Organic Chioggia Beet Seeds

Chioggia beet is an heirloom Italian variety. This beet is beautiful with an excellent sweet flavor. Its sliced roots reveal a gorgeous bulls-eye pattern of alternating white and pinkish-red rings. 

As with all beets, you can plant Chioggia beets year-round in many Southern California gardens. Beets are happiest when they are given appropriate spacing and thinned.

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• In mild areas of Zones 9 and 10, Chioggia beets and other beet varieties can be planted year-round. They enjoy cool weather and ample moisture. If planting during warmer months, provide ample moisture and use shade cloth or row cover to protect the crop.

Zones 2-8

• Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last heavy frost. Beets respond well to cold exposure. Plant outdoors when the soil temperature is at least 60°F.

Planting Beet Seeds

• Chioggia beet seeds can be direct sown or transplanted out.
• When starting your seeds in flats or starter pots, plant your seeds on top of thoroughly moistened, high-quality potting soil. Cover seeds 1/2″ deep with finely sifted soil. Two weeks after seedlings have germinated, fertilize with an organic liquid fertilizer. Once seedlings are about 5-6 weeks old, you can transplant them into the garden making sure you space each plant 3″ apart.
• If you choose to direct sow your seeds, plant them in well-worked, thoroughly moistened, debris-free soil. Plant them in a furrow, water with a light mist so as not to displace the seeds, and cover with 1/2″ of finely sifted soil.

Growing Beets

• Chioggia beets are not a fussy crop, but they enjoy regular moisture and light, fluffy soil. To ensure this, irrigate regularly in Zones 9 and 10. Adding compost to the soil aids the soil structure by holding more moisture and regulating soil temperatures.
• Allow adequate space between the plants for the happiest crops. Thin to at least 3″ apart if needed.

Succession Planting Beets

• We strongly suggest that you succession plant Chioggia beets in two-week intervals, ensuring a steady flow of fresh beets to harvest.

Growing Beets in Containers

• Chioggia beets are an excellent container crop! If you are planting in containers, make sure your container is at least 10″ deep. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture.

Harvesting Beets

• Chioggia beets may be harvested at any size for your enjoyment. However, do not let them get too large as the flavor will decline when larger than 4″ or so in diameter. To harvest, simply pull the roots out of the ground.

Southern California Pro-tips

• In areas of Zones 9 and 10, beets are a very easy crop.
• Mulch heavily around your beet plants to ensure the soil does not dry out or heat up too much.
• During our hottest months of August, September, and October, plants can suffer from the heat. If your area gets extreme heat, we recommend that you take these months off from planting cool-season plants and resume in the cool weather. You can use shade cloth or row cover to help protect the plants from extreme heat.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Chioggia beets are a small crop that can easily be interplanted with other crops. We plant beets almost year-round and plant them around other crops where we can find space. In the cooler months, beets are beautiful as they pop up between nasturtiums, poppies, cosmos, and borage.

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information for pests that can be an issue to beets at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.

Plant a variety of beet seeds to enjoy the many colors and flavors of this easy-to-grow crop! From mild-flavored Golden Beets to the deep red color of Detroit Dark Red, there is sure to be a beet that wins your heart!