Sweet Beets
(Page 3 of 5)
Coleman says he loves `Bull's Blood' for two reasons.
First, he praises the color it adds to the salad mix he
sells. "It has the most magnificent deep-maroon color that
I've ever seen," he says, "and can survive and produce in
unheated cold frames and walk-in tunnel greenhouses
throughout the harsh Maine winters." It survives when the
weather dips well below freezing, and when temperatures
climb above freezing, `Bull's Blood' is among the first
crops to produce. "As long as it stays above 32 degrees, it
produces enough to allow us to harvest every three weeks,"
Coleman says.
RELATED CONTENT
Growing this vegetable that's a perfect side dish with nearly every meal, including varieties, when...
Aug. 28 is International Kitchen Garden Day, an annual celebration of food gardening, local food an...
Learn how biodynamic gardening (or permaculture, or French Intensive gardening) can help you harves...
Although they're usually considered "luxuries,” greenhouses are, in fact, wonderful, year-round gar...
CULTIVATING BEETS
Growing beets successfully depends on following a few
simple rules. Firstly, sow beets as soon as spring weather
becomes "settled" in your area. Home gardeners should plant
12 to 15 seeds per foot. Thin to about one plant every 2 to
3 inches after all of the seedlings emerge. Even if your
beet plants seem like they're a little crowded as they
grow, don't worry—they will push each other apart in
the row as their roots expand in size. Diseases aren't
usually a problem in the home garden, but to help prevent
them, plant your beets in an airy, exposed section of your
garden with lots of well-aged compost worked into the soil.
At harvest, pull beets on a dry day and cut off the tops
near the crown. Don't wash or rinse off the roots. Put them
into a plastic bag with a number of small holes, and put
these in a cold root cellar or in the crisper of the
refrigerator. You'll be amazed at how long they'll last!
One of the secrets of growing great-tasting beets is to
choose a naturally sweet variety and subject it to as
little water stress as possible. Beets grown with uneven
watering may become stronger flavored and almost bitter,
and can develop white rings in the flesh. Geosmin, a
naturally occurring flavor compound in beets, gives the
vegetable its characteristic flavor. Geosmin is more
prominent in some varieties and can become more noticeable
after a beet crop is environmentally stressed. Food
scientists at Washington State University say beet
varieties that get high marks for flavor have a good
sugar/geosmin balance and better-than-average stress
tolerance.
Gardeners who take beets seriously always name the same
favorite varieties: 'Red Ace,' `Chioggia' and Lutz
Greenleaf' get the most praise for pure eating pleasure.
Steve Bellavia, trial manager at Johnny's Selected Seeds in
Maine, is especially fond of 'Red Ace.' He says, `It's our
all-around favorite. It's flavorful, productive, dependable
and attractive."
Page:
<< Previous 1 |
2 | 3 |
4 |
5 |
Next >>
