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  • From: GeraldB571@aol.com
  • To: gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [gwl-g] Beets
  • Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 19:05:38 EDT

Detroit Dark Red, an oldie, is still about the best beet on the market, despite all the sexy names that have come along. It's a reliable grower, performs well in almost all climates, and has excellent taste. Usually has excellent germination, but old seed is sometimes hard to germinate.

The Golden Beet is a problem--it does have poor germination. I was with Burpee when it was first introduced and we went through the blind taste test, and we couldn't tell the golden beet from a red beet, much to David Burpee's dismay.

I grew sugar beets when I was a young man growing up on a farm in Idaho. They're of no use except to make sugar, almost impossible to try to eat. However, now that the mono-germ beets are available, they're a much easier crop to handle than when we used to have to thin the crop. They do make good animal feed, after they're chopped up, and the tops can be used just as you would Swiss chard or spinach. Unless you're going to start a sugar refinery forget about sugar beets.


Gerald Burke
Flower Power Columnist



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