| Beets | Broccoli | Brussels Sprouts | Cabbage | Cauliflower | Carrots | Cress |
| Lettuce | Onions | Peas | Potatoes | Radishes | Salad Greens | Spinach |
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. They are the earliest maturing variety available.
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. |
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| * My favorite |
