Beet Seeds - Cylindra

$3.25

Beta vulgaris

HEIRLOOM. The best beet for pickles! This heirloom from Denmark is also known as “Butter Slicer” because of its tender, smooth texture. Long, uniform, carrot-like roots make for very easy peeling and slicing. Grows up to 6″ long and can be used for pickles or cooking at this size, but is best harvested at 3-4″ for fresh eating. 

Cylindra beets can be direct seeded in the garden as soon as the soil is workable in spring, or in late summer for fall harvest. Plant in full sun for the largest roots. Roots are ready to harvest in about 55 days. 2 gram packet contains approximately 80 seeds. 

  • Planting Information
  • How to Grow
  • Seed Saving

 

Avg. Seeds / PacketPacket weightPlanting Season Planting Method
802 gspring or fall direct seed 
Seed DepthDirect Seed SpacingSoil Temp. RangeDays to Sprout
1/2"1-2"40-85 ℉5-17
Mature SpacingSun RequirementFrost ToleranceDays to Harvest
3-5"full sunfrost-tolerant55

Beets are adapted to grow in cool temperatures, making them a perfect vegetable to plant both in spring and late summer. They thrive when the days are warm (60 to 70 degrees) and nights cool (50 to 60 degrees). They may go to seed if temperatures drop below 50 degrees for an extended period. Sow the seeds in full sun for the best roots; if you don't have a sunny spot in your garden, plant them anyway as beets still produce lots of delicious leafy greens in partial shade.
Beets grow best in loamy, acid soils with a pH ranging between 6.0 and 7.5. If your soil is heavy clay, rocky, hard, or alkaline, mix in an inch or so of compost. Add a bit of wood ash, if handy, because its rich supply of potassium enhances root growth.
Beets aren't fond of crowds, so when sowing the seeds, plant them about 1 inch deep and 3 to 4 inches apart, or sow them closer together and use the thinnings later for salad fixings. 
Spread a layer of grass clippings, shredded leaves, or straw around your beet patch to help keep the moisture consistent, this is essential for uniform root growth. 
For a spring crop, plant beets as soon as the soil dries out and you can work it, typically from March to mid-May. Where the weather remains cold and wet into spring, wait until April. Beets do transplant surprisingly easily for a root crop, so you can germinate the seeds inside and move them to the garden as soon as the soil dries out in spring.
For a Fall crop, plant beet seeds directly in your garden about eight to 10 weeks before the first expected frost and harvest them in time for the holidays. Fall beets are often sweeter because cooler temperatures as they size up, sugar levels can be higher.

Read more here: https://sowtrueseed.com/blogs/gardening/how-to-grow-beets

Beet, Beta vulgaris
Pollination, wind; Life Cycle, biennial; Isolation Distance, 1 mile
Beets produce perfect flowers, but the pollen is light and can be carried by the wind for long distances. Save seed from at least 6 different beets to ensure genetic diversity. Selection traits include root color, shape and leaf vigor. Being a biennial, beets produce their flower stalk on the second years growth. Root-to-seed method: select best plants in the first year, cut tops leaving about 3" of growth, store over winter in sand or sawdust for spring planting. Seed-to-seed method: (suitable for warmer climates) Beets are left in the ground, mulched over winter.