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Planting beets. One of the top vegetables
for the home garden. The beet is adapted to all parts of the United States.
It is resistant to cold and can stand in the garden until the approach
of hard freezing; in the hotter parts of the country it does not thrive
in the summer. Good quality requires quick development, and beets need
fertile, well-drained land, free of soil acidity.
If the soil is markedly acid, liming is advisable.
Before planting the seeds give the soil a broadcast application of well-decayed
manure and commercial fertilizer high in potash and phosphorus. Space
the rows 16 inches apart and space the seeds thinly to avoid crowding.
An ounce of seed will serve 100 feet of row, and seeds should be covered
to a depth of 3/4 inch to an inch.
The plants, when established, should stand
2 to 3 inches apart in the rows. Early Wonder and Crosby Egyptian are
popular standard varieties. Detroit Dark Red also is widely used, usually
for fall harvest. Beets should be harvested when they are about 2 inches
in diameter.
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