This heirloom beet is one of the most popular beets out there! The round, smooth roots are about 3" in diameter. On the inside, they are blood red in color, with virtually no zoning. Medium green tops with tinges of red can be harvested early and used for salad greens. Beets do double-duty in the kitchen, producing tasty roots for canning, roasting, or boiling and fresh greens for salads, soups, and sautéing. Matures in 58 days.

Sowing: Beets prefer cooler weather can tolerate some frost. Plan to grow beets during the cool gardening seasons of spring and fall. Beet can grow in full sun and also do well in partial shade.

Sow beets in spring when soil temperature reaches 40˚F and the ground can be worked. Seeds germinate quicker in warmer soil between 55-75˚F and can take between 10-20 days to emerge from the soil. Seeds can benefit from a brief soaking in water for 4-6 hours before planting to soften seed coat. For most varieties, plant seeds 1/2 inch deep and 2-3 inches apart. Beet seeds are actually a seedpod that contains several seeds. So don’t plant too close.

Sow beet seeds every 3 weeks for a continuous harvest. Seeds will not germinate above 80˚F. Begin sowing beets again in fall up to 3 weeks before the last expected frost date in your area.

Planting: Water well at planting time and keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds sprout, in about 10-20 days depending on the variety. Don’t allow the soil to become waterlogged or the seeds will rot. When the beet plants begin to grow, let the soil dry slightly between watering. Water deeply and regularly during dry periods. Water stress during the first 6 weeks of growth often leads to premature flowering and low yields. Moisture fluctuations cause slow growth and root cracks. Established beets can tolerate frost to about 30˚F without harming the greens. Simply cover with hoops and row covers to prevent the foliage from becoming frost damaged as the weather cools in the fall. Harvest beetroots before the temperatures drop to 20˚F.

Harvesting: Pick beet greens when they are 5-inches tall. You can snip a stalk or two from each beet plant without compromising the root growth. Harvest the beetroot when they around 2- to 3-inches in diameter. Larger beets can become fibrous and woody.