How to Grow Beetroot in New Zealand

Updated June 2026

Beetroot is a forgiving, fast crop that earns its place in any New Zealand garden. You get two harvests from one sowing, the sweet earthy roots and the glossy leaves, which are every bit as good as silverbeet. It copes with cool weather and a wide sowing window, so there is almost always a month to get it in.

The one thing to know up front is that each beetroot seed is really a cluster of several seeds joined together. That is why you often see little clumps of seedlings come up in a tight bunch. Thinning each clump to one strong plant is the main job, and the thinnings make a lovely salad green.

Soak the seed overnight to speed germination, sow direct into the bed, and keep the water steady. Use the calculator below to work out how many clusters to sow and how many beetroot you will end up with after thinning.

What it looks like as it grows

Position and soil

Beetroot likes full sun and a well-drained bed enriched with compost. Unlike carrots it does not mind a fairly fertile soil, but avoid fresh manure, which can cause forking. Work a little lime in if your soil is very acidic, as beetroot prefers a near-neutral pH. Light soils benefit from compost to hold moisture and supply trace elements like boron.

Sowing

Sow seed direct about 1.5cm deep where the plants will grow. Soaking the seed overnight softens the corky cluster and speeds germination, which usually takes around ten days. Sow a short row every three to four weeks for a continuous supply rather than one big glut.

Spacing and thinning

Because each seed is a cluster, you will get little knots of seedlings. Thin each cluster to one strong seedling once they are a few centimetres tall, then thin again to a final spacing of 8 to 12cm between plants. Rows sit about 25cm apart. Closer spacing gives smaller, tender beets for pickling, wider spacing gives large maincrop roots.

Watering and feeding

Keep the soil evenly moist. Erratic watering causes woody roots and rings of tough growth, so steady is better than a dry spell followed by a flood. Beetroot rarely needs extra feeding in a composted bed. If the leaves go pale with white rings it is usually a boron or trace-element shortage in light soil, fixed by working compost in before sowing.

Common problems

Clumps of seedlings come up together

Each beetroot seed is a cluster. Thin to one strong seedling per spot so the roots can size up.

Small woody roots

Crowding or dryness. Thin them out and keep the water steady.

Pale leaves with white rings

Often a boron or general nutrient shortage in light soils. Work compost in before sowing.

Bolting (running to seed)

A cold snap after an early sowing can trigger bolting. Choose a bolt-resistant variety like Boltardy for the earliest sowings. See our NZ pest and disease guide for more.

Harvest and storage

Beetroot is ready in roughly 8 to 12 weeks. Pull them young at golf-ball size for the most tender eating, or leave them to reach full size. Twist or cut the leaves off about 3cm above the crown, leaving the root whole so it does not bleed. Store the roots in a box of damp sand in a cool place, and use the leaves fresh within a few days.

Best beetroot varieties for NZ

When to sow by region

New Zealand spans many climates, so beetroot does not all go in at once. As a guide for the southern hemisphere seasons:

• Warm north (Auckland, Northland): sow from August to April.
• Temperate (Waikato, Wellington, Nelson): sow September to March.
• Cooler south (Canterbury, Otago, Southland): sow October to February.
• Central Otago (cold inland): sow October to January.

Beetroot grows well alongside lettuce, onions, brassicas and silverbeet.

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