Garden Vegetable - Beets

Botanical Information

Starting

Notes:

A very easily grown plant. It succeeds in sun or light shade in moist soils but prefers a rich well-drained light soil. It does best in a pH between 6 and 6.8, though it tolerates a pH in the range 4.8 to 8.3. Plants are tolerant of saline soils and respond positively if salt is added to non-saline soils at a rate of about 1 oz per square yard. Beets are generally hardy in the Northwest and can be left outdoors in the soil in most winters, though prolonged cold weather or severe winters can damage the roots. If the plants are exposed to prolonged temperatures below 15°F they will quickly run to seed. This also applies to the young plants of most beet varieties if they are sown in early spring - a short period where temperatures fall below freezing can fool the plant into believing that there has been a winter and it will then try to flower and produce seed. There are, however, some varieties, such as 'Bolthardy', that are more resistant to bolting and so more suited to early sowings.
The beet is widely cultivated for its edible root. There are two basic forms, those with rounded roots and those with elongated roots with many named varieties of each form. The roots can be available all year round from successional sowings. A fast-growing plant, some cultivars can produce a root ready for harvesting within 7 weeks from sowing the seed. Most beet seed is actually a cluster of several seeds, though monogerm varieties have been produced that only have one seed - these monogerm varieties are less likely to require thinning once they have germinated. A good companion for dwarf beans, onions and kohlrabi. Its growth is inhibited by runner beans and mustard.

Propagation: Seed - pre-soaking for 12 hours in warm water prior to sowing encourages more rapid and even germination. For the earliest crop, ready to harvest in late spring, sow the seed in situ in late February or early March, giving it some protection such as a cloche. The first outdoor sowings can be made in March in situ to provide a crop from early summer onwards. For both of these sowings it is important to choose varieties that are resistant to bolting in case there is a cold spell in the spring. Sowings for the main crop can be made in April to early June to provide roots for autumn, winter and early spring use. Late sowings of fast maturing varieties can be made in June and early July in order to provide fresh young roots in the autumn.