{"id":2122,"date":"2019-10-07T06:17:10","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T06:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=2122"},"modified":"2019-10-07T06:17:17","modified_gmt":"2019-10-07T06:17:17","slug":"beet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/07\/beet\/","title":{"rendered":"Beet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Beta<\/em> <\/em>vulgaris<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: Beet still grows wild around the coasts of Western Europe and is\nstill sometimes gathered for use as a green vegetable. It is an old crop and\nhas been used as food for humans and livestock since the time of the Romans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop value: <\/strong>Over the years beet has been bred to produce several quite\ndifferent crops. It is important for its leaves (see Chard<\/strong>) and for its edible root, which is either eaten as a root\nvegetable or refined to make sugar. In Northern Europe the root is also\ncommonly used for winter animal feed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are aiming for food self-sufficiency then sugar beet could\nbe an important source of sweetener (and calories)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>: Beet is a fairly easy crop to grow, so long as you give it a\nsuitably moist soil, a cool sunny climate and you thin and weed properly. If\nyou don\u2019t give it these things, you may end up with lots of top growth and\nspindly little roots (if this happens you can always eat the leaves)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaves<\/strong>: These are actually more nutritious than the\nroots, containing large amounts of vitamins A and C, as well as calcium,\nphosphorus, potassium and iron. They also contain oxalic acid, but this is no\nmore of a problem than it is with spinach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roots<\/strong>: These are\nrich in carbohydrates and many beneficial phytochemicals, including folate,\nbetacyanin and betaine. The contain about 200 calories per pound. Sugar beet\nmay contain up to 20% sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate<\/strong>: Beets are a moderately hardy cool season crop that will tolerate\nsome frost. They grow\nwell enough in warmer weather, but higher temperatures (above 75\u02daF) produce poor quality\nroots. These tend to be tougher,\nunevenly colored (zoned) and often somewhat bitter or lacking sweetness. This\noccurs because on warm nights they use the sugar they produce for further\ngrowth, rather than storing it in their roots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Beet<\/strong> \u00a0<\/strong>
Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 50 (70 – 80) 85\u02daF
Germ time: 5 – 21 days
42 days \/ 41\u02daF
16 days \/ 50\u02daF
9 days \/ 59\u02daF
6 days \/ 68\u02daF
5 days \/ 77\u02daF * Optimum
5 days \/ 86\u02daF
Viability: 5 years
Germination percentage: 60%+
Weeks to grow transplant: 3 – 4 \u00a0<\/strong>

Planning facts<\/strong>
Fertility needs: High
Hardiness: Half hardy
Growing temp: 45 (60 – 70) 75\u02daF
Plants per person: 10 – 20
Plants per sq ft: 12
Days to harvest: 50 – 100 days
Plant height: 12\u02dd
Plant width: 6 – 12\u02dd \u00a0

Planting<\/strong>
Transplants
Start inside: 3 – 4 wks before last frost
Plant out: On last frost date
Direct sow: 2 – 4 wks before last frost.
Fall crop: 8 weeks before first frost \u00a0<\/strong>

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Yield per plant: 4 – 8 oz
Yield per square foot: 3 lb sq ft \u00a0<\/strong>
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 6.0 (6.5-7.0) 8.0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beets do well in most soils, but the ideal is loose, sandy,\nwell-drained and close to neutral. It should be quite fertile to get the\ncontinuous uninterrupted growth that is necessary to produce good roots. If the\nsoil is poor, growth will be irregular and the roots may show concentric growth\nrings (zoning).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like most root crops, they don\u2019t like rocky soil (or wet or acidic\nones).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: Beets are quite heavy feeders, though they don\u2019t need a lot of\nnitrogen. Too much of this encourages top growth at the expense of root growth\nand retards sugar storage. Like most root crops, they like phosphorus\n(colloidal phosphate) and potassium (greensand or wood ashes). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelp meal can be used to supply essential boron (they need more of\nthis than most plants because they don\u2019t use it very well) as well as other\ntrace elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fork 2 – 4\u02dd of compost or aged manure (not fresh) into the top 6 –\n8\u02dd of soil. This is where most of the plants feeder roots are found, though\nthese deep rooted plants may go down to 24\u02dd or more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the soil is heavy clay you should loosen it by cultivating\ndeeply and adding organic matter. If this isn\u2019t possible you can dig a trench\n(at least 6\u02dd deep and preferably 12\u02dd deep) and fill it with a mix of compost\n(or aged manure), sifted soil and sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the soil\nis acidic add lime to bring the pH up above 6.0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: Beets need full sun for best growth,\nespecially when growing as a fall or winter crop. However in warmer climates\nthey can also do okay in light shade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Beets are quite fast growing, taking 50 – 80\ndays to maturity. They like cool weather and grow best with warm days (60 –\n70\u02daF) and cool nights. In most of the United States this means growing them as\na spring or fall crop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Succession sowing<\/strong>: You won\u2019t need many plants at one time, unless you really love\nbeets. For