D> Revise anp EXPANDED Epition > Foremnnd by Barbara DaniraschThe Cast of Characters BEET Beta vulgaris Planting Distance: 2 or 3 rows per 30-inch- wide bed; seeds 1 inch apart; thin to 2 to 4 inches apart. Crop Rotation: Related to Swiss chard, spinach, and orach. Beets do well following a leguminous green Manure. Growing Tips: Beets benefit from fertilization with seaweed products. Storage Tips: Store in root cellar at 32°F Beets keep better than any other root crop. Variety Tips: Early—‘Merlin’ All-around use— ‘Forono’, ‘Detroit Dark Red’, ‘Red Ace’ Winter storage—‘Winter Keeper’, ‘Long Season’ Winter salads—‘Bull’s Blood’ Beets are one of our favorite vegetables. We often feel like proselytizers for Beta vulgaris—red root rooters. Beets are far more delicious and adaptable than their public image might indicate. I remem- ber been told by visiting children in days past that they “don’t eat beets.” They have never eaten mine, I would reply. And sure enough, once they tried just one bite of tiny, tender, freshly harvested baby beets and greens steamed lightly and served with a pat of butter, nine out of ten would ask for more. Given their long season of availability, culinary flexibility, and ease of cultivation, beets have a lot to offer. The season begins with the first tiny thin- nings for spring salads. Next come beet greens for cooking, baby beets, mature beets for fall storage, and, finally, sprouted beet tops for tasty greens in the winter. Beet roots can be cooked as a veg- etable, pickled as an appetizer, used as the base for marvelous soups, or served cold in salads. In the 159garden, they are a dependable grower. They germi- nate quickly and once established are very vigorous plants. Beets are a sensitive crop, and there is a big dif- ference between good beets and exceptional beets. The extra care required to grow exceptional beets is repaid in the quality of roots and tops. The beet is one plant (the cabbage and onion families are oth- ers) that defines the health of garden soil. Beet leaves have a vigorous and vibrant glow when conditions in the garden approach the ideal. Beets grow best in a nearly neutral soil. If they don’t thrive it is often attributable to soil acidity. The gardener should plan to add enough lime to attain a pH of 6.5 to 6.8, a level at which most garden vegetables will do well. Beets also grow best in a soil with adequate organic matter. A generous applica- tion of compost will be well rewarded. Beets are sensitive to deficiencies of trace ele- ments. When beets are not sweet and tender, a lack of boron or other trace element may be the cause. Beets may benefit from added boron in soil. 160 Boron can be supplied by sprinkling borax very light- ly over the soil. Trace elements can be most easily added to the soil with greensand or a dried seaweed product. A garden with plenty of organic matter from a compost of mixed ingredients usually has an adequate supply of trace elements and should pres- ent you with no difficulties in growing tasty beets. Professional beet growers choose separate vari- eties for greens, baby beets, and storage. In the home garden, one all-around variety such as ‘Red Ace’ will serve well for the whole season. Beets may be sown from January to August. Sow the earliest seeds in your protected garden. You can grow them there or transplant them to the garden. Direct sowings in the garden can be made until early August for a late-fall harvest of tender baby beets. The beet seeds you plant are actually small pods containing two to three seeds. They grow best if thinned to avoid overcrowding. Let them grow to 1% inches tall, then use the thinnings in salads. Thin carefully so as not to disturb the roots of the plants nearby. Thin beets for greens to 2 inches apart, for summer use to 3 inches, and for winter storage to 4 inches. Rows for regular-sized beets should be 12 inches apart. If you want larger beets, plant rows 16 inches apart. For a most colorful and delicious ingredient in winter salads we grow “Bull’s Blood’ beet. It is an heirloom variety that has been selected for its bright scarlet leaves rather than its root. Sown during the first two weeks of September and eventually pro- tected under the inner layer, this beautiful and tasty leaf will be harvestable all winter. The colder the weather the more strikingly colored the leaves. This is the best bet for a standout red color in your winter salad mix if you don’t want to grow radicchio.