Beet Chioggia (organic)

$3.00

Organic
Good for fresh eating and pickling
Alternating red and white rings
Sweet flavor

Item Details

Also known as Bassano, and noted for its alternating red-and-white concentric rings that resemble a bull’s-eye, Chioggia beets are wonderful for both fresh eating and pickling. It retains its markings if roasted whole and sliced just before serving. Named for a fishing town near Venice, this historical Italian variety has been grown in the United States since at least 1865. 50 days. ±2,300 seeds/oz.

History of the Plant

Chioggia beets are an Italian heirloom variety native to Chioggia, Italy, and were first discovered in 1840. The root was then spread to the rest of Europe and introduced to the United States in the 1860s. Today Chioggia beets can be found at local farmers markets and specialty grocers in the United States and Europe.

Learn to Grow Chioggia Beet

Direct Seed: 2" Apart

Seed Depth: 1/2"

Plant Outdoors: 24-36” Apart

Thin: 4-6" Apart

Growing Media

01 Propagation

Soil Temperature: 50-85°F
Planting Depth: 1/2″
Germination: 5-10 Days
Height At Maturity: 2-4″
Days To Maturity: 55-65 Days
Sun/Shade: Partial Sun

02 Soil

Growing your own Chioggia beets is super easy with the MM-Mix. If you grow in low-quality (potting) soil, disappointment is pretty much guaranteed. So don’t skimp on soil mix: go for the best.

03 Sowing

First, pick a square patch in the middle of your garden box and loosen up the damp MM-Mix. Then, sow like this:

03 Harvesting beet leaves

Harvest – at most – a third of the leaves from each plant: it needs the rest to make the beet grow. Also, always leave the growth core: that’s the center of the plant where new leaves come in.

03 AEROPONICS

Cuttings will root in aeroponic systems.

Care

01 WATER

water regularly with about 1 inch of water per square foot per week. Beets need to maintain plenty of moisture in order to grow well.

02 Planting

Each wrinkled beet “seed” is actually a cluster of 2 to 4 seeds, so you will need to thin the young plants to 3 to 4 inches apart once the greens get to be about 4 to 5 inches tall. This allows their roots to grow to their proper size.

04 fertilizer

Supplementing with extra fertilizer is usually not necessary. If you do fertilize, go easy on nitrogen; excess will cause an abundance of greens but tiny bulbs beneath the soil.

05 thining

When thinning, don’t pull up the plants, as you may accidentally disturb the roots of the beets you want to keep. Instead, just snip or pinch off the greens (and eat them).

Nutrients

01 NUTRITIONAL

58.5 calories.
13 g of carbohydrates,
including 9.19 g of sugar
3.81 g of fiber. 2.19 g of protein.

02 MEDICINAL

Beets are super healthy. They’re packed with vitamins: especially vitamin C and folic acid. They also contain a lot of minerals like manganese, iron, copper, potassium, and magnesium. The red coloring is great for healthy blood vessels and can help to lower blood pressure.