Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Beets (
Beta vulgaris
)
Beets are a root crop that is easy to grow and produces well. Beets are useful as food for not only
the humans on the homestead, but as feed for the animals also. The sweet roots of sugar beets
are used as a source of sucrose sweetener, and with good reason. Beets are a crop that is often
overlooked in many diets, but has the potential to be a main staple in the homestead kitchen. Try
growing cultivars that are white, yellow, or orange if you don't like the red color that can stain
hands.
Beet seeds are actually the fruit of the plant and are multigerm, which means more than one plant
will sprout from a single seed. Sow one seed at a time, and space them about 3 inches apart. In the
spring, you can begin planting 3 to 5 weeks before your last frost date, and in the fall start your
last round of planting about 10 weeks before your first frost date.
When the seedlings emerge, you will notice that many of them have three or more seedlings in one
clump. Thin out the weakest ones so that each clump has one strong seedling growing. Be sure to
toss your thinnings to the chickens or goats or at the very least into the compost bin so you aren't
wasting them.
After the beets are well-started and have laves about 4 inches tall, go through and thin the survi-
vors 5 inches apart. Beets will continue to grow as long as they have space and friable soil. Beets
will be ready to harvest anywhere from 7 to 13 weeks or more depending on when in the season
you're growing and how the particular variety grows.
Beets are a drought-tolerant crop with enormous roots. Give them room to spread and they will do
well even in poor soil. In fact, if the soil is too rich in nitrogen, your beets will produce large tops
but broken roots. Beet tops are sometimes used as greens in the kitchen but I prefer chard or kale,
and let the livestock eat the beet tops instead.
Harvest beets by selecting the largest ones first and harvesting as needed. This will allow more
room for the smaller beets to continue growing. I know some farmers who simply dig every other
one to get the maximum growing space for their beets.
Over the Garden Fence
Beet tops and roots are often used as livestock fodder in small-scale productions trying to avoid using
commercial feed. Beet tops can be twisted off the roots, dried, and then fed to any livestock on the farm.
Whole beets should be broken, ground, or cut up in some way to avoid cattle and pigs choking on small
beets. I've heard of ranchers using wood chippers, feed grinders, and even driving over beets to crush
them before feeding to livestock.
