How to Thin Beet Seedlings for Optimal Growth

You sow beet seed in the garden, and they come up too thick. So next year you plant less seed, and what happens? They grow too thick and need thinning again. Why is it that beet seed can’t be sown so that it does not need to be thinned?.

I looked closely at beet seed, and this post will explain why it is always planted too thick. You’ll also learn about some new cultivars that don’t need to be thinned, and I’ll talk about the heirloom beet that I have grown for 30 years and love.

Beets are a fun and tasty vegetable to grow in your garden The sweet, earthy flavor of fresh beets can’t be beat! However, for beets to reach their full potential, it’s important to properly thin beet seedlings Thinning gives each beet room to size up. Overcrowded beets will remain small and stunted. Follow this simple guide to thinning beets for a bountiful harvest!

Why Thinning Beet Seedlings is Important

When beet seeds first sprout, they may look tiny, harmless, and adorably crowded together Resist the urge to let them be! Proper thinning is crucial. Here’s why

Prevents overcrowding: Beet seeds are actually clusters of 2-5 seeds. Multiple seedlings will emerge close together and compete for resources. This leads to stunted growth.

Allows beets to size up: With proper spacing, beets can absorb nutrients and sunlight fully. Their roots and bulbs will expand to full size.
Improves air circulation: Thinned beets allow air to circulate freely between plants, preventing fungal diseases.
Makes harvesting easier: Large, evenly sized beets with space between them are easier to pull from the soil.

Maximizes yield: Although it seems counterintuitive, removing some seedlings early on results in higher total yield. The beets you keep will grow bigger.

Thinning is a bit of work upfront, but pays off with a robust crop of full-sized beets in the long run!

When to Start Thinning Beet Seedlings

Timing is important when thinning beet seedlings:

Wait until seedlings are 1-2 inches tall. Thinning too early (when sprouts are tiny) makes it hard to distinguish beet seedlings from weed seedlings.

Start thinning before plants reach 3 inches. At this point, their roots have started to intertwine and compete. Thinning becomes more difficult.
Ideally, aim to thin when plants have 2-4 true leaves. This usually occurs when plants are around 1-2 inches tall.
Beet seedlings grow rapidly, so don’t delay for too long before thinning. Check your beet patch every 2-3 days once sprouts emerge.

Judge the timing based on the growth stage of your plants, not the number of days since planting. Growth rate depends on factors like soil temperature and sunlight levels. Visit your beets daily once they sprout to catch the optimal thinning window.

How to Thin Beet Seedlings

When thinning beet seedlings, use care to avoid damaging the remaining plants. Here are some tips:

1. Water the Beets Beforehand

Water your beets well the day before thinning. Moist soil helps prevent accidentally uprooting neighboring seedlings as you work. Well-hydrated plants also recover from root disturbances better.

2. Prepare Your Tool

Small scissors or gardening snips work better than fingernails for thinning beets. Make clean cuts rather than pulling seedlings. Pulling disturbs the roots of keepers.

3. Choose Keepers Wisely

Look for the largest, healthiest beet seedling in each cluster. Keep the vigorous ones with plenty of space to grow. Clip adjacent weaker, smaller seedlings at soil level.

4. Cut Rather Than Pull

Carefully snip excess beet seedlings with your tool. Don’t yank them out by the roots. This could displace your keeper beets.

5. Be Ruthless!

Resist the urge to let crowded seedlings be. Thin vigorously to proper spacing (see next section). Crowded beets fail to thrive.

6. Dispose of Trimmings

Remove cut seedlings from the garden. Compost or discard them. Leaving cuttings can attract pests and diseases.

With practice, you’ll get proficient at thinning beets while protecting keepers. Take your time and exercise precision.

Proper Spacing When Thinning Beets

Here are some general spacing guidelines as you selectively thin your beet patch:

For small, golf ball-sized beets, thin to 2-3 inches apart. Examples: ‘Baby Ball’, ‘Little Ball’, or ‘Pink Ball’.

For full-sized globes like ‘Detroit Dark Red’ or ‘Ruby Queen’, thin to 3-4 inches apart.
For long, cylindrical heirlooms like ‘Cylindra’ or ‘Forono’, space at 4-6 inches apart.
For massive beets like ‘Mammoth Red Mangel’, finalize spacing at 6-8 inches.

When in doubt, refer to the seed packet. It will suggest minimum spacing for the variety.

Adapt spacing to your garden’s conditions. Give beets more room if you have very fertile soil. Space a bit closer together if your soil is average.

Aim to end up with the highest number of evenly spaced, healthy beet plants per square foot as possible. This maximizes yield in the allotted space.

Thinning Beets in Rows vs. Blocks

Another factor influencing beet spacing is whether you planted in rows or blocks:

Thinning Beets Planted in Rows

For rows, thin beets to stand alone within the row, spaced according to guidelines above.
Adjust your sowing rate next year to reduce crowding within the row. Clustering indicates you sowed too densely.

Water and side dress rows with compost to promote growth of remaining plants.

Thinning Beets Planted in Blocks

For block planting, thin beets systematically to achieve even spacing across the entire block.
Next year, sow seeds more thinly across blocks to achieve desired density without clustering.

Side dress broadly across the block and water gently to avoid washing away loose soil between plants.

Proper sowing density improves consistency when thinning blocks. But don’t worry about perfection – hand thinning lets you optimize beet spacing one plant at a time.

When Can You Stop Thinning Beet Seedlings?

Thinning is an ongoing process rather than a one-time chore. You’ll need to gradually thin beets over time:

Do the first round of thinning when beets are around 1-2 inches tall.

Recheck spacing 7-10 days later. Fill in any gaps where keepers didn’t survive by allowing new seedlings to remain.
Do a final thinning when plants reach 3-4 true leaves. At this stage, foliage will begin crowding if plants are too close.
Occasionally recheck spacing throughout the growing season. Remove extra “bonus” beets that sneak through!

Thin any time beet leaves start shading each other or rubbing together. This impedes growth.

Remain vigilant and thin beets anytime crowding becomes evident. Keep an eye on size differences too. Snip smaller beets adjacent to larger ones so both can size up.

With beets, the thinning is never fully done! But keeping them spaced properly will reward you with a plentiful harvest.

Problems to Watch for if Beets AREN’T Thinned

If you choose not to thin your beet patch, expect to see the following problems emerge:

Lower yields overall due to small roots and stunted plants
Oddly shaped roots that grew deformed due to crowding

Smaller leaves due to lack of sunlight penetration
Yellowing leaves or purpling leaves from nutrient deficiencies
Leggy, tall plants trying to overtop their neighbors

Increased pest and disease issues from lack of air circulation
Time consuming harvest with small beets tangled together

Any of these are telltale signs that it’s time to grab your scissors and thin those beets! Proper spacing makes for healthy plants and bountiful harvests.

Thinning Other Root Crops

Beets aren’t the only popular root crop that benefits from thinning. Here are some other veggies where thinning improves yields:

Carrots – Thin to 1-2 inches for fingerlings and 2-4 inches for standard carrots.
Radishes – Thin to 1-2 inches apart.
Turnips – Thin to 4-6 inches depending on variety.

Parsnips – Thin to 3-4 inches apart.
Rutabagas – Space to 6 inches apart.

The thinning principles remain the same – watch for true leaves, allow room to expand, use clean cuts, and remove trimmings. With proper thinning, you’ll enjoy bountiful harvests!

A Close Look at Beet Seed

My bag method, which is shown in the video below, was used to grow the beet seeds in the picture above. This method allows you to germinate seed and have a close look at the process. This is how I get most of my perennial, tree, and shrub seeds to sprout, but I usually plant beets right in the ground.

You can see that each beet seed has two or three roots coming out. Each root will develop into a separate plant.

If the above video does not play, try this link: https://youtu.be/dirz0WIMQi0

Beets Have Multigerm Seeds

The so-called beet “seed” is actually a cluster of seeds inside a dried fruit. Actually, when you plant them, you plant the whole fruit, which means you plant more than one seed in the same spot.

This type of seed is known as a multigerm seed. The word “germ” refers to the embryo that can grow into a new plant. Each beet multigerm can contain 2 to 5 embryos.

Scientists found some sugar beets that could only make one embryo in a fruit, and they have been growing them for a while now. More recently, some table beets have also been developed which have a single embryo. Two of such cultivars are; Alvro Mono and Moneta.

If you grow monogerm beets, you will not have to thin them, provided you don’t seed too thickly.

I have been growing Cylindra for about 30 years. It is an old heirloom that forms a long carrot-like root. As it grows, it tends to stick up above the ground. There are people who hill it so that the root is always covered with soil, which keeps it from getting woody. I have never done that, though. I find them to be very tender even if they get old.

How To Thin Your Beets – Garden Quickie Episode 23

How do you thin a beet plant?

To thin your beet plants effectively, follow these simple steps: Wait for the right time: Start thinning when the seedlings have 2-4 true leaves. Identify the weakest plants: Look for seedlings that are smaller, paler, or showing signs of distress. Gently pull out extra seedlings: Be careful not to disturb the roots of the remaining plants.

Do beet seedlings need to be thinned?

For this reason, beet seedlings have to be appropriately thinned to grow a healthy and delicious beet. Although thinning is not done only for beet seedlings, other plants require regular thinning to ensure healthy development of the plants.

What is thinning beets?

Thinning beets is a process of removing excess seedlings from a single row, so that the remaining plants have enough space to grow properly. Thinning beets too early can leave the plants weak and vulnerable to disease and pests, while thinning too late can lead to overcrowded rows and reduced yields.

When to thin beets?

Knowing when to thin beets can make a huge difference in the success or failure of your harvest. To ensure that your beets are healthy and productive, the best time of day to thin beets is early morning. Thinning beets is a process of removing excess seedlings from a single row, so that the remaining plants have enough space to grow properly.