Beet grow and care – taproot leaf plant of the genus Beta, Beet annual but for seeds biennial plant, some species can be short perennial mostly used as edible plant but also some species used as ornamental plant, can grow in temperate, mediterranean or subtropics climate and growing in hardiness zone 2-10.
Taproot shaped cone or round, taproot colors: burgundy, pink, yellow, orange, white or red, some species are separate with circles in different colors, one purple or yellow and the other white, repeat the circles several times.
Leaves can be 5-70 cm, the color: purple, green or mixed, depend on the species.
Flowers color very small flowers grow on inflorescence color green/ yellow
Well drain soil, airy soil, clean from stone or hard object, slightly acid, free weed area, at least little bit cold weather
What is the best way to start growing?
Seedling / Seed
Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction? No
Difficulties or problems when growing: Some of the species sensitive to shade
Planting season: Autumn to winter – frost free area / Spring – temperate climate
Pests and diseases: Slugs, Aphids, prodenia
Pruning season: All season
How to prune:
Dead or infected leaves
Size of the plant? The root 4-9 cm (2-4 inches), the leaves 4-30 cm (2-12 inches)
Growth speed in optimal condition: Medium growing
Water requirement: Average amount of water / Big amount of water
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing: Full Sun
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant? No
Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers: Yes
Blooming information
Bloom season: Summer
General information about the flower Very small flowers grow on inflorescence color green/ yellow
Thinning the bloom: Better to pick up the root before it’s start to bloom
Pollination is done by: Mostly wind, bees
Grow from seeds
Sowing requirement: Small black seeds, usually bound in a sort of square brown and woody that containing several seeds, this structure designed to fly in the wind, so you should pay attention after flowering
Saving seeds until sowing: Dry dark place
Sowing season: Autumn – frost free area / Spring – temperate climate
Planting spacing: 10-20 cm
Depth of Sowing: 1-2 cm
Conditions for seeds germinate: moist
Watering requires for Seeds: Average amount of water / Big amount of water
Germination time: 3-20 days
Condition of seedling: moist, airy soil, clean from stone
Do the seeds require burying? No
Subspecies
Beetroot – taproot leaf plant. The taproot shaped cone or round, taproot colors: burgundy, pink, yellow, orange, white or red, some species are separate with circles in different colors, one purple or yellow and the other white, repeat the circles several times. The leaves can be 5-30 cm, the color: purple, green or mixed, depend on the species
Chard – leaf plant also known as Swiss chard or Mangold, also used as ornamental plant, the leaves depend on the species 5-70 cm, the color: purple, red, green. Sometime the vain of the leaves can be in color: yellow, red, purple
Sugar beet – taproot leaf plant the taproot contains a lot of sugar the taproot shaped cone, taproot colors: mostly white, but can be pale yellow. The leaves edible can be 10-30 cm, the color green
Sea beet – leaf plant also known as Spinach beet. The leaves can be 20-40 cm, the color green sometime with purple dots.
Mangelwurzel – taproot leaf plant of the genus Beta also known as Mangold wurzel annual but for seeds biennial plant, grow in mediterranean, subtropics, temperate climate. The taproot shaped cone, taproot colors: mostly white, but can be pale yellow. The leaves can be 20-40 cm, the color green. Flowers color very small flowers grow on inflorescence color green/ yellow
Vegetative Reproduction
How to make Vegetative Reproduction in Chard? Sometimes on the stem of the inflorescence start to grow little plants
The best time for vegetative reproduction: All the year
How much time does it take to grow roots in vegetative reproduction? 1-2 weeks
What is the treatment for vegetative reproduction? Burying the stems in the ground and leave the leaves above the soil
Edible leaves
Leaves harvesting season: In warm area all year less in the summer, in cold area Spring / Summer / Autumn
How to harvest the leaves? Trim the leaves in the base of the leave next to the root, for salad young leaves for cooked mature leaves
Information about leaves: Depend on the species 5-70 cm, the color: purple, red, green. Sometime the vain of the leaves can be in color: yellow, red, purple
Uses of Name leaves: Quiche, cooked, stir fry, salad
Edible Roots
Information about Beet’s taproot: Taproot shaped cone or round, taproot colors: burgundy, pink, yellow, white, red
When to pull up Beet’s taproot:
About 90 days to harvest, when sow in the autumn it’s in the winter, when sow in the spring it’s in the summer
