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Beta vulgaris
Quick Reference |
|
| Optimum Soil Temperature | 15-25° |
| Days to Germination | 10-15 days |
| Days to Harvest | 55 days |
| Direct Sow or Transplant | Direct |
| Distance Apart | 15-20cm |
| Soil pH | 6.0-7.5 |
| Annual/Biennial /Perennial | Biennial |
History |
| The earliest cultivated beet was around 2000BC in the Mediterranean Aristotle made detailed descriptions of beets 384-322BC. Assyrian texts describe beets growing in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Originally Beetroot was grown for it’s leaves. The root was saved and used as a dye. Nowadays the root is used in salads, roasted, pickled or put in soup.
Beets belong to the Goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae) with silverbeet, sugar beet, and spinach. Beetroot is not just red! You can find varieties that are white, yellow, pink, or pink and white striped to name a few. |
Growing |
| Extremely fast growing and able to be sown spring through till autumn makes beetroot an awesome vegetable almost all year round. Likes good loam that has been well dug over and a relatively high dose of nitrogen. Plant in a warm, sheltered, sunny spot for best results.
Sow Beetroot seed sparingly to avoid overcrowding as germination is usually consistent. Once planted give the area a good soak with water. Keep weed free.Soaking seeds overnight before planting will increase germination rate. Thin Beetroot to allow them room to grow. Thinnings can be added to salads as a micro-green. Beetroot likes to grow near dwarf beans, onions, or kohlrabi but not climbing beans or mustard. It is very easy to tell when the beetroot is ready as the top of the root will be visible above the soil. Storing harvested Beetroot: You can leave beetroot in the ground for a month or so before it goes woody. It will store well placed in a a hessian sack in a cool dark place. (Even shriveled they will taste fantastic, if not sweeter). Good beets for storage are Cylindra and Kestrel F1. Can also be dried (fair flavour), frozen (fair flavour), or canned (good flavour). Check out our recipe section for Bottled Beetroot. Seed Saving: Wind pollinated, will cross pollinate with silverbeet. Allow 2km exclusion zone. 30 plants required for genetic diversity. Seed Life: Six years |
Maintenance |
| Thinning will give the beets more room to grow, however don’t thin them to much as they like growing in company. |
Fun Facts |
| Falling in love happens when a couple eat from the same beetroot.
In 1975 during the Apollo-Soyuz test project American astronauts from Apollo 18 were welcomed by Borscht (Russian Beetroot Soup is popular worldwide) by the cosmonauts of the Soyuz 19. Drinking beetroot juice is said to cure hangovers. (Beetroot contains Betacyanin which speeds up detoxification in the liver). It is also said to improve blood flow and lower blood pressure. Beets have high levels of antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and fibre They are also a good source of folate, vitamin A and K, manganese, copper and potassium. They also have a high sugar content. Beetroot was believed to be an aphrodisiac in Roman times. Beets make a great dessert wine. Beet juice has been used as a hair dye since the 16th Century. Eating enough beets will dye your urine and bowel movements, this is called Beeturia. The largest beet in the world was grown in Somerset, UK in 2001, it weighed in at 23.4kg |
Problems |
| Bolting/Prematurely Going to Seed – Cold weather followed by hot weather. Mulch to reduce soil fluctuations
Boron Deficiency – Young leaves die, older leaves look scorched and wilted. Black patches form on roots. Do not add too much lime to soil Excess Nitrogen – Poor flavour, roots lack sweetness Leaf spot – Light grey spots on older leaves. More common in warm wet weather. Crop rotation is important. Manganese Deficiency – Yellow patches between veins in leaves. Leaves turn brown at edges. Do not add too much lime to soil Rust – Rusty brown spots on older leaves. Remove diseased leaves and destroy Uneven growth – Caused by irregular watering White rings/Poor colour or texture – Over-matured, harvest when younger. |
Pests |
| Leafminer – Thin meandering lines through leaves. Remove affected leaves |
Companion Planting |
| Bush Beans, Cabbages, Dill, Lettuce, Marjoram, Onions, Potato, Silverbeet
NEVER Climbing Beans, Tomato |