Cylindra Beets

Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris. 

Family: Chenopodiaceae family, other family members include spinach, Swiss chard, quinoa, and sugar beets.

‘Cylindra’ is long, narrow, dark red beet is great for cutting into uniform slices. 60 days from planting to harvest. As a half-hardy vegetable, beets are fairly tolerant of frost, surviving temperatures as low as 30 degrees (F). Grow beets in full sun or part shade, in the ground, raised beds or even in pots. More sun will ensure the very best roots, but if you only have a part shady spot, you can grow them primarily for their leaves.

• Beets can be directly sown in the garden 4 weeks before the last frost in spring. 
• Make additional sowing at 3-week intervals for a continuous harvest, but time sowing so that the crop does not mature in hot weather.
• Beets grow best when daytime temperatures are in the 60s°F
• Avoid planting beets where spinach of Swiss chard has grown recently.
• Sow beet seeds ½ to 1 inch deep. For intensive plantings, thin beet seedlings to 3 to 4 inches apart. 
• Seeds generally germinate in 4 to 10 days. Beet seeds come in clusters. Each cluster is smaller than a pea seed and can produce several seedlings. Thin seedlings when the plants are a few inches tall and have developed their first true leaves. Seedlings do not transplant well. Thinned seedlings can be added to salads.

Beets are most successful in cooler climates, where their seeds can be sown in the garden in early spring, up to 30 days before the typical last frost. The soil should be at least 45 degrees (F) at sowing time. ow beet seeds half an inch deep and one to two inches apart and space rows roughly 12 to 18 inches apart. Keep the soil constantly and consistently moist; beets are likely to develop scab and other problems in soil that dries out. Spreading a thin layer of mulch over the soil will help conserve moisture.

Beets lends themselves well to succession planting, which ensures a consistent supply of small, tender, tasty beets and leaves. To achieve this, sow seeds every two or three weeks from the first planting until midsummer. 

Beets are one of the few root crops that copes well with transplanting. Therefore, for an earlier harvest or to hedge your bets against unpredictable spring weather, beet seeds can be started indoors about five weeks before the expected last frost. Thin the seedlings and transplant when heavy frosts seem to have passed. The seed cluster results in too many seedlings growing in one spot. If they aren’t thinned, you’ll likely end up with tiny beet roots or all top growth.

To avoid this, thin the seedlings to one to three inches apart when the sprouts reach about two inches high. Do not pull seedlings whole to thin the crop, but rather pinch the excess plants off at soil level. Because beets have a relatively shallow root system, pulling unwanted seedlings whole could disturb the “keepers.” Be sure to try the snipped baby leaves in a salad.

If you’re growing beets for their leaves alone, they can be kept closer together, though keep in mind that good air circulation promotes foliar health. Typically beet roots are harvested 50 to 70 days after planting, when they measure 1 to 2 inches in diameter. You’ll notice their shoulders cresting the soil line. Check the seed packet for more specific timing and size for the variety you’re growing. But in general, larger roots tend to be tougher and woody, and taller leaves can become too bitter in flavor, so don’t delay picking too long.