Beets — Boro Organic

$4.49

Boro organic beet seeds are very, very sweet and CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Boro is probably the sweetest beet variety we have encountered. The medium red roots have smooth skins and can be harvested any stage between 8-15cm (3-6”) in diameter. The strong tops grow back quickly from selective picking. Boro seeds are organic film-coated for smoother passage through sowing equipment and better visibility in the soil.

These seeds are coated with an inert, organic form of graphite. This helps to minimize clumping in storage and seed sowing machines. The coating is approved by organic certifiers in Canada, the US, EU, and Japan.

Matures in 50 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Quick Facts:

Sweetest variety we have
Medium red roots and smooth skin
Strong tops grow back quickly
Good resistance to leaf spot
Matures in 50 days

Size: 100 seeds

How To Grow: Beets are incredibly nutritious. Both the roots and the leaves are an excellent source of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamin C. They also contain betaine, a compound that is essential for cardiovascular health. Eat them raw, cooked, pickled – you can even make beet chips! Most important, it is very easy to grow beets from seed.

Difficulty
Easy

Season & Zone
Season: Cool Season Biennial
Exposure: Full-sun or partial-shade
Zone: Hardy to Zone 5

Timing

Direct sow 4 weeks after last frost to mid-summer. Beets will not produce roots if planted when the soil is too cold. Seeds will germinate in 5-12 days, depending on soil temperature. Optimal soil temperature: 10-26°C (50-80°F).

Starting
Sow 1cm (½”) deep, 5-10cm (2-4″) apart in rows 30-45cm (12-18″) apart.

Days to Maturity
From direct sowing.

Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. For uniformly sized beets, thin carefully to 7-15cm (3-6″) apart when seedlings are 5cm (2″) tall. Eat any thinned plants, roots and all. root size is controlled by spacing and variety.

Harvest
Harvest at any size, but for the best flavour, pull the beets as soon as they have reached full-size. Eat the greens too. Store in the ground, or in moist peat or sand just above freezing.

Seed Info
In optimum conditions at least 75% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years.

Diseases & Pests
If beets have black cankers in the roots, soil may need more boron. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of borax to 4L (8½ US pints) of water, and spread evenly over 9m² (100 sq ft) of soil. Do not over apply at a heavier rate. Circular lesions with a purple halo on the leaf is cercospera leaf spot. Prevent by strict crop rotation and sanitation. Leaf miner maggots cause blistered grey tunnels in leaves. Just squish them inside the leaf. Floating row cover carefully applied after planting will prevent the leaf miner fly from laying its eggs.

Companion Planting
Beets add minerals to the soil. The greens are very good for the compost. Plant with bush beans, Brassicas, corn, garlic, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, and mint. Add cut mint leaves as a mulch for beets. Avoid planting beets near pole beans, as the nitrogen fixed by the beans may encourage leafy beet growth and diminished root development.

Download this Guide to Companion Plantin g booklet for more information, planting tips, and a helpful chart that indicates both companion and rival plants in the garden.

Rating: 4.8 stars basted on 5 reviews from westcoastseeds.com

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