Post is germinating
Classification
Alternate names
Latin name
Family
Related species
Cultivars
‘Detroit Dark Red’ is best dark-red variety.
‘Burpee’s Golden’ is a beautiful deep gold.
‘Chioggia’ is striped red and white when cut across the root. Great for salads but turns solid red when cooked.
Other good varieties for FL include ‘Cylindrica,’ ‘Early Wonder’, ‘Green Top Bunching’, ‘Piatta D’Egitto’, and ‘Yellow Detroit’.
Characteristics
- edible
- edible roots
- edible leaves
- cold-season crop
- cold tolerant
- freeze intolerant
- heat intolerant
- full sun
- acid soil
- drought intolerant
Description
Size
Color
Beets come in a rainbow of colors from red to yellow — even striped.
Blooming season
Fruiting season
Lifespan
Natural environment
Uses
Besides all the uses for beets, beet leaves can be eaten in salads or cooked like spinach. Beets have a wide array of vitamins and minerals.
Planting and Growing
Beets have a wide growing season. They’re a cool-season crop and should be planted from October through March in central FL. They tolerate a little frost short of hard freezes and can deal with a few warm days. Beets will look stunted if they are grown in soils of pH outside range of 6.2 – 6.7.
Requirements
Hardiness zone
Sun
full
Water
Beets are very sensitive to lack of water. Give them plenty of water, especially during dry spells.
Soil
Well tilled and well drained, pH 6.2 – 6.7
Salt tolerance
Cold/heat hardiness
A cold-season crop, although they can stand a few warm days. Can tolerate a little frost but not a hard freeze.
Planting
When to plant
October – March
How to plant
Soak seeds overnight in warm water (hint: try an insulated thermos) and sow the next day 1/4″ deep. Plant in well-tilled, well draining acidic soil free of rocks and stones. Plants should germinate in 7 – 10 days. Several plants can sprout from one seed and must be thinned to 3″ apart. Space rows 12 – 18″ apart.
Propagation
Maintenance
Fertilize seedbed before planting and again after beets reach a height of 3 – 4″.
Harvesting
Harvest greens when they are 6″ tall.
Roots can be harvested anytime during growing season but are best when they are less than 2″ in diameter.
Diseases/Pests
To prevent maggots, sprinkle with wood ash (1 cup for every 10 ft of row).
Flea beetles can be a problem. Can be handled with a light sprinkling of rotenone dust.
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