a continuous supply of small, tender roots you should plant in\nsuccession every 2 – 4 weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring<\/strong>: Beets are quite hardy and can be started 3 – 4 weeks before the\nlast frost date. The soil should be at least 50\u02daF for good germination. They\ndon\u2019t like waterlogged soil, so don\u2019t plant if it is too wet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall<\/strong>: Beets can also be planted in late summer as a fall crop (6 – 10\nweeks before first fall frost date). This is the crop to store for winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter<\/strong>: In mild winter areas you can plant beets in late summer, to\nmature in fall. They will continue to grow slowly over the winter and can be\nharvested as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vernalization<\/strong>: Beets are biennial and theoretically shouldn\u2019t flower until\ntheir second year. However if your spring\nplants grow too big (have stems \u00bc\u02dd in diameter), too early, then exposure to cool temperatures (below 50\u02daF for 2\nweeks) can vernalize them. When this happens they think they have already been\nthrough one year and bolt as soon as the weather warms up. These plants will\nuse up all of their energy in producing seeds and will never produce useful\nroots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each beet \u201cseed\u201d is actually a cluster of\nflowers fused together, each one containing a single seed. This is why you end\nup with several plants from one seed. It is possible to gently break up these\nclusters and get individual seeds to plant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The seed clusters also contain a water-soluble germination\ninhibitor. This can be leached out by soaking them overnight prior to planting.\nDon\u2019t simply soak them in a bowl of water overnight however, as they can absorb\nso much water they can be damaged. Instead they should be put on a damp paper\ntowel, so they can absorb moisture slowly. Pre-soaking is most useful in hot\ndry weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could take this one step further and actually pre\u2011germinate\nthe seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transplants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting\ninside<\/strong>: Beets can be\ngrown from transplants, but they are very tolerant of cool temperatures, so\nthis doesn\u2019t give you much advantage for the extra work involved (at best they\nwould just be a little earlier). There is also a danger they will be vernalized\nif it gets cold again after you plant them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beets don\u2019t like root disturbance, so cell packs or soil blocks\nwork best for starting seed indoors. Sow the seed \u00bd\u02dd deep, with one seed\ncapsule in each cavity (this will produce more than one plant).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transplanting beets may retard them by a couple of weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardening off<\/strong>: In cold weather the transplants should be hardened off before\nthey go out. You do this by putting the plants outside for 2 hours on the first\nday, then 4 hours on the second day. Add 2 hours every day for a week, until\nthey are outside all day. Alternatively you can put them in a cold frame for a\nweek. Then you simply open the lid during the day and close it at night (this\nis certainly less work).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting out<\/strong>: Plant out the transplants no earlier than the last frost date,\nas they aren\u2019t very hardy. To get an earlier start you could warm the soil with\ncloches before planting and cover the seedlings with cloches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct sowing<\/strong>: Beets are usually direct sown at a depth of \u00bc – \u00be\u02dd. The\nappropriate depth depends upon the warmth and dryness of soil; the cooler or\nwetter it is, the shallower you should plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broadcasting<\/strong>: Scatter the seeds so they are evenly spaced about 2\u02dd apart\nacross the bed. It\u2019s easier to get the proper spacing with these large seeds,\nthan it is with smaller ones such as carrot. The scattered seed is then covered\nwith a layer of soil. If the soil in the bed has a tendency to crust, cover\nwith a mixture of topsoil and compost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rows<\/strong>: The seed can also be sown in rows. Simply make shallow furrows\n12 – 18\u02dd apart across the bed, drop a seed every 2\u02dd and re-fill the furrow (use\ncover soil if necessary).\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: The\ndistance between plants has a direct effect on the final size of the root, the\ncloser the spacing, the smaller the root. Spacing also affects the time they\ntake to mature, the more room they have, the faster they will mature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suggested spacing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5\u02dd spacing\nfor large roots or poor soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4\u02dd spacing\nfor main summer planting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3\u02dd spacing for small roots for pickling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seedling\nthinning<\/strong>: If germination is\ngood, you will have a little clump of seedlings every 2\u02dd (remember every \u201cseed\u201d\nactually contains several seeds). These clumps thin themselves to some extent,\nthe largest and most vigorous ones eventually crowding out the others. However\nit may be better to do it yourself so they don\u2019t compete. Just pinch them off\nat ground level when the tallest seedling is about an inch high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beets need to grow quickly, so they can produce\nplenty of sugar to store in their roots. They can