How do you grow BEETS?

Uh, yeah!

I ordered some beet seeds from Johnny's. I'm trying "Merlin" and "Moneta". Hubby and I prepared the bed for these over the weekend - wish me luck!

HoneybeeNC,
I'm wishing you luck. I'm kinda sad cuz my window for cole crops has just about closed on me. Didn't have time to sow the seeds for seedlings since I was in the process of relocating. But, I'm settled in now, and moving on to the spring tomatoes and bell peppers!

I Spent hours last evening sorting through seed packets, preparing to WS my tomatoes and peppers, and mapping out a plan for the other veggies I'd like to grow this next season.

My target plant out date for the tomatoes is February 19 (6 WEEKS from seeds!). My cutoff date to set out tomato seedlings is March 19th. If it's not planted out by then, it's not gonna happen before the stinkbug infestation sets in. I'm thinking I may try to put some netting of tightly woven, breatheable voile or tulle over my maters this season, to see if it would keep the stinkbugs off. I could shake the vines to get the pollen flowing...hmmmmmmm...

We grow beets here sowing in September and finishing the last of them in July. August is too hot. We use spinosad to control leaf miners and row covers help keep the beet leaf rollers away. If leaf spot is a problem, a copper/sulfur preventative spray will help. Our favorite varieties with customers are Bolo, Red Ace and Kestrel. We also grow Touchstone Gold, sweeter and less earthy tasting with beautiful green leaves and yellow stems.
I like beets either pickled or roasted with other root vegetables, but I think the leaves taste like dirt (and swiss chard too).

Yeah, Swiss Chard DOES taste like dirt!

Personally, I like the leaves, stems and roots of beets. I've never tried Swiss chard.

Gymgirl - I'll be sowing tomato seeds indoors around March 20th - about the time you'll be setting out your transplants. I try to get my first ripe tomato July 4th.

HoneybeeNC,
I'm hoping to have all the transplants out between February 19th and March 19th at the latest. They're all long-season heirlooms, and by mid-June the heat and the stinkbugs have moved in. I won't have space enough to leave them out longer than June, cause I'll be shifting gears and starting seeds for my cole crops.

I guess my house that stays on the cool side will be coming in handy for seed-starting!

Gymgirl -

Honeybee, you try to have your first tomato by the 4th of July and we try to keep ours going till the 4th!

I am allergic to plain old lettuce. I like all fresh garden greens, some taste better than others, but I'm not one for wild greens. When I was a kid, we had a neighbor die from eating Rhubarb greens; they were growing next to a ditch between our houses, not in her yard. That made a big impression on me.

I dismantled my plant table because I needed another bookcase. My plan was to build a better one - I guess I'd better get going on that project.

The beets from the Farmers Market in the fridge crisper are growing leaves, does that count? No leaf-miners so far ...

This message was edited Jan 7, 2011 7:30 AM

I absolutely love SWISS CHARD.
Here I start it from seeds in the FALL and it goes all through our 100 degrees summer heat !!!
I love it love it.

This was one of my harvest last April. Yummy yummy ....

My most successful beet harvest was last year when I underplanted my snow and sugar snap peas with Bull's Blood beets. Maybe it was the nitrogen provided by the peas? I don't know, but they grew like gangbusters. My pea vines got so heavy that they pulled down their trellis and covered some of the beets. When I cleaned the bed and pulled up the hidden beets some of them were softball sized. I think beets thrive on neglect. I always direct sow with EB Stone Organic Seed Start and don't ever fertilize after that. I do add an inch or so of new compost every season. This year I planted Chiogga beets in late October, not near the peas (which are producing right now) and they're growing well enough. I guess we'll see....

JSkrypt - that was a good hint about growing peas with beets. I think I'll give that a try because I plan to sow both in Februray.

I'll have to learn to neglect some of the things I grow! I'm such a fusspot when it comes to gardening - I keep everything watered, fertilized and weeded to such a degree that I think I sometimes kill them with kindness!

I'm sowing beet seeds indoors tomorrow. I've set up the pots, and put the seeds in some water. It's hard to think of spring when its been snowing here all day!

