Detroit Dark Red Beet Seeds

Beta vulgaris

From Ophidian Farms - always organic!

58 days. The most popular, old standard, all-purpose red beet; uniform and smooth, with blood red flesh that is sweet and tasty. The round, smooth roots are about 3" in diameter and keep well for canning.  14-inch tops make good greens. Heirloom variety introduced in 1892.

Detroit Dark Red heirloom beets are vegetables that hail from Ontario, Canada, where a Mr. Reeves developed them from blood turnips. This globular beet first made its appearance in 1892. However, beets seem to have originated in the Mediterrenean region, where people grew them for thousands of years. Later, red beets grew in Germany and Holland, where these vegetables were used as cattle fodder; they were later imported to England for this purpose, but the poor began to raise them for an affordable food source. American colonists later brought red beets to the New World, where they became a commonly enjoyed vegetable both for their roots and their greens.

Heirloom, open-pollinated, organically-grown seeds.

Botanical Names: Beta vulgaris
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Common Names: detroit dark red beet
Life Cycle: Biennial
Plant Type: Beet

Requirements: Choose a planting site that gets full sun. They should ideally receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.  Beets prefer well-prepared, fertile soil, but will tolerate average to low soil fertility. A soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is best and slightly alkaline (7.0+) soils can be tolerated. Beets will not tolerate acidic soils (pH below 6.0). To allow the round beet roots to develop properly, soil should be free of rocks and other obstacles.  Avoid planting beets where Swiss chard or spinach has recently been grown, as they are cousins of beets and are susceptible to similar pests and diseases.

We prefer to sow beets directly in the garden so that we don’t have to disturb their roots. However, beets—unlike many root crops—do generally tolerate being transplanted while still young. Since they are cold tolerant, beets typically have no trouble being started outdoors, though.  Sow seeds ½-inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart in rows that are about 12 to 18 inches apart. After sowing, cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil.  Make sure soil remains moist for optimal germination. Soak seeds for 24 hours prior to planting to speed up germination.

Approximately 40 seeds / gram

Auction is for 1 packet = 50 seeds

Germination rate = 85 %

Harvested fresh in fall of 2022, for sale through 2023!

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