only do this if they get\neverything they need, when they need it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinning<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When all of the plants are growing well you need to start\nthinning, so they are spaced properly. I can\u2019t emphasize the importance of this\nenough. Insufficient thinning is one of the commonest causes of failure to grow\ngood beets. If the plants are overcrowded the roots will be small and stunted\nand they may suffer from disease problems caused by poor air circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First thinning<\/strong>: Thin the growing plants when they are 3 – 4\ninches tall. Do this at the same time you are weeding them, ideally in cool\ncloudy weather. The first thinning should give you a single plant every 1 \u00bd –\n2\u02dd. Don\u2019t thin them to the final spacing at this time, as some might not\nsurvive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second\nthinning<\/strong>: When the roots have\nswollen to an inch in diameter, thin them again. This time to the desired final\nspacing. The thinnings from this round are big enough to eat in salads or\nstir-fries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeding<\/strong>: The plants need a moderate amount of nitrogen when they are\nyoung (until the leaves are 4\u02dd tall). If you soil isn\u2019t very fertile, you may\nwant to give them a feed of compost tea or liquid kelp every 2 – 3 weeks. Don\u2019t\ngive a high nitrogen fertilizer as it can encourage too much leaf growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeding<\/strong>: Beets grow slowly when first planted and can\u2019t compete with\nweeds very well, so it is important that they are weeded properly. It is best\nto hand weed, as their shallow roots and raised shoulders are easily damaged by\nweeding tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/strong>: Consistent watering (at least 1\u02dd per week) is essential for good\nroot production. Beets grown without sufficient water may have tough, woody\nroots, may show concentric whitish zoning, may crack and may bolt prematurely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regular watering is particularly important in warm weather, as it\ncan help to prevent them getting woody and poorly flavored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t over-water your beets however, it is possible to give them\ntoo much. This can result in bushy, luxuriant tops and small roots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If water supplies are limited, keep the soil evenly moist while\nthe plants are young. Then give them extra water when the roots are sizing up,\nto boost their final size. Be careful though, as irregular watering can cause\nsplitting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: This helps to keep down weeds, conserves moisture and keeps the\nsoil cool (which is important for beets). In spring wait until the soil has\nwarmed up to near 60\u02daF before applying it however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cracked shoulders<\/strong>: The rounded shoulders of the root commonly stick out of the\nsoil, exposed to the elements and this can result in cracking and woodiness.\nCylindrical varieties are particularly prone to this. It can be prevented by\nearthing up with soil, or using mulch. A good leaf canopy also helps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolting<\/strong>: Though\nbeets are biennial, they sometimes bolt if planted very early in the year. As I\nexplained earlier this is caused by them being vernalized by low temperatures.\nOnce this occurs there isn\u2019t anything you can do about it, so you need to\nprevent it happening by planting at the right time. Some varieties are more\nresistant to bolting than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forking<\/strong>: Forked roots are most\noften caused by rocky soil or fresh manure, but careless transplanting can also\nbe a cause (they don\u2019t like it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: The only significant pests I have encountered have been leaf\nminers. As you don\u2019t normally grow them for their leaves, this is only a\nproblem if they get out of hand and start to destroy entire leaves. You can\ncrush them in the leaf and scrape off the white egg clusters, but it\u2019s easier\nto use row covers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beets may also suffer from aphids, flea beetles and caterpillars. You\ncan use row covers for all of these too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diseases<\/strong>: These\ninclude cercospora leaf spot, downy mildew, curly top virus and scab. You control\nthese in the usual ways, by keeping foliage dry, controlling sucking insects\nand giving good air circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boron deficiency<\/strong>: This results in corky black areas in the\nroot and is known as black heart. Boron is only needed in minute amounts and too\nmuch is toxic to plants. The best quick source is liquid kelp or compost tea. If you have a\nproblem with this, add plenty of compost to your soil as it is the best source\nof boron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: You can start harvesting the roots as soon\nas they are large enough to be worthwhile (1\u00bd – 2\u02dd), which should be in about\n60 days or so. Scrape some soil from the base of the plant to get a good look\nat the root. