No garden seems complete without beets. It’s easy to love fresh beets, and not just for their nutritional advantages. Beets have an earthy, hard-to-define flavor like no other vegetable’s.
These grungy-looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable, which means they pack tons of flavor underneath their rugged exterior.
Beets generously give us two vegetables, as both the roots and tops are edible.
Beet greens, like other greens, are good sources of vitamin K, calcium and magnesium, which help build and maintain strong bones. Their vitamin A helps maintain eye health.
The lovely red roots provide folate, which may help reduce risk of heart disease and neural tube defects in developing fetuses. They too have magnesium, along with fiber and potassium.
Besides, beet roots have a good supply of vitamins B and C.
Beets can lower blood pressure, scientists say–news that elevates these lowly root vegetables to new heights.
British researchers recently wrote that nitrates, natural chemicals in the beets, may provide the blood-pressure-reducing wallop
If you decide you’d like to grow beets in your vegetable garden, there are a few things to keep in mind. And,First off, beets like the cool, moist weather. But, they can’t handle an extended cold snap after they’ve formed a nice, tidy bunch of leaves. If the temperature plunges below 50 degrees F and stays there for 2 weeks or more, the leaves could bolt.
If that happens, you can kiss your whole crop goodbye! I always plan for the unexpected by keeping a few floating row covers handy. If my local weather forecaster predicts chilly days ahead, I pull the blankets up over my beets.
Second, when it comes to pH, the closer it is to neutral, the better beets like it. Anything from 6.5 to 7.5 will suit them just fine.
Third, they like loamy soil that’s well drained and chock-full of organic matter.
Even small beets send their roots a long, long way into the ground. If they have to struggle through heavy soil or bump up against underground obstacles, they won’t develop the way you want them to.
That’s why I always dig down 10 or 12 inches, and raise up my beds another 6 inches or so on top. I also make sure to clean out all of the solid objects I find as I go along (like rocks, sticks, toy soldiers).
Space plants 2 to 4 inches apart; allow 12 to 20 inches between rows. When plants are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin them to 4 to 6 inches apart.
Beets and kohlrabi make great companions in the veggie garden. They like the same growing conditions, and they take their nourishment from different levels of the soil: beets way down deep and kohlrabi more toward the surface.
Beets also get along well with lettuce, most members of the cabbage family, and bush beans. But they don’t want anything to do with pole beans.
The growth of your beets can be somewhat rapid if they are fed with a diluted liquid fertilizer that is fairly low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus and potassium. Feed them approximately every three weeks. This will encourage sweet tasting plants as well.
Since beets have a shallow root system, they don’t require lots of space, and can also easily be grown in pots and containers.
Beets can be frozen, canned or pickled and dried beets yield fairly good results.
Want to know more about beets ? Then, click here :
Want To Slim Down & Boost Your Endurance? Try Beet Juice! | Natural Health Solutions
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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I grew beets for the first time this year, and they were fabulous! I planted them in November (I live in California) and harvested them in April. It was a great way to keep my garden growing in the winter. I highly recommend growing beets!
**Check out Adina Sara’s gardening column in the MacArthur Metro! Visit http://www.adinasara.com for links to the column and her book, The Imperfect Garden**
I love beats. They are tasty and great for you. Very informative, as i’m starting a new garden soon and would love to start growing this delicious vegetable.