BEETS!
If you’ve never liked beets before, don’t let it stop you from trying your own home grown ones. The roots are colorful and delicious fresh roasted with other winter roots. The greens are wonderful in salads or
cooked like spinach.
ABOUT:
Height: 6-12 inches
Spread: 4-8 inches
EDIBLE PARTS:
GREENS- may be snipped and eaten when 4-8 inches
ROOTS- are best when picked 2-4, Red Ace inches
BASICS
Propagation: seed.
Seed vitality: 4 years
SITE
Light requirement: Full sun. Roots won’t develop properly in partial shade.
Frost tolerance: Hardy. Not injured by light frost and will tolerate some freezing
Soil pH range: 5.8-6.3. May appear stunted if outside this range
Soil prep: To prepare bed, remove rocks and mix manure/compost to 9 inches. May mix in 1 Cup of wood ashes per 10 foot row to prevent root maggots.
Container growing: 12 inches wide and deep
PLANTING
Spring planting time:
Indoors: 5 weeks before last frost (start around Feb 8 in Crestview)
Outdoors: may sow outdoors 2-4 weeks before average last frost (around Feb 21-Mar 1)
Autumn planting time: 8-10 weeks before average first frost (Sept 11-Sept 25 ideal here in Crestview)
Days to maturity: 50-65 days
Seed: Each “seed:” is actually a multicelled capsule which produces 3-5 seedlings. The extras should be
snipped to thin to one seedling. Soak seeds 3-12 hrs in tepid water before planting.
Seed depth: ½ to 1 inch
Spacing between plants:
Ideal: 6-8 inches
Square Foot Gardening: 2-4 inches apart. Thin to 6-8 inches apart in all directions
(For greens only, sow 1/2 inch apart in all directions. No need to thin.)
Spacing between rows: 30-36 inches ideal
Special methods: Sow seeds into a well-watered furrow. After planting seeds, keep moist until germinated by covering with a board or wet burlap. Check often and remove cover when seedlings break soil.
Germination: 5-10 days.
Succession planting: Every 2-3 weeks for extended harvest period
Rotating crops: Do not follow its relatives spinach or swiss chard
Companion crops: bush beans, cabbage family, leek, lettuce, onion, radish
Incompatible crops: mustard, pole beans
GROWING
Water: Must keep seedlings and plants evenly moist. Wet to a depth of 6 inches. Water overhead in the morning to wet both roots and leaves, yet allow leaves to dry by nightfall.
Nutrients: Moderate feeder. Fertilize 2-3 weeks before seed bed planted with manure or 10-10-10, or at time time of planting with 6-6-6 or organic fertilizer
Side dressing: When seedlings are 3-4 inches tall, side dress with fish emulsion, blood/bone meal, cotton seed meal, or 10-0-10.
CARE
Weeds: Remove weeds often, especially early, to decrease competition for water and nutrients Be careful not to disturb beet roots. Cultivate shallowly. Use organic mulch to keeps weeds down and water in.
Watch for: boring pests, especially as they reach maturity.
Special methods: none
Pests: Beet Leafhoppers, Carrot Weevils, Potato Flea Weevils, Spinach Flea Beetles, Spinach Leaf Miner, aphids
Diseases
Leaf Spot-circular spots with reddish brown margins
Scab- prevent by keeping moist, correct Boron deficiency (black spots inside root)
Yellows- leaf yellows starting at tip. Control aphids
Harvest
Leaves- Best when 5-6 inches tall. Twist off outer leaves an inch above the root.
Root- Best less than 2 inches or become woody. Dig entire plant, wash, dry.
Storage
Refrigerate 1-3 weeks until use or may store in cold, moist sand or sawdust@ 32 degrees up to 3 months. Better canned, pickled than frozen.
Varieties
Local Favorites
Recommended:
Red: Detroit Dark Red and Red Ace are Hands-down favorites
(Also Early Wonder, Cylindra, Red Ace, Little Ball)
Heirloom: Chiogoa. Red and white striped.
Golden: Burpees Golden
