Growing Beets from Seed - Episode 11

In Today's Suburban Homestead we'll be Growing Beets from Seed.

Beets began appearing near the end of the 1500's in either Germany or Italy.

The root was embraced in Northeastern Europe as a dietary staple, as it was the only vegetable that grew well throughout the winter.

These days, the colorful, sweet root vegetable sparks an impassioned response from folks who either love it or loathe it.

To grow beets from seed first you need to prepare your soil.

Beets are root vegetable so they need crumbly soil that is well drained but can retain some moisture.

I like to grab store bought garden soil because it seems to be the right consistency.

I mix in a good amount of steer manure to pack in some nutrients.

And because root vegetables like phosphorous you can throw in some bone meal or wood ash for fertilizer.

Beets are cold weather crops so in my area I would plant them in early fall.

Bury each seed about a half inch deep.

For a maximum harvest you can just randomly throw in your seeds, no need to space them out.

They call this the crowd growing method.

Beets are also thirsty plants so make sure your soil is always damp, and water them regularly.

It will take about 2 weeks to germinate.

And after 3 months of blood sweat and tears these beautiful roots are ready for harvest.

Beets are known for their earthy flavor, in other words they taste like dirt.

In fact you can eat the entire plant.

Some say the leaves can be a good replacement for Swiss chard.

Beets are also a superfood, and contain a lot of vitamins and minerals.

The betalin found in beets, gives it the signature red color.

This compound helps to detoxify the body by capturing toxins and flushing them out the wee wee.

There are so many health benefits that there's no reason not to drink a glass of beet juice everyday.

Besides the fact that it tastes like dirt.

Our family have been growing beets for a few years successfully, but we never tried the yellow variety.

These are called golden beets.

They are almost identical in nutritional value but have a milder flavor.

In other words, they taste less like dirt.

So, you can tell that beets are ready for harvest when they are about the size of a golf ball or tennis ball.

Just make sure that the shoulders look full sized.

You can also pull a few out to see if they are ready.

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Chapters
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00:00 - Introduction
00:55 - Growing Tips
02:01 - Beet Facts
03:07 - Harvest
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