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Re: beet, seed and more

> 
While on the subject of beet seed I always grow mine as modules and
plant out later. While relatively small in the modules you can
transplant from the crowded ones into any that are empty, even split up
into individual plants when finally planting out, but I allow up to 3
plants per station to get a spread of pulling, this also keeps the final
size down. The other advantages of this method is that you can get rid
of all the weeds before the beet are in position without the chore of
hand weeding the emerging seedlings, and there are no gaps in the rows,
very economical for the seed.
My favourite used to be red globe but I found by mistake that if you
leave Boltardy in it does very well as maincrop.
A further point about beet is that the more mature beet have a better,
sweeter flavour than the young ones, which is not reconcilable with the
idea that small is good, big is bad. This is because the small ones are
pulled before the natural buildup of sugars has occurred. I know, I have
to sell them against this prejudice. On other things it's the other way
round eg Cox apples, so the customer gets apples that are fed to get
them up to Grade 1 size, which ruins the flavour. Back on beet, have a
close look at the supermarket prepacks, the small identical twin packs
have been made up from big beet peeled down to a standard size.
-- 
Allan Day  Hereford HR2 7AU allan@crwys.demon.co.uk
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