Cylindra Beets

Seed Count: Approx. 100 Seeds

Days to Maturity: 60 Days

Description: Cylindra beets are a Dutch heirloom, most known for its uniform slices, due to its long cylindrical roots.  Not only does it give you uniform slices, but it's also known for its butter like, tender texture.  The plants grow about 20 inches tall with 6-8 inch long, rich, dark red roots.  Cylindra Beets are a bit sweeter than other beet varieties, and make for delicious pickled beets.  Plus, its tender greens are great in salads.  This variety is super easy to grow, and great for small spaces in your garden.     

How To Grow

Sowing:  Sow beet seeds in well-worked, well drained soil in full sun. Beets are sensitive to acidic soils and prefer a pH of 6.0 – 7.0. If your soil is more acidic, add Garden Lime as directed on the bag. Sow thinly, in rows 12 inches apart and cover with ½ inch of fine soil. Seedlings emerge in 14-21 days. Thin to about 3" apart, when seedlings are 1-2" tall. Beet seeds are actually clusters of seeds and require more thinning than other crops.

Growing:  Keep plants well watered during dry periods to promote uninterrupted growth. They need about 1 inch of water a week. If you water with overhead sprinklers, water early in the day so the foliage has time to dry off before the evening, to minimize disease problems. Avoid fertilizer that is high in nitrogen. A basic 5-5-5 fertilizer is sufficient for good beet root and beet green development.  Cylindra beets grow 2/3rds of its roots above the ground, and its recommended to hill the dirt up around the root to keep the skins tender, and to protect them from bugs.

Harvesting:  Candy striped beets also produce lovely and tasty pink-stemmed tops that mature in 40 days. One-third of the tops can be harvested without damaging the plant. Harvest roots at about 1 inch for baby beets, up to 3 inches for mature beets. Cook beet greens like spinach, or saute in butter and garlic for a tasty treat. Beet roots can be pickled, grilled, baked, or broiled. Beet plants must weather the winter, in order to produce seed. In warmer climates, simply mulch the plants. In cooler climates, dig up the roots and store them in sand, without the roots touching each other, in a cool and humid location.  Then plant them again early spring. The plants will soon go to seed; wait until the seed heads are fully grown and dry before removing them, and store the seeds for up to 5 years.