Beetroot
Beta vulgaris L.
Botanical family: Amaranthaceae (formerly Chenopodiaceae)
Beta vulgaris, selected from wild sea beet since antiquity. Round varieties (Détroit, Crapaudine, a very elongated heritage type), long (Cylindra), yellow (Burpees Golden), or striped (Italian Chioggia). Sow March-May, harvest June to October. Keeps excellently in a cellar (4-5 months). Rich in betalains (antioxidant pigments).
Full sun
Well-drained, rich
Moderate
Fairly hardy: in mild climates the roots stay in the ground over winter; elsewhere they are lifted and stored
Protect over winter in your zone
Role in permaculture
Good companions
Poor companions
Same family: shared diseases and pests
Traditional avoidance (antagonism not demonstrated)
Insects attracted or useful
Known pests & diseases
Pests and diseases that commonly affect this plant, tap to learn how to recognise and manage them.
Seasons & availability
Lifted from June to October, it keeps all winter.
Available: January, February, March, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- RHS, « How to Grow Beetroot » (rhs.org.uk/vegetables/beetroot/grow-your-own)
- La Ferme de Sainte Marthe, « Réussir la culture de la betterave » (fermedesaintemarthe.com/en/blogs/comment-reussir-la-culture-de/reussir-la-culture-de-la-betterave)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
May colour the urine or stools without seriousness.
In the kitchen & the apothecary
Where to find beetroot in preparations: recipes and traditional herbal teas.
Family behaviour: Amaranthaceae
In general, Amaranthaceae bring together leaves and roots of the same kinship (beetroot, chard, spinach, plus quinoa and amaranth). Often tolerant of poor or slightly salty soils, a legacy of their ancestors from harsh habitats, they are rather hungry for well-rotted organic matter and dislike fresh manure.
Understanding families means learning one rule per family rather than every pairing one by one. Learn more →
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Common varieties
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
Pliny the Elder, reporting a votive custom of the Greeks at Delphi · Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi; custom reported in the 1st century AD
Pliny the Elder reports that, in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, a beet modelled in silver had been dedicated. This detail takes its meaning within a hierarchy of offerings: the radish figured there in gold and the turnip in lead, silver placing the beet at an intermediate rank in the esteem of the Greeks. The attested fact is Pliny's own testimony; the reality of these votive objects rests on his account alone.
Pline l'Ancien, Histoire naturelle, livre XIX, chap. 26 (traduction Loeb, Rackham).
The same notice by Pliny as for the radish and the turnip: the anecdote is transmitted by a single author and is presented here as such, not as an established archaeological fact. The ancient 'beta' covers mainly the chard (or leaf beet), the leafy ancestor of the modern root beet, avoid the anachronism about the organ eaten. No health claim is made here.