Beets

General Information:
Beets also known as blood turnips are grown primarily for there root but are also grown for there green tops. Beets vary in color and shape based on variety. The most common is the deep maroon globe-shaped beet. Beets are particularly rich in folate. Folate and folic acid have been found to prevent neural-tube birth defects and aid in the fight against heart disease and anemia. Beets are also high in fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Beets are fairly frost hardy and can be planted in the garden 30 days before the last frost date for your area. Beets contain the highest sugar content of all garden vegetables. Beets in cans are a poor representation of fresh baked or butter sautéed baby beets from the garden. Beets require loose, moist, well drained soil with lots of organic matter in the soil. Beet seed are actually a cluster of seeds in a dried fruit containing several seeds. Beets grown in loose soil can produce tap roots 2 feet long. However the feeder foot are very shallow. Deeply dug wide beds are ideal for great beet production.

Soil Preparation:
For best results incorporate liberal amounts of compost or well rotted manure deeply dug into the soil.  Beware of fresh manure as it may contain seeds, & high concentrations of urine & salts.  Since Beets are  shallow rooted plant it is very sensitive to moisture fluctuations.   Without adequate moisture beets roots cannot absorb the require nutrients to produce properly even thought they produce very deep roots.  Position rows for proper exposure to sunlight.  All my beds are positioned slightly east/north-east by west/south-west. Rake to break up & remove debris from the soil. Work the soil only when it is dry enough not to stick to garden tools. Form a 36" wide bed the length of your choice. Using a garden hoe form a shallow trench in the center of the 36" wide bed about 4" deep. Do not allow the trench between the 2 rows too extend beyond the end of the beds as this trench will hold water later.  The 2 rows in the 36" wide bed should be about 12" to 16" apart.

Fertilization:
Perform a complete soil analysis to determine fertilization needs.  Soil sample kits including sample bag and instructions can be  obtained from your local county  Agricultural extension service office free of charge. However, the fee  for the actual soil analysis is usually about $15.00.

To much nitrogen will cause beet to produce excessive green top with poor root production yield. For best results side dress plants with a low nitrogen containing high phosphorus and potassium every 3 weeks. Follow manufacturers instruction for amount used.

Seed starting:
Seeds can be started indoor in growing pot but I prefer direct seeding in my growing beds. Seedling can be started in pot if you want to use beets as companion plants alongside other crops. In this case potted plants would be advantageous. Start seedling 5 week before your last frost date indoors. Make sure the seed starting mix is a light sterile soil mix with a moderate portion of Perlite or Vermiculite to maintain moisture. Sow seed about ½" to ¾" deep in pre-moistened  growing mix. When 2 true leaves appear clip all but one of the seedling off at soil level. Feed seedling bi-weekly with fish emulsion until ready to transplant into your beds. Do not allow seedlings to dry out. When transplanting care must be taken to get the roots oriented vertically so that the beets can develop properly.

Planting & Growing:
Sow seeds 5 week before your last frost date outdoors.  Sow seed about ½" to ¾" deep. Sow successive planting one week apart until last frost for extended harvests.  Thin seedling by clipping seedlings at ground level to 4" apart after 2 true leaves appeared. Feed seedling bi-weekly with fish emulsion for the first month. Side dress plant as noted above after 1 month. When seedling have grown 4 true leaves cover the entire  36" wide bed including the trench between the rows with leaves or straw mulch. The mulch will retain moisture, attract worms, and reduce the growth of weeds in the beds. Any weeds that do germinate are easily removed by hand or light cultivation. When it is time to water your plants simply apply a moderate amount of water into the trench between the row you formed earlier.  Do not apply water to quickly as you may wash out  soil holding the water. The water will slowly soak deeply onto the root zone.  Using this method your plants will always have adequate moisture to perform well.  It is of great importance that the soil be kept moist and weed free. Plant green onions within the beet beds to repel insects. Do not plant near or following mustard.

Care during the growing season:
Keep beets moist and weed free  until harvest. Be careful not to damage shallow roots when cultivating or pulling weeds.

Harvesting:
Beets should be harvested when the root are about 2" in diameter for sweet tender roots. As beets grow larger than 2½" they become tough and fibrous. To harvest loosen the soil with a garden fork and remove from the soil. Twist the tops off instead of cutting. Cutting off the tops will cause excessive bleeding which will dry out the edible roots & reduce the sugar content. Upon storage the greens will quickly draw the moisture from the root greatly reducing flavor and the roots will become shriveled. Beets are best harvested in early morning when sugar & moisture content is greatest.

Storage:
Beets can be frozen, however, canned or pickled and dried beets yield fairly good results.