Organic Detroit Improved 2 Bolivar Beetroot - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds - Beta vulgaris

The Bolivar Improved Detroit Beetroot is a biennial vegetable plant that grows up to 30 cm (12in) tall. It is an early variety, resistant to running to seed, and has good storage qualities. It is cultivated for its round, smooth-skinned roots with a sweet taste, ideal for salads, raw or cooked, and for juicing. Sow from April to May for a harvest 3 to 4 months later.

Beetroots are biennial root vegetables. The first year is devoted to the accumulation of nutrients in the root. The second year, the plant draws from this reserve to produce flowering and then seed formation. The edible root is harvested in the first year, but if you want to produce your own seeds, you will have to wait until the following year by reserving a few plants for this purpose. Sometimes called red carrot or red root, beetroot varieties differ in their colour: there are red, white, yellow, orange or pink ones, in cylindrical, spherical, oval shapes, etc. and in their carbohydrate content. They fall into three main categories:

• vegetable beetroots usually planted in gardens,
• sugar beetroots grown in open fields to extract sugar,
• and finally fodder beetroots intended for livestock but very tasty in human food.

Beetroot is not only a carbohydrate-rich food, but it is also renowned for its high content of vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium.

Storