Chioggia Beets

Seed Count: Approx. 100 Seeds Days to Maturity: 54 Days Description: This is an Italian heirloom from the town of Chioggia, near Venice, and has been popular since the early 1800s.  It's beautiful and sweet flavored. Sliced roots look like bull's eyes having concentric rings of white alternating with a wine-red. The green leaves are an excellent spinach substitute. Try them pre-blanched and then sauteed in a little of butter with onions for a delicious side dish.  How To Grow Sowing:  Sow beet seeds in well-worked, well drained soil in full sun. Beets are sensitive to acidic soils and prefer a pH of 6.0 – 7.0. If your soil is more acidic, add Garden Lime as directed on the bag. Sow thinly, in rows 12 inches apart and cover with ½ inch of fine soil. Seedlings emerge in 14-21 days. Thin to about 3" apart, when seedlings are 1-2" tall. Beet seeds are actually clusters of seeds and require more thinning than other crops. Growing:  Keep plants well watered during dry periods to promote uni