Can You Re-Grow Beets from Tops?
Beets brighten up any dish made from roasted root vegetables, from chips to borsht. While many of us are familiar with the bright pink, bulbous roots, not many of us have used the greens. They can be used similarly to Swiss chard or other dark green leafy veggie tops. They can be used fresh in salads but are best sautéed or chopped into stews and soups. Can you re-grow beets from tops alone? Many of us have tried to start an avocado plant from a pit. While this doesn’t usually develop into a producing tree, it is a fun way to watch something that would be discarded, become a living thing. Curious cooks have tried to use leftover vegetable parts as plants. Celery, lettuce, and some herbs will all successfully sprout out new leaves. Do beets re-grow? Most certainly the tops will, but don’t expect a new bulb. Beet greens are loaded with iron, vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium. They will jazz up many types of dishes.
Tips to Re-Grow Beets from Scraps
If you are planting store-bought beets, try to ensure they are organic. You can use ones from your garden or try planting store-bought beets, but regular grocery produce could contain pesticides or herbicides and should be avoided. Select beets that have healthy greens and a solid, unblemished root. Wash your beet well before cutting into it. Remove stems and leaves and use them for a recipe. Then separate the very top from the bulk of the bulb. Use the bulb but retain the top part which is scarred from leaf removal. This is the part of the beet that will produce new leaves.
How to Re-Grow Beets in Water
You can use tap water, but rainwater is best. Just don’t collect it after it has run off the roof and into the gutters. You will need a shallow dish with a little bit of lip. Put just enough water in the dish to cover the cut end of the beet top. Wait a couple of days and you will see new leaves begin to form. To prevent rot, change your water frequently. Keep the water level consistent with the top curve of the beet cutting, but not to the new stem line. In just a week or so you will have new beet greens to cut. Depending upon the condition of your cutting, you may even expect a second crop.
