About
This biennial vegetable is cultivated primarily for its edible foliage. The stems showcase a spectrum of colors, including red, yellow, and orange. While commonly treated as an annual, it can survive through the winter in regions where the soil remains adequately drained.
About the genus
Beta comprises annual, biennial, or perennial plants characterized by rosettes of basal foliage and robust, fleshy roots. This genus encompasses various wild species alongside cultivated varieties like beetroot, chard, and sugar beet.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1 year
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in an open, sunny site in fertile soil, although it can tolerate some shade in summer. See RHS Grow Your Own Chard Guide
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to birds, that can pull up and eat young seedlings, and to flea beetles
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to downy mildews and grey moulds