Beet

How to grow Beet growing and care:

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

Uses of Beet taproot:
Cooked, stir fry, salad

Scientific name: Beta vulgaris