While you may remember disliking these vegetables as a child, there are few plants that offer a better blend of essential minerals and vitamins than beets. Beets are a rich source of iron, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and vitamin B. While beets are typically steamed or pickled, they also make a great addition to salads, smoothies, and even as flavouring in certain desserts.
Beets should be sown starting in the late spring and then at two-week intervals to ensure a long harvest season. They grow best in soil that is rich, loamy, and sandy and it is important to maintain even moisture — either underwatering or overwatering can lead to woody or pale roots. Read our guide on how to grow pole beets to learn more.
Beet Blend Beta vulgaris. Can't choose which beet to grow? Try this multicoloured beet blend. Each packet includes Merlin, Detroit Supreme, Early Wonder Tall Top, Touchstone Gold, and Cylindra seeds. Get the most variety out of this colourful, tasty, dynamic blend of beet seeds. This easy to grow vegetable may be eaten from foliage to root. Beets can grow in cool months and can take some frost. Beets are high in Vitamin C, folic acid, antioxidants, minerals, fibre, and potassium. They also contain betaine, a compound that is essential for cardiovascular health. Matures in 50-65 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)
Chiogga CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Chioggia Guardsmark Organic beet seeds are a striking Italian heirloom variety with light-red, smooth round roots and bright pink and white alternating rings inside. These sweet beets (pronounced kee-OH-jee-ah) are about 5cm (2") in diameter with mild green leaves and pale red stems. Interestingly, each red ring in the cross section of these beets represents one lunar month of growth. Chioggia Guardsmark organic beet seeds are a staff favourite that add festive colour to any meal. It's easy to save seeds from this beet variety, but beets are biennial, so they flower and go to seed the spring after you plant them. Matures in 65 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)
Touchstone Gold This is the ultimate golden beet. Its roots are smooth and orange/red on the outside with intensely golden flesh beneath and subtle banding. The green tops are tall and strong — not to mention sweet and delicious. This gorgeous beet looks amazing when pickled. Matures in 53 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)
Boltardy - Ideal for early sowing with excellent bolt-resistance. Even shape with good colour, texture and flavour. Multigerm variety.
Crosby's Egyptian - A celebrated heirloom variety first introduced in Boston U.S.A. The rounded, slightly flattened roots are renowned for their excellent flavour and resistance to bolting. Can be lifted young as 'baby' beets or when mature. Multigerm variety.
Cylindra beet seeds are a very sweet heirloom first introduced to the US from Europe in 1892. Its cylindrical shape makes it very nice for pickling or slicing. The leaves of this beet are a little sweeter than most other beets, and are very nice as salad greens. Roots grow to 20cm (8") long, with dark red flesh. Nearly two thirds of the length of the root will grow above ground, so some gardeners like to hill up soil around each plant as the root emerges. This will keep the skins of the root very tender and protect them from insects. Cylindra beet seeds also happen to produce particularly nice micro-greens. Matures in 50-70 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)
Merlin Organic Merlin Organic Beet seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Merlin beets are very dark red and flavourful beet that keeps its shape well when planted densely. Merlin's leafy green tops have hybrid disease resistance, so they stay vibrant throughout the season while many other varieties become mottled or tired-looking. This one is a regular winner in our beet trials, with impeccable uniformity, consistent good flavour, and generally attractive overall structure. They look sensational on the market table. Be sure to thin beets carefully to 7-15cm (3-6") apart in the row so that each has room to grow to full size.Matures in 55 days. (Hybrid seeds)
How to Grow
60 seed/gram. Beets thrive in sandy loam with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Remember to fertilize. For continual harvest, sow seeds 1.2 cm (1/2″) deep and 2.5 cm (1″) apart in two week intervals beginning when the soil has warmed to 7 C (45 F) and avoid sowing after mid July. As each beet ‘seed’ is actually a corky fruit with 2 to 5 seeds contained within, it is important to thin the young seedlings to 7–10 cm (3–4″) apart to provide enough room for proper root formation. Use plants that are thinned as a source of tender, edible greens. Over-watering or excessive rainfall may lead to excessive leaf growth and pale or small roots. One packet sows approximately 6 m (20’) of row.
