Beet, Shiraz (Organic)
Beta vulgaris. Round Red. 60 days.
Round, red roots with red leaf stems and green leaves. Vigorous and uniform with smooth skin and tall tops, Shiraz is a good choice for market growers and home gardeners alike. Not quite as sweet as Lutz Green Leaf, but still quite tasty. Young leaves make a great addition to salad mix. Bred through a farmer and breeder collaboration with the Organic Seed Alliance, it was selected in organic growing conditions primarily for resistance to rhizoctonia dry rot (the most common cause of Ugly Beet Syndrome). For the full story check out: seedrevolutionnow.blogspot.com.
Seed produced by Avoca in Corvallis, Oregon.
Direct sow March through early August in rows that are 1’ apart. Thin to 3” spacing once they’re 3” tall. Don’t forget to eat the greens! For us, beets can grow through the winter without protection, but must be sown by August for this purpose.
Seed Saving
Collect seeds from 20+ plants in second year once seeds have dried down, usually by September. Cut seed heads, place on tarps, dry a few more days, then dance on the dry plants to free seed. Collect seeds from pile, winnow to clean. Isolate from other beets and chard by 1 mile.
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