colour, yield and ripening time. Here we have compiled some popular varieties for you:
Proven Garden Varieties:
- Egyptian flat round: tried and tested variety; Extremely popular cultivation since the 19th century.
- Albina Verduna: ivory beetroot, large fruits and very sweet; the taste is reminiscent of sugar beets.
- Avalanche: white skin and flesh with clearly visible rings; mild taste.
- Boldor F1: very productive; Yellowish flesh and orange peel; very mild in taste and sweeter than most red-fleshed varieties.
- Boro F1: high yield and long storage;very robust, plump, fresh beetroot in a dark red colour.
- Chioggia: colourful, inner rings in white and red; especially pretty in salads.
- Crapaudine: good for pickling; lush, pointed and long tubers; white-red inner rings.
- Rainbow: great mix of different varieties in one seed bag; recommended for a colorful bed.
- Red Ball: spherical beetroot with deep red and very tender flesh; good yield and long storage.
Varieties for the terrace or balcony:
- Monalisa: wonderful taste; Ripe very early.
- Monika: beautiful, plump beets with red flesh; no separation necessary.
- Pablo: dainty, plump turnips; juicy, red flesh; Ripe very early.
Other varieties of beetroot
- Cylindra: medium-long beetroot with a cylindrical shape and deep red flesh. Usually no ringing visible; particularly productive and versatile.
- Detroit 2: spherical, low in nitrate and good storage variety; Detroit 2 beet has deep red flesh.
- Egitto Migliorata: Italian early-ripening variety with smaller beets. Shape is roundish-flat with a red-purple flesh. In Italy, Egitto Migliorata is particularly appreciated for its mild and good taste.
- Formanova: long, cylindrical beets with dark red, ringless flesh; red-leaved variety that develops the main part of the beet above ground.
- Forono: long, cylindrical turnips with red flesh; when sowing correctly, only a little needs to be isolated; well suited for cutting even slices; very plentiful.
- Golden Burpees: small, rounded turnips with yellow flesh (curled) and intensely orange skin. Very productive, quite sweet and especially popular in the kitchen because Golden Burpees don't "bleed" when cut.
- Golden: less sweet than Albina Verduna but more aromatic. Golden flesh and orange peel.
- Hullahoop: Mixture of different colored varieties in one seed bag; yellow (Burpees Golden), red (Subeto, Bulls Blood) and white (Albina Vereduna) varieties are mostly included. Ideal for anyone who likes variety.
- Moulin Rouge: mononuclear variety that does not need to be singulated after sowing; round and deep red beets.
- Taunus (F1): Deep red beetroot with a cylindrical shape. Ideal for cooking, as the Taunus variety can be cut into even slices. For salads there isspecial "leaf beds" cultivated mainly for their leaves.
- MacGregor's Favorite, Lutz Green Leaf, Bull's Blood: If you harvest the leaves with a little care, the plants will still produce large and tasty turnips.
After the variety selection is before planting. Everything you need to know about growing beets is in this article.