The beet is best known in the form of the garden beet, or beetroot. Swiss Chard is also a beet, however, as is the sugar beet, from which a large amount of table sugar is produced.
The beet has been cultivated for well over 3,000 years. Leaves, stems and root are all consumed. The root may be eaten raw, cooked or pickled.
Used in folk medicine for millennia, beets have served to treat fevers, constipation, digestive issues, anemia and other uses.
Beets grow well in Florida during the cooler Fall/Winter growing season.
We offer Bull's Blood Beets, a French variety, introduced in 1840.
Harvest in 35 days for baby leaves, 60 days for roots. Famous for its mild, dark leaves – usually harvested young for salad mix before the roots have even matured. An even supply of moisture and absence of extended periods of hot weather is necessary for development of fine-quality roots. In dry, hot weather, beets can become tough and stringy and must be harvested at an earlier stage. Sow seeds 1/2” deep directly in the garden 3/4” deep. Thin to 6 plants per foot for fresh beets, 3 plants per foot for beets used for winter storage, in rows 12" apart.
