Growing Vegetables

Beets are sweet tasting tapering roots in various shades of deep red or purple. The tops are leafy and reg
green. Beets are a little slow to sprout from their seeds but, once they are started will grow rapidly
producing a great deal of tasty food in a small amount of space. The basic beet is round and red. There
are also carrot shaped beets, striped, yellow, and white. On average beets will reach 4 to 6 inches in
diameter. They attract very few pests and will tolerate warmth, but prefer cool weather. Where summers
are hot, plant beets to mature before and after hot weather. You can eat both the roots and the immature
tops. You can grow winter crops of beets in mild climates; seeds should be sown in early fall and the roots
harvested before they begin to shoot up seed stalks the following spring.

How to plant

Beets prefer full sun exposure, but can tolerate light shade. You need well drained loam
with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. If you plant in a heavier clay soil the roots will deform. Beets require a lot of food,
so work in 15 to 20 pounds of compost per 100 square feet. Plant seeds in short rows as early as the soil
can be worked in the spring and at monthly intervals until late summer. Cover seeds with 1/4 inch of sand,
vermiculite, or finely pulverized compost to improve germination. Sow seeds 1 inch apart. Thin to at least
2 inches apart when plants are small, using the greens of the pulled plants.

Care

Beets need frequent watering in dry weather to keep the roots tender and plump.
A light applications of a complete fertilizer every three to four weeks will help the roots form quickly and
remain tender.

Pests

Beets interest few pests except a kind of grub called a root maggot and slugs that can burrow into
roots or spoil the tops of small plants. Root maggots can be discouraged by digging in heavy applications of
compost and by not planting root crops in the same location each year. Look for slugs and hand pick them
when you find them.

Harvesting

Begin pulling beets to eat as soon as they reach 1 inch in diameter; this will make room for the
remaining roots to grow to their mature size of 4 to 6 inches in diameter. When beets are tiny, both tops and
roots can be cooked together. Don’t let beets grow to jumbo sizes; they can develop streaks of woody tissue.
In containers beets will’ thrive in planter boxes deep enough for their roots (about 12 inches). Give them 3
inches between plants.