Beets are fairly easy, straightforward cool-season vegetables to grow within the home garden. they’re grown for both their edible roots and greens. Beets are available not only for the well-known red color but also for white, pink and yellow. Beetroots are high in Folate, fiber and vitamin C. Folate have been proven to assist prevent neural-tube birth defects when regularly consumed by pregnant women before childbirth. Beet greens are high in vitamin A and are frequently utilized in salads and fresh dishes. Both beet tops, or greens, and roots, are often eaten fresh or cooked.
GROWING CONDITIONS FOR BEETS
Beets prefer cool temperatures with well-drained, loamy soil. They require full sun (6 hours a day) and like a soil pH of 6.2 to 6.8. don’t let the soil dry out and crack, but maintain a uniform moisture level.
HOW TO PLANT BEETS
Beets are cold-hardy vegetables which will be planted nearly a month before the ultimate frost within the spring. confirm all soil clumps and lumps are well integrated into the soil before planting so as to not heed root growth. Seeds should be sown about one-half inches deep within the soil with each row about 12-18 inches apart. The seedlings will get to be thinned once they are one to 2 inches tall, spacing them about 1 inch apart. As they still grow, they ought to be thinned again, until they’re growing about 3-4 inches apart. Beets are often planted successively, 3 weeks apart, so you’ll have multiple harvests throughout the season.
CARE OF BEETS
After your beets have matured a touch, put mulch around the plants to assist conserve moisture and keep weeds cornered. Weeding will got to be done periodically; take care to not disrupt the roots of the beets. it’s important to take care of continual growth when growing beets. Any halting of growth will end in an inferior crop. Adequate watering is vital. confirm your beets receive about an in. of water per week, either from rainfall or supplemental watering.
GARDEN PESTS AND DISEASES OF BEETS
Common pests include leaf miners, aphids and flea beetles. a standard disease to seem out for is Cercospora leaf spot which may be a fungal disease. When growing conditions are overly wet or poor-draining, fungal diseases are common.
HARVESTING BEETS
Depending on the variability, beets mature between 55-70 days. Beets are often harvested at any point you desire. Some people prefer small beets (about 1 inch in diameter) et al. larger (around 3 inches). When beets become larger than 3 inches they become tough and fibrous in texture. The greens of beets taste best once they are between 4 and 6 inches tall. Some cooks harvest beets in their entirety to organize whole in salads, grilled dishes or roasted recipes. When cooking beets, it’s best to go away about an in. of the stem to stop “bleeding” during cooking. you’ll store beets at temperatures around 32 degrees with high humidity.
BEET VARIETIES TO GROW IN YOUR HOME GARDEN
The following varieties are compatible with your home garden:
Detroit red – Excellent canning, pickling quality, tender & sweet, good boiling greens.
Burpee Golden – Round type with a singular yellow-orange color.
Pacemaker III – Uniform, smooth a young round beet, cercospera leaf spot tolerant, top quality tops.
Little Mini Ball – Sliver-dollar sized round roots.
Red Ace hybrid – Exceptional weather tolerance, cercospera leaf spot tolerant, early maturity.