Beets, Swiss Chard

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Both the leaves and the roots are edible. Some beets are cultivated more for
the roots and some, known as Swiss Chard, are cultivated for leaves. Most common beets are purple
but there are varieties in many shapes and colours.

Introduction

Description

Optimal Time/Temperature for Germination:

Beets love cool, moist conditions. Seeds can be sown directly in the garden as soon as the soil can be worked in spring. Continued plantings every few weeks result in a longer harvest. A late storage crop should be sown 10 weeks before the first fall frost.

Optimal Soil Conditions:

Prefers a deeply worked, loose soil high in organic matter with a PH above 6. Best soil temperature for germination is 45 to 70 degrees f (7 to 21 degrees C) Seed Planting Depth, Spacing and Procedure: Sow seeds about 1 inch apart and 1/2 inch deep. Keep soil moist. Seeds germinate in four to ten days in best soil temperature. Thin plants as they get larger, keeping them about 1 inch apart between each root. Thinnings can be eaten whole, cooked or raw.

Seed Planting Depth, Spacing and Procedure:

Best Companion Plants and Plants that Hinder:

Cabbage, lettuce, onions, kohlrabi.

Growing Instructions

Crop Maintenance

Moisture Requirements & Solutions:

Plants need a steady supply of water. They would benefit from drip irrigation and mulching. Plants will bolt (produce blooms and finish life cycle) in areas where the days are very long, reducing leaf and root quality because too much sun causes them stress. Weeding Needs & Solutions: Weed competition result in tough roots. Mulching around mature plants is recommended.

Weeding Needs & Solutions:

Feeding Needs/Optimal Natural Fertilizers:

Compost, well rotted manure, bone meal and wood ashes mixed in the soil For beets that are meant to produce roots for eating, phosphates and potassium are beneficial. For beets or Swiss Chard grown for leaf production, nitrogen is beneficial.

Pests, Diseases & Solutions:

Alkaline soil low in boron can cause internal browning of the root after long dry periods. Scabs or raised brown spots are also common in alkaline soil. These are cosmetic issues and do not make the roots inedible and can be solved with a high proportion of organic matter such as compost in the soil. Caterpillars can be picked off by hand and fed to the chickens.

When to Harvest/Number of days to maturity:

Greens can be harvested to be eaten raw or steamed, until roots are 1-1.5 inches in diameter by pulling only a few leaves at a time per plant so that there are enough leaves left to feed the root. Optimal root size depends on the variety. There will be information specific to your beets in the catalog and/or on the seed package. Most beets are best when 2-3 inches across and become woody when over mature although there are some larger varieties that are bred for long term storage.

How to Harvest:

Pull out the plants whole on a dry day after the first fall frost. Cut tops to within 1 inch of the root. Save any good leaves to cook and eat. Do not wash the roots as this will damage the tender outer skin and make them no longer viable to store. Leave the roots out on newspaper or cardboard for one sunny day to cure, turning roots occasionally and rubbing off loose soil.

Optimal Storage temperature and conditions:

Beet roots store best in sand, peat or perforated plastic bags at 32 to 40 degrees F (0 to 4 degrees C) and 95% relative humidity. Roots may also keep in the garden over winter if heavily mulched before the soil freezes, and they must be harvested in spring before the plants come up and go to seed.

Optimal Preserving Procedures:

Beet roots are a favorite for pickling. They can be cooked into Borscht and frozen. They do well in the root cellar. Beet roots that start to sprout in storage can be planted in a window mid winter to produce small amounts of fresh greens indoors. Seed Saving: Beet is a biennial so it is best to allow it to stay in the ground over winter and it will produce seed in the second year. A beet seed is actually a dried fruit composed of many seeds.

Seed Saving:

Harvest and Storage

Notes

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