I need help with beets!

cherriesjubilee 11/20/2010, 6:33 pm

Well, it's been almost 60 days (that will occur on Nov. 27) since I planted my Detroit beets.
I harvested one last night, and it tasted fantastic, but most of the roots are just too small! Most aren't even an inch in diameter. Maybe SFG is not the best planting method for beets?
My dilemma is that I'll be leaving for Thanksgiving on Tuesday, and won't return until Saturday. While I'm gone, we are expected to have 29 degrees one night, and 32 degrees another night! Our first autumn freeze here.
I wonder if I should just wait and harvest when I get back? With the cold weather, though, I can't imagine they'd grow much more than they already have.
What do you think? The SFG box is on the ground. Thank you.

**camprn** 11/20/2010, 7:38 pm

I understand your angst. Sad

I say, as far as the beets go, it is all good! Very Happy

I am in zone 5a & my beets took at least 90 days for good root bulb development. Some of them are still in the my garden and for the past month at night, it has been getting to the temps you mentioned. The beets are hardy. My suggestion is keep watering those babies and they will grow lovely for Like a Star @ heaven

Solstice or New Year supper Like a Star @ heaven

Yum yum!

cherriesjubilee 11/20/2010, 8:38 pm

Camprn,
This is helpful. And these are a heirloom variety, so perhaps they are going to take longer in any case. I've only harvested the greens once -- I don't know if it's a worry or not, but I've heard that frequent harvesting of greens makes the plants put too much energy into leaf development, and not enough into the root system. It's nice to know that they will survive freezes, and we don't have to worry too much about consistently below freezing weather here in zone 8 in December.

I'll tell my house sitter to water the beets while I am gone. Thanks again.

Chopper 11/20/2010, 11:26 pm

I am in zone 9 I believe and I have planted beets every month. All Detroit Red or Dark or whatever. They have varied in bulb development and I am not enough of a scientist to keep track of the variables. I have had some great ones and some small ones and they have all tasted good, just bulb size variations.

So, who knows? Beets like a little frost, do not know at what point freezing will stop them, but it shouldn't ruin what is in the soil I wouldn't think.

happyfrog 11/21/2010, 7:41 am

i have learned that beets turn to mush in the ground if left all winter in zone 5a.

we also had a really hard winter (for ohio) last winter.

but spinach, kale, brassicas - they all do fine.

carrots are fine as long as you use them frozen - don't let them thaw or they turn to mush, too.

**camprn** 5/26/2014, 9:27 pm

http://awaytogarden.com/grow-beets-brian-campbell/

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