Beet microgreens stand out from the crowd with their intense purple stems and vibrant green leaves! They have the same sweet and earthy taste and color as the full-grown vegetable. Grow them as a healthy addition to your salad, put in the beet juice, or simply use them as garnish! They are stunning!
WHAT ARE BEET MICROGREENS?
Beet (or Beetroot in British English) is part of the flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, and people grow them for their edible leaves and roots. The vegetable is known for its many health benefits and its bold purple color.
As microgreens, they bring the same intenseness, both in aesthetics and nutrition value! There are different types you can grow. The most common ones are Detroit and Bulls Blood Beet Microgreens.
Beet is taking a bit longer to grow than the average microgreen, but it’s well worth the wait. The result is a beautiful microgreen, with stunning purple-colored steam and green leaves.
| Growing period | 13-15+ days |
| Flavor | Sweet & earthy flavor |
| Growing difficulty | Medium |
| Buy seeds | Beet Detroit seeds from True Leaf Market Bull’s Blood Beet seeds from True Leaf Market |
Description
Beet is widely used for its many health benefits and its intense color. Today you will find it in many dishes globally, but it has been around for ages. Beets were grown in the ancient Middle East and by the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. It was used not only as food but also to treat illnesses.
Beet grown as microgreens is a fairly new way of enjoying this nutritious vegetable.
GENERAL NUTRITION & BENEFITS
Beet is associated with numerous health benefits, and same as the full-grown vegetable, beet microgreens are jam-packed with nutrition! They are low in calories but high in fiber, and a great source of many essential vitamins (vitamin C and B9) and minerals.
RELATED: The Most Nutritious Microgreens to Grow and Eat
HOW TO GROW BEET MICROGREENS
Beet microgreens may not be a beginner’s choice, mainly because they take longer to mature than most varieties. But don’t let that stop you from growing these amazing microgreens!
| Growing timeline (estimated) | |
|---|---|
| Presoak | 5 hours |
| Preferred medium | Soil or coconut coir |
| Avg. seed weight (10/20 tray) | 25 gram |
| Germination period (blackout) | Day 1-5 |
| Growth time (sunlight) | Day 6-12 |
| Harvest | Day 13-15+ |
Beet microgreen seeds thrive best in soil or coconut coir. The reason is that they grow long roots and need space to grab hold. They are large and irregular in size, and in a 10/20 tray, you’ll be using around 25 grams of seeds.
You benefit from soaking the seeds before planting. It’s not a necessity, but it can speed up the germination. Place them in water for at least 5 hours (you can leave them up to 24 hours) before you sprinkle them on top of your growing medium.
Place a layer of soil or coconut coir in your container of choice and spread the seeds evenly across the tray. Complete the planting by adding another thin layer of soil/coconut coir on top of the seeds. It will support germination. After a while, the beets will start to break through the top layer of soil. When you put this layer of soil on top, it also encourages the seeds to lose the shells.
The beet requires a longer time than the average microgreen to mature. You will need some patience before you see them start to show off their beautiful stems and leaves. Cover them and put the tray in a dark place (blackout period) for about five days. During this time they will germinate.
Microgreens need water to grow, so remember to give your seeds a good mist twice a day. A good reference is to check in on them once in the morning and once in the evening.
When the stems have reached a height of about an inch, you can remove the cover and bring them out in the light. After a total growth time of about two weeks, the beet microgreens are ready to be harvested!
CULINARY GUIDING
Beet microgreens can be eaten raw just after harvest! They make a great addition to salads, sandwiches, wraps, or put on top of your tacos!
As they have such an intense and beautiful colored stem, they are popular to use as garnish! You will impress anyone with this microgreen on top of your meals!
