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Seasons
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Beets are a fast-growing, two-crop-a-year
vegetable that can be planted in the spring and fall. They like
cool, moist weather and thrive in a humus-rich soil with a ph of 7.0
They are ready to harvest in 45-65 days. Phosphorus and potassium
are two key nutrients essential to a good beet yield.
Nutritionally, beet greens are even better than the delicious roots.
Cooked greens have half the calories of the roots and provide Vitamin A,
B-1, B-2, C, calcium and iron.
Varieties:
Detroit Red
The globular, dark red roots of the aptly name variety
are tender and delicious, and can be utilized fresh, canned or pickled.
Their reddish green leaves also make good-tasting greens. Beets are easy
to grow and tolerate a wide range of conditions, but prefer cool
weather. 55-65 days to maturity.
*Egyptian Crosby
The globular, dark red roots of this aptly named
variety are tender and delicious, and can be utilized fresh, canned or
pickled. Their reddish green leaves also make good-tasting greens. Beets
are easy to grow and tolerate a wide range of conditions, but prefer
cool weather. 52-60 days to maturity.
Cylindra:
This fine textured cylindrical beet produces extremely
tender baby beet slices. The 8" roots are tender and delicious, and
can be utilized fresh, canned or pickled. Their reddish green leaves
also make good-tasting greens. Beets are easy to grow can be grown
closer together because their shape yield more and easier slices and
tolerate a wide range of conditions, but prefer cool weather. 52-60 days
to maturity.
Note: a customer recently told me how good this beet
is. He said it is his favorite. It lasts all summer without
getting tough. It is not pretty like the round beet but
out-performs them all!
Golden and Albino White retain the flavor of their red cousins
without the stain! However there is a lower germination rate
on the seeds.
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Soil Preparation:
Work aged manure or compost into the soil or 3-4 cups of
5-10-10 per 20' of row.
Planting:
Sow seeds 1 inch apart and cover with 1/2 inch of soil when soil
temperature is 75-85 degrees F. You can plant several rows side by side
to conserve space. If planting for greens sow in a block. No
thinning is necessary.
Germination: 5 days
Care:
Each "seed" is actually a dried fruit containing a cluster
of two to six seeds. Therefore it is necessary to thin seedlings to
2-4" apart at 10-14 days after emergence.
Harvesting:
For Greens: pick entire plants when leaves are 4-6"
long.
For Roots: the roots are generally most tender when they
are between golf ball and tennis ball size (40-50 days).
Bolting: An extended cold snap of two or more weeks
below 50 degrees after the plant has formed a tidy rosette of leaves can
force them to bolt., which ruins the quality of the roots. Check out
this website... North Carolina State- Home
Garden Beet Production. |
®
Hertzler
Farm
and Feed Inc.
