---
title: Sugar Beets
created: 2026-05-24
updated: 2026-05-25
type: entity
tags: [root-vegetables, heirloom, open-pollinated, chicken-friendly, goat-friendly, rabbit-friendly]
sources: [raw/articles/seedvault-home-page.md]
---

# Sugar Beets

## Overview
Robust OP variety prized for high sugar content and versatility. Large white-fleshed roots, 2-3 pounds, sweet earthy flavor. Ideal for home gardens, sugar production, or livestock feed.

- **Category:** Root Vegetables
- **Price:** $3.12
- **Variety Type:** Open-pollinated

## Growing Instructions

### Sowing
Plant early spring or late summer for fall. Sow 1/2" deep in well-drained soil, 2-3" apart in rows 18-24" apart. Thin to 4-6" apart at 2-3" tall. pH 6.0-7.5.

### Germination
5-10 days at 50-75°F

### Care
Consistently moist, not waterlogged. Mulch for moisture/weeds. Balanced fertilizer 4-6 weeks after planting. Remove flower stalks for root focus.

### Harvest
90-120 days. Harvest at 2-4" diameter, typically late fall. Dig carefully. Leaves edible.

## Soil & Conditions
- **pH:** 6.0-7.0, well-drained, stone-free. Consistent moisture for tender roots.

## Seed Storage
- **Viability:** 3-4 years cool/dry. Store below 40°F.
- **Pre-treatment:** Soak 12-24h. Seeds are clusters — thin seedlings to 3-4" apart.

## Yield
- **Per Plant:** 0.5-1 lb per plant
- **Harvest Season:** Early fall
- **Note:** Harvest at 2-3" diameter for best sweetness
Biennial. Bolts year 2 with tall seed stalks. Isolate ½ mile from chard/beets or bag flowers. Harvest when seeds brown.

## Pest & Disease
Aphids, beet armyworm, leaf spots. Rotate with non-chenopods every 2 years.

## Harvest & Preservation
3-4" diameter roots. Store in damp sand at 32-40°F for 3-4 months. Blanch/freeze. Roast, juice, or pickle.

## Companion Planting

### Good Companions
- **[[provider-green-bush-beans]], peas, [[white-bunching-onion]]** — Nitrogen fixers + pest repelling

## Related
- [[seedvault-market]]
- [[grow-guides]]
- [[seed-catalog]]