Since we got a late start to our fall and winter garden we took a chance by direct sowing some seeds a few weeks ago. We have a nice Indian summer going and our mini-greenhouses so germination has been great! Hopefully, we will have some baby beets to pick for our holiday table.

Otherwise, early spring is a great time to start sowing beets. Usually two weeks to a month before the last frost date. Seeds will germinate at a soil temperature of 50-70F. Some gardeners like to sow their beets right after harvesting their early spring peas. If you want a continuous supply, sow every two to three weeks. I’d venture to guess that in our temperate zone (9b) we can keep sowing until September. Cool weather is key so skipping the hot summer months is best.

Beets are in the same family as Swiss chard and spinach so if you want to rotate your crops keep this in mind. Good companions include lettuce, most root vegetables, onions, chives, mint and the cabbage family: brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, turnips.

Beets are fairly easy to grow provided you keep them well watered. Beets love sun but can tolerate some shade. Beets do best in well draining sandy loamy soil with a neutral pH from 7 to 7.5 – if you have had trouble growing beets in the past your soil may be too acid. You can correct this by adding in some wood ashes or lime.

Beet seeds have a hard shell which actually contains 1 to 6 seeds.
To help with germination, I like to soak the seeds overnight but even a soak for a few hours help. After soaking, strain out the water and dry them a bit on a paper towel.
Sow the seeds a 1/2″ deep, 5″ apart.
Since we are into intensive gardening, we space them at about 3 to 4″.
Beets grow well from transplants so if you want to skip the seed part buying transplants is an option.

Once the seeds germinate wait until the plants are about 4 to 5″ high and thin them to keep with your desired spacing. I like to thin by pinching the plant at the soil line rather than pulling them out so as to not disturb the root of the remaining plant.
Use the thinnings in salad or you can enjoy as a quick saute.

While the plants are growing, make sure they remain well watered. Any disruption in water will stop the growth of the root and make the roots turn ‘woody.’
Beets don’t do well at temperatures above 85F so try to provide some shade during the summer or skip planting during the summer altogether.
Cool soil will raise the sugar content giving you a sweeter beet.
Mulch to the rescue! Put down straw or chopped up leaves to help maintain the moisture and keep the soil cool.

If you like, harvest the greens when they are about 5″ long – just cut the outer leaves, leaving the center leaves so the plant can continue growing.
You can harvest ‘baby’ size beets as soon as they are about 1″ in diameter.
When harvesting the beets, be careful not to scratch the skin as this will allow the beet to ‘bleed’ when it comes time to cook them.
Cut the tops off, leaving about an inch of the stems – also leave the ‘tail’ of the root.
Doing these two things will also help prevent the beet from ‘bleeding’ during cooking.
If you want to store the beets longer, cut the stems off near the top of the root.

Once harvested, our favorite way to prepare is to:

• put the beets in a baking dish with a 1/4″ of water at the bottom of the dish,
• cover tightly with foil and bake in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until you can stick a knife into the beet without too much resistance.
• Take the beets out of the oven and keep them in the sealed baking dish while it is cooling.
• Once cool, the skin will rub right off. You can also eat the skin so if it doesn’t come off not a problem – especially since many of the beets nutrients are concentrated in the skin.
• Cut into bite-size chunks and “marinate” in your favorite vinaigrette.

A simple Balsamic Vinaigrette is the old standby. During citrus season, I will add a quarter to a half of the zest and all the juice of an orange or tangerine.

Here is another favorite vinaigrette for beets or any salad:

Pomegranate, Dijon, Ginger Vinaigrette

– 3 tablespoons pomegranate concentrate
– 1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar or white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
– 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
– 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated or ½ tsp of dry powdered ginger
– ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small jar, combine the pomegranate molasses, vinegar, mustard, and ginger. Shake. Add the oil and shake some more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Makes about 3/4 cup.

Beets…Plant it, Grow it, Eat it!

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If you are only familiar with the canned beets typically found in salad bars you are in for a real treat if you grow and cook your own!

Beets are believed to have it’s roots in Africa, migrating to Asia and Europe where initially only the green tops were used as food. The Romans were the first to cultivate beets and begin to enjoy this veggie from top to bottom. In 19th century Europe, beets became an important commodity as an alternative source for sugar besides the sometimes hard to come by sugar cane. Other commercial uses are rooted in its brilliant red color – a great natural dye for foods from dairy products to condiments to Red Velvet Cake.

There are so many good reasons besides taste to dedicate a small patch of garden to this wonder root.

If you don’t want your heart to skip a beat

• research published in the journal Hypertension showed beet juice can lower blood pressure
• a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that the betaine in beets lowered homocysteine – an inflammatory marker associated with heart disease
• animals fed beet fiber showed a significant decrease in cholesterol and triglycerides

If you do want your heart to skip a beat

• since Roman times, beets have been considered an aphrodisiac – beets are rich in the mineral Boron which is required to make our sex hormones

May aid in beating down risk of cancer

• studies have shown beets can increase the number of immune cells in the colon responsible for detecting pre-cancerous cells
• compounds in beets increase the detoxification and antioxidant capacity of the liver reducing free radical damage – damage that can increase your risk for cancer
• beet juice has been found to reduce the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach. nitrosamines are formed from nitrates found in cured meats like bacon and ham. Hmmm, maybe a side of Red Flannel Hash with breakfast may be a good idea…

With beets you get two for one as the green tops are packed with many of the same nutrients as it’s close cousin Swiss Chard.

Tomorrow, tips on growing and preparing beets.

*Be advised that any nutrition information suggested is not intended as a treatment for any disease. The intent of any nutritional recommendation is to support the physiological and biochemical processes of the human body, and not to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent any disease or condition. Always work with a qualified medical professional before making changes to your diet, prescription medication, lifestyle or exercise activities.

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