Zeppo (F1) Beet Seed

Scientific name

Beta vulgaris

Soil

Beets grow fastest and best in loose or loamy soil above pH 6.0. Cooler weather brings out the deepest color in the roots, while sharp swings in temperature can leave pale rings (zoning) inside.

Days to maturity

Counted from direct sowing; transplanted beets are ready 2–3 weeks sooner.

Transplanting

For an early crop, start seed in a cold frame or indoors 5–6 weeks before planting out, once hard frosts are rare. Sow 2–3 seeds per cell, 1/2" deep, in 72- or 128-cell trays, and set the clumps 3" apart in rows 12–18" apart. Transplanted beets are less uniform than direct-sown ones and their roots intertwine, so ease each one out while holding the others in place. The payoff is an earlier harvest when wet or cold weather delays direct sowing.

Direct sowing

Start once the soil reaches 45°F (7°C). Sow about 15 seeds per foot, 1/2" deep, in rows 12–18" apart, and thin to 3" apart. For a steady supply of greens and baby beets, sow again every 2 weeks until 8 weeks before hard frosts usually arrive.

Seeding rate

At 15 seeds per foot: about 1,000 seeds per 66 ft. and 5,000 per 333 ft.

Disease and disorders

Steady watering helps prevent scab, the rough brown patches also seen on potatoes. Brown or broken-down flesh inside the root points to boron shortage, most often in alkaline soil after long hot, dry spells. Rotate crops to keep Cercospora leaf spot in check, especially for bunching and baby-leaf beets.

Harvest

Pull roots at whatever size you want.

Storage

Washed bunches keep up to 10 days at 32°F (0°C) and 95% relative humidity. For winter storage, cut off the tops, wash, and store the roots at the same temperature and humidity for up to 6 months.

Sized seed

Beet seed is graded to a similar size unless the variety notes say otherwise, which gives more accurate spacing in seeders and more even emergence.

Packet

350 seeds.

Seeds per lb.

About 36,000 on average.