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young beets are nice and tender, but not very sweet. The roots get\nsweeter as they get bigger, but also more fibrous and less tender. Generally\nthey are good until they reach 3 – 4\u02dd in diameter, but when they get bigger\nthan this they have a tendency to become woody. To some extent this depends on\nthe variety, growing methods and time of year, so it\u2019s not always the case. In\nwinter they stay in good condition for much longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: Usually you can simply pull up the roots by the tops (if these\nare tender they can be used for greens, so don\u2019t waste them). If you are going\nto store the roots be very careful when harvesting, as the slightest injury can\nlead to premature decay. To prevent moisture loss from the root, cut off the leaves to within an inch or two of\nthe root. Don\u2019t cut too close to the crown as this may cause them to bleed. If\nyou want to store them, leave the long stringy root tips in place and don\u2019t\nwash them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: Beets store well and in Europe they were once\nan important winter crop for peasants and their livestock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roots can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge for several weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In mild climates the roots are best left in the ground where they will\ncontinue to grow slowly all winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In colder climates they can also be stored in the ground, though they will\nhave stopped growing. They should be covered with a thick mulch to keep the\nground from freezing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In very cold climates they don\u2019t keep very well in the ground, so are\nusually dug and stored in a root cellar (or something similar). They are\nusually packed in a box filled with damp sand or sawdust. If stored at 32 –\n40\u02daF and 90%+ humidity, they will last for 4 – 6 months. On the farm they were\nonce regularly stored in a clamp (see Potatoes<\/strong>). They shouldn\u2019t be allowed to freeze however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beets can also be canned, pickled, frozen or dried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: Beets are cross-pollinated\nby the wind, so must be isolated from other varieties (and from chard). This\nmeans having only one variety flowering at one time within a distance of two\nmiles (that\u2019s the theory – if not very practical). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beet is a\nbiennial, which means the root has to survive the winter before it can produce\nseed. In mild climates, you can simply leave them in the ground (cover with\nmulch if necessary). In colder climates you may have to lift the roots and\nstore them in a root cellar, as described above. Replant the best roots in a\nconvenient spot in spring and the seed will ripen by midsummer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A flowering beet plant may get to be 8 feet tall and can be quite top\nheavy, so may need staking to prevent it falling over. You will get a lot of\nseed from one plant, let alone 5 plants, which is the minimum number required\nto maintain some genetic variability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multi\u2011planting<\/strong>: This works well with beets. Simply sow two\nseed capsules per soil block (or plug tray) and thin to leave the best 3 or 4\nplants in each block. You then plant out the whole thing and let them all grow\nto the desired size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newer varieties may be sweeter than older ones and resistant to diseases\nsuch as downy mildew. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bulls Blood<\/strong>: Has deep red leaves that are popular for use in\nsalad mixes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lutz Green Leaf<\/strong> – A great all around variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monogerm<\/strong>: Has only one seed per capsule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detroit Dark Red<\/strong>: Perhaps the commonest variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chioggia<\/strong>: This Italian heirloom has red and white\nstriations. It is very pretty, but not particularly tasty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burpees Golden<\/strong>: This species is very sweet because it\ncontains some genes from sugar beet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formanova<\/strong>: A cylindrical beet with tasty tops and roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sugar beet<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a commercial crop the sugar beet is far more important than\nbeet roots. I have never seen specific varieties of sugar beet for the home\ngardener, just a generic \u201cSugar Beet\u201d (and that isn\u2019t easy to find).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roots can be eaten raw in salads, cooked as a vegetable (especially in\nsoup), or pickled. It is also very good when roasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t\nforget about the leaves, as they are the most nutritious part. The young leaves\nmay not be as good as those of chard, but they are still useful as a potherb,\nor a colorful minor addition to salads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roots can be used as a pink food coloring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grated sugar beet is\nsometimes used as a sweetener for cakes and other baked goods. You can also\nmake your own sugar fairly easily, though this is of dubious health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beets have also been fermented to produce alcohol for drinking\n(wine, beer, vodka, brandy) and fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Making sugar <\/strong>
Begin by shredding or finely chopping the roots and put them in a pot.
Add just enough water to cover them and cook for an hour until soft.
Then strain off the liquid and press the mix to extract as much liquid as
possible. The next step is to boil off the water to make a thick syrup. Be
very careful towards the end of this process, as when it starts to thicken
as it can burn very easily. The stuff remaining at the end is sugar, or some close approximation thereof. \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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