Today I want to share the rules for choosing beets before planting – what is most important to consider.
The main indicator for choosing a beet variety is the purpose of its use - for feeding livestock, preparing borscht or salad (difference (Grand!)). The sugar content of the root vegetable and the ripening period are also important factors. Climate conditions are also important, as not every variety can grow in cool conditions.
The best varieties
Sugar beet is usually used for food, which is classified into 3 types:
- Saccharina is considered the sweetest (21.5% sugar), but the yield is low;
- sugar-yielding (18.5%), average level of root crops;
- productive (16.5% sweetness) – you can collect the most fruits.
Each variety has its own set of advantages, characteristics, and disadvantages. Likewise, each person has their own requirements for the vegetable, so determining the best type is virtually impossible, but they can be compared based on various criteria.
By ripening time
The best early ripening beet varieties:
- Libero. The root vegetable is round, smooth, and red in color. The flesh is exceptionally juicy and free of pale rings. It weighs approximately 250 g, yields high, and has excellent shelf life.
- Vinaigrette marmalade. It keeps for a fairly long time without spoiling. The fruits are flat, with a deep red flesh, sweet, and firm. Weighing 400-500 g, it is considered a large vegetable.
- The incomparable A-463. The roots are flattened, with a reddish-burgundy flesh. This variety is the most frost-hardy and easily grown in northern latitudes. It weighs 350-400 g.
Average ripening period:
- Larka. The roots are round and have juicy, uniformly red flesh. This variety was bred in Holland and is characterized by good shelf life, weighing approximately 300 g.
- Flat Nosovskaya. It is resistant to high temperatures and has juicy, dense, and red flesh. The flattened fruits weigh 300 g and have a long shelf life.
- Black woman. A high-yielding variety with elongated, dark-red roots. They weigh 450-500 g and have a juicy, purple-red interior.
- Dark-skinned. A large fruit weighing up to 0.5 kg with juicy purple-red flesh and a flattened shape. The skin is dark red.
- Bohemia. The fruits are characterized by burgundy skin and dark red flesh, a round shape, and weighing up to 0.5 kg. They are distinguished by their excellent shelf life and resistance to pests and bolting.
Late varieties:
- Single-sprout variety. Round root vegetables with juicy, tender red flesh. These beets are quite sweet and produce excellent yields.
- Renova. The shape is cylindrical and oval, with dark purple, firm flesh. The skin is dark pink, weighing 300-350 g. Characteristics include high yield and long shelf life.
- Ataman. This variety tolerates frosts well, has a long shelf life, and is cylindrical in shape and small in size (up to 300 g). The flesh is a uniform burgundy color, tender, and juicy.
- Cylinder. The oval-cylindrical roots are up to 15-16 cm long and weigh 250 g. The flesh is tender, not dense, and dark red. It is characterized by high yield and disease resistance.
By keeping quality
Late-ripening varieties store best, but other varieties also have longer shelf life. Which ones are best for long-term storage?
- Crosby. It features a dark red hue, a flat, round shape, and juicy flesh with white and pink rings. It weighs up to 0.6 kg and is a mid-season variety.
- Tenderness. Ripens in 110 days, features high yields, a delicate purple interior, and a cylindrical shape. Weighs 150-250 g.
- Madame Rougette F1. The roots are flat and round, weighing approximately 500 g. The flesh is dark red, juicy, and tender, with light pink rings.
- Gypsy girl. Characteristics: high yield, no coarse fibers. Color: dark red, weight: up to 250 g, juicy, tender flesh.
- Rocket F1. The fruit is cylindrical in shape, weighs 200-250 g, has a rich red interior without light rings, is tender and juicy.
The F1 designation indicates that the variety belongs to a new generation of hybrids that incorporate the best traits of their parents. However, there is a significant drawback: the need to purchase seeds every year, as the new beets will lose their beneficial characteristics when harvested.
By taste
Beetroot's flavor is determined by its sugar content, as the vegetable is used in delicious dishes, juices, and baby food (as a supplement). The following varieties are considered the best for this purpose:
- Bravo. A high-yielding, round variety with dark-red, juicy flesh. It has a fairly long shelf life and is considered a mid-season variety.
- Cossack. Early-ripening beetroot weighing 300-350 g. The fruit is cylindrical, with a deep burgundy interior. It lacks rings and coarse fibers. It is characterized by high yield and long shelf life.
- An ordinary miracle. The flesh is a rich red, the flavor is juicy and sweet. The root is round.
- Mulatto. Characterized by a perfectly round shape, medium ripening, and bright red flesh, the fruit weighs between 150 and 350 g.
I always focus on all these indicators. And since I grow beets for different purposes, I always plant 3-5 varieties at a time.