I love them both, swiss chard and beets! I cook the stems and leaves of both. All they really need is salt, pepper, and butter. But I agree with someone above who mentioned the trinity of bell pepper, onion, and celery. It is wonderful to have that going in the pan first. I also grow my own celery and onions year round. People think I am silly to grow celery when it is so cheap in the stores here. But it ain't as cheap as walking out your back door to get it! Plus, I like to use some of the leaves and the stores have them all removed. I also collect seed from my swiss chard and beets. I try not to let them both go to seed at the same time though. And celery produces so much seed I'll never run out!
This year I'd like to try some of the golden beets I've seen, yum.

I'm just enjoying all the beet talk. and yes I like chard too. But am plagued by miners

Spinosad works great on leaf miners and is approved for organic gardens in most states. Greenlight makes one "Garden Spray with Spinosad" and Southern Ag has one called "Conserve."

That could revolutionize my gardening with chard, beets and spinach and help my columbine too.

It also works great on scale, especially the cottony scale that attacks hibiscus trees down here. It doesn't hurt lady bugs, soldier beetles or lacewings that I have noticed. It has minimal effect on cucumber beetles, but works great on beet leafrollers. I can now grow beets for market that have nice tops!
It will kill fleas if sprayed on them (they're active very early in the morning).

Make sure you spray SPINOSAD late in the afternoon, almost at sunset or you will kill the BEES.

Oh right! I forgot to mention that. But beets don't have flowers, so there shouldn't be any honeybees on them. We always spray flowering things like squash and cucumbers in the evening, just before dark in order to preserve the bees but if the plants don't have flowers it's not a critical issue.
Same goes for neem, toxic to bees.


This message was edited Jan 14, 2011 10:34 PM

Beets do flower, but they are biennuals. Flower in the second year. Only important if you are a seed saver.

Wow! My first beet sprouted overnight. The seed package said to allow about three weeks. This little thing only took 9 days!

Just remember to thin properly, otherwise you won't get the large beet roots you're after...ask me how I know this...

Gymgirl - Since my last post this morning, two beets have sprouted in another cup. At which stage is it best to start thinning them?

Your beets in the photo look good. The ones I tried growing in the garden last year, never looked like that!

HoneybeeC,
The pic is from my 2009 fall attempt. First time I ever ate the beet green tops and I've been after them ever since. No 2010 fall garden, so I'll be going after some again with my 2011 Fall/Winter garden, and learning from you this season! Keep me posted!

P.S. Pillbugs and snails like to munch on the leaves. Have your SLUGGO PLUS ready to sprinkle. That stuff is pretty $, but it WORKS! It doesn't take a lot to do the trick. I would sprinkle around the perimeter, and then do a gentle sprinkling within the bed. You shouldn't have a problem after that.

Gymgirl - Time Warner closed their free web pages, so I have created a new one. It's very rudementary. I'm not even sure if others can see it! Let me know...

http://ncgarden.hobbies.homepagenow.com

I saw a cute little white dog on steroids racing up a snowy driveway!

YAY! It works! Thanks for checking it out for me :(

That was Chloe, she doesn't think snow is a "Good Thing"

I'll have more photos to share as the season progresses.

I think Chloe has good sense. Snow is a lovely thing, as long as you're not outside running around in it!

Skiing, snowmobiles, sledding, all enjoyed in the snow.

Long as there's something between me and the slush! Vehicles qualIfy.

The "Moneta F1" beets are sprouting this morning. 14 days after sowing the seeds.

I have more beet seeds to sow today that have been soaking overnight, plus flat leaf parsley.

Most of the pots now have two seedlings from each seed sown. Once they get their true leaves, should I try separating them?

I ordered Hoop Loops and Row Covers today from Drip Works.

HoneybeeNC,
Your beets will definitely need to be thinned, to allow them to grow to proper maturity. Otherwise, they'll crowd each other and the roots won't get big. Of course, if you only want greens, then no need to thin (too much...)

Hmmm... maybe I'll separate some, and thin others by snipping off all but one seedling and see which approach works best.

I hate snipping off seedlings, it's like I'm telling them: "Your not good enough!"

The "Moneta F1" seeds are still not sprouting very well - so far only six. If the rest don't come up, I'll have to tease apart the "Merlin F1" seedlings to have enough to set out.

Am I doomed not to be able to raise beets?

Any idea what the soil temperature is? You might need to raise it up a bit.

Shoe

Horseshoe - I thought beets liked the soil to be on the cool side. Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong. What soil temperature do you suggest? I don't have a soil test thermometer - but I could buy one.

Thanks for all your help.