Temperate Vegetables

BEET ROOT

VARIETIES
Beet cultivars are usually classified on the basis of shape of roots.

1. Flat: Flat-Egyptian
2. Short-top shape: Flattened at top and bottom with rounded sides and conical or tapered base, e.g. Crosby Egyptian, Early Wonder, Asgrow Wonder
3. Round or globular: Roots are round or globular in shape, e.g. Detroit Dark Red, Crimson Globe.
4. Half-long: Length is short than long types, e.g. Half-Long Blood, Winter Keeper.
5. Long: Roots are long, may grow much as 40 cm, quite popular in Europe, e.g., Long Dark Blood.

Characters of some of the varieties are explained as under
Crimson Globe:

• Roots are round to flat round and medium red, small shoulders, dark crimson red with indistinct zones.
• It is non corrosive in taste when taken raw.
• It gets ready for harvesting in 80-90 days after maturity.

Detroit Dark Red:

• Roots are smooth, uniform, and attractive with small collar and perfectly round with deep red skin.
• Flesh is very dark, blood red with light zoning, tender, round, fine grains and corrosive in taste when taken raw. It is a heavy yielding cultivar maturing in 80-100days.

Early Wonder:

• The roots are flattened globe with rounded shoulders and skin is smooth and dark red
• The interior is dark red with lighter red zoning.
• It takes about 55-60 days after sowing to reach edible maturity.