Robin Beet

Robin
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Robin Beet

Beta vulgaris
(40 days) F-1 hybrid. Debuted in 2016 with good sales. Of baby-beet class and short-top type, Robin’s vigor and health put wimpy competitor Babybeat to shame. This Boy Wonder’s 10" tops show nice contrast between dark red stems and disease-resistant dark green leaf. Add deep red 1–2" round beets, and Robin packs a visually powerful punch, I mean bunch, at market. Even better, its uniformity and ability to hold size makes harvesting a mess of beets quick and easy. True to New England tradition, I steamed mine up whole, tops and bottoms. Holy Diminutive Delights! Again besting bland Babybeat, Robin’s full sweet beet flavor and fine-grained solid red interior was a revelation in taste and texture. ⑤


2105 Robin
Item Discounted
Price
A: 1/8oz for $2.75  
B: 1/2oz for $4.75  
C: 1oz for $7.50  
D: 4oz for $19.00  
E: 1lb for $63.00  
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Additional Information

Beets

  • About 800-3600 seeds/oz, with variations. ⅛ oz packet sows 20 ft; 1 oz sows 160 ft.
  • Days to maturity are from emergence after direct sowing.

Culture: Spring or fall, beets are hardy and easy to grow. Can be sown almost as soon as ground can be worked in spring. Minimum germination temperature 40°, optimal range 60–85°. For full-sized beets, you must thin to at least 3" apart. Early thinnings make good salad greens; baby-beet thinnings cooked with tops are a Yankee delight!

Disease:
PM: Powdery Mildew
DM: Downy Mildew
CLS: Cercospora Leaf Spot looks like someone shot a series of small target-like circles in the foliage. Prolonged periods of rainfall and high humidity exacerbate this disease. In serious cases the spots darken and extend. Rotating crops, removing plant debris, and wider spacing to ensure adequate air circulation are preventive measures.

Scab, the same disease that afflicts potatoes, causes rough brown spots on the skin. Adequate irrigation is a preventive.

Germination Testing

For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.