Chioggia beet

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light partial shade, though roots develop more slowly.

Water

Keep evenly moist, especially during germination and root swelling. Aim for about 1 in (2.5 cm) of water weekly, including rain, adjusting for heat and soil drainage.

Soil

Loose, well-drained soil enriched with mature compost; ideally pH 6.0-7.5. Remove stones and avoid fresh manure, which can encourage forked roots.

Height

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Spread

0.5-0.75 ft (0.15-0.23 m)

Foliage

Broad green leaves with reddish stalks and veins, forming an upright rosette above the swollen root.

Growth

Fast; roots usually reach harvest size about 55-65 days after sowing in favourable conditions.

Care needed

Low

• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.2 ft (0.38 m)

   full size

Full size in one season.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Native to

the UK

Growth rate

Fast

• Thin seedlings to 3-4 in (8-10 cm) apart; each seed cluster may produce several plants.
• Water regularly so the soil does not repeatedly dry out and become saturated.
• Work mature compost into the bed before sowing; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Apply a thin layer of mulch once seedlings are established, keeping it clear of their crowns.
• Weed gently by hand to avoid damaging shallow roots.

Pruning. No pruning is needed. Remove damaged leaves, and take only a few outer leaves from each plant if you also want a good root crop.

Lift roots when their shoulders are about 1.5-3 in (4-8 cm) across, usually 55-65 days after sowing; smaller roots are generally more tender. Loosen the soil with a fork before pulling, then cut off the leaves, leaving about 1 in (2.5 cm) of stalk for storage. Pick young outer leaves sparingly for salads or cooking.

Early spring

Prepare a sunny bed with mature compost and remove stones.

Spring

Direct-sow about 1 in (2.5 cm) deep once soil reaches roughly 50°F (10°C); avoid prolonged cold, wet conditions.

Late spring

Thin seedlings and sow another short row every two to three weeks for successive harvests.

Summer

Water consistently and harvest roots while young; pause sowing during intense heat.

Late summer

Sow an autumn crop, allowing about eight to ten weeks before regular hard frosts.

Autumn

Lift remaining roots before the soil freezes. In mild-winter climates, continue cool-season sowings and harvests.

• Plant in repeated rows in a potager for orderly green foliage and red-stalk accents.
• Edge raised vegetable beds with short rows that are easy to thin and harvest.
• Grow beside lettuce and spring onions in mixed edible beds for contrasting leaf shapes.
• Use containers at least 10-12 in (25-30 cm) deep in small courtyards or patios.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Edible landscape, Cottage garden, Homestead, Small-space and Family-friendly.

Plant it with: Lettuce, Spring onions, Garlic, Bush beans and Calendula.

Wildlife: The harvested crop provides little nectar or pollen. Plants left to flower in their second year are mainly wind-pollinated; leaves may feed insects, slugs and browsing animals.

• Leaf miners make pale blotches inside leaves: remove affected leaves and use insect mesh over young crops, securing the edges.
• Aphids cluster on young growth: dislodge with water and encourage ladybirds and other predators.
• Cercospora leaf spot causes small spots with dark margins: remove badly affected foliage, avoid wetting leaves and rotate beet and chard crops.
• Bolting produces a tall flower stalk and poor roots: avoid sowing into prolonged cold, keep plants watered and harvest promptly.

Roots and leaves are edible for people. Beetroot is not known to be toxic to cats, dogs or horses in ordinary small amounts, but leaves contain oxalates and should not be fed in large quantities, particularly to animals with kidney problems. People advised to limit dietary oxalates should also limit beet greens.

• Red beetroot (Beta vulgaris)

  Plants may look very similar above ground, but ordinary red beet cultivars have predominantly dark red flesh rather than Chioggia's distinct pink-red and white rings.

• Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris Cicla Group)

  Chard develops larger leaves and often thicker stalks, without the rounded, swollen storage root of beetroot.

Chioggia is named after the coastal town of Chioggia in northern Italy, where this beet originated.

Propagation. Direct-sow seed clusters in their final position and thin after emergence. To save seed, overwinter selected roots and let them flower in their second year; beets cross readily with other beet cultivars and Swiss chard, so isolation is needed to maintain Chioggia's characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Beta vulgaris

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states and Puerto Rico.

Native range

Albania, Algeria, Azores, Baleares, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Egypt and France.

Measured

Soil pH 7.5 to 8. Average height 43 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.