Boro Beet is a fast maturing beet with classic, smooth-skinned, dark red round roots and big, sturdy edible cut and come and again leaves. What impressed me the most about the Boro Beet was how they handled my neglect after harvesting a few baby-sized roots. I forgot about them afterward, overlooked the harvest at maturity time, and let them get overgrown with weeds; this variety held out like a champion even with my lapse of care, having tender and tasty roots.

300 seeds

PLANTING

Beta vulgaris

Germination:5-10days

Germination Temperature:Optimum soil temperatures 50-85F.Soaking the seeds overnight aids in germination.

Seed Sowing Depth:1/2 deep

Starting Indoors:4-6 weeks before the last frost. Sow 1-2 seeds per cell/pot. Thin to 1 seedling per cell/pot. Transplant outdoors when the first true leaves appear, 3 apart.

Sowing Outdoors:Early spring with soil temperatures at least 50F. Sow 1-2 apart, thin when plants are 2-4 tall, 3-4 apart.Germination is slower at lower soil temperatures.

How much does a packet plant:20-25 foot single row

Harvest:Begin picking at 1 for baby beets and up to 3 across for the most tender and best tasting. For best storage cut off the greens 2 above the top of the beet.

Tips:Boro Beet seeds are actually fruits that contain multiple seeds inside with several seedlings emerging from one seed. Use the thinned seedlings for beet greens or plant a heavily seeded row for baby beet greens. Beets need to grow rapidly and evenly by providing soil rich in organic matter and adequate moisture. Sow every 2 weeks for a continuous harvest.