Botanical Name:<\/strong>\u00a0Beta vulgaris<\/em><\/p>\n Days to Maturity:<\/strong>\u00a048 days<\/p>\n Family:<\/strong>\u00a0Amaranthaceae<\/p>\n Native:<\/strong>\u00a0Europe, Asia, and the Mediterranean region<\/p>\n Hardiness:<\/strong>\u00a0Frost-tolerant biennial grown as an annual<\/p>\n Plant Dimensions:<\/strong>\u00a0Leaf tops are 18″ tall<\/p>\n Variety Information:<\/strong>\u00a0Smooth, 1 \u00bd”\u20132 \u00bd;” diameter with slightly flattened roots. Leaf tops are dark green on red stems. ‘Early Wonder’, introduced in 1911, is an excellent beet for both greens and roots, ready for harvest in as little as 40 days. Especially good in early spring due to its ability to grow in cool soils.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When to Sow Outside:<\/strong>\u00a0RECOMMENDED. 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, when soil temperature is at least 45\u00b0F, ideally 60\u00b0\u201385\u00b0F, for early summer crop. 6 to 8 weeks before your average first fall frost date for late summer\/fall crop.\u00a0Mild Climates<\/i>: Sow fall through winter.<\/p>\n When to Start Inside:<\/strong>\u00a0Not recommended. Root disturbance delays maturity.<\/p>\n Days to Emerge:<\/strong>\u00a05 \u2013 21 days<\/p>\n Seed Depth:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00bd”<\/p>\n Seed Spacing:<\/strong>\u00a01 seed every 4″<\/p>\n Row Spacing:<\/strong>\u00a012″<\/p>\n Thinning:<\/strong>\u00a0When 2″ tall, thin to 1 every 4″<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Harvesting:<\/strong>\u00a0For early spring sowings, harvest beets before summer heat. For late summer sowings, harvest before first heavy freeze. For winter sowings in mild climates, harvest in early spring. Harvest when roots are anywhere from 1″\u00e2\u20ac”3″ in diameter. The smaller they are, the more tender. Greens are most tender when small, so start harvesting when they are 2″ tall. You can take as much as one third of a beet plant’s outer leaves without harming the root crop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sowing Info.:<\/h2>\n
Growing Info.:<\/h2>\n