Beet – Early Wonder Tall Top

Description

50 Days | Valuable to home gardeners and market growers as a first early variety, this is a beautiful garden beet. Tall, fast growing tops are suited for use as greens. Roots semi-globular with smooth dark red skin and relatively uniform interior color. An heirloom variety which has been in our catalog for over 60 years, Early Wonder makes 3″-4″ semi-round globes over 45-60 days, although “baby greens” can be harvested as early as 40 days.

50-60 Days to maturity

10-12 Days to sprout

Beet seeds per packet: About 450

Beet seeds per Oz: About 1,500

Beet seeds per Lb: About 25,000

Plant 3/4″-1″ deep, in rows 24″-36″ apart, thinning to 6″-9″ apart once the seeds sprout.

Packet will sow about 20 ft. Soil: should be rich, deeply plowed, preferably heavy loam. Plant as early in the spring as possible (beets will stand light frosts) or may be started in hotbed and transplanted for extra early. For a continuous harvest, plant at 3-week intervals to Aug. 1.

Early Crops.—Where frames are not available for providing early supplies of Beetroot, forward crops may often be obtained from the open ground by making sowings of the Globe variety from the end of March to mid-April, in a sheltered position. Of course, the earlier the sowing the greater the risk of destruction by frost, and birds may take the seedlings. A double thickness of fish netting, however, stretched over stakes about one foot above the soil, will afford protection from the former and prevent the depredations of the latter. Set the drills about twelve inches apart and sow the seed one and a half to two inches deep. Thin the plants early and allow them to stand finally at nine inches in the rows.

Main Crop.—The most important crop is that required for salading, for which a deep-coloured Beet of rich flavour is to be preferred, and the aim of the cultivator should be to obtain roots of moderate size and of perfect shape and finish. The ground having been trenched two spades deep early in the year, may be made up into four-and-a-half-feet beds some time in March, preparatory to sowing the seed. The main sowing should never be made until quite the end of April or beginning of May. For a neat crop, sow in drills one and a half to two inches deep, and spaced from twelve to fifteen inches apart.

Late Crops.—By sowing the Globe or Turnip-rooted varieties in July, useful roots may be obtained during the autumn and winter. Space the drills as advised for early crops. Seed may also with advantage be thinly sown broadcast; the young plants will thus protect one another, and the roots may be pulled as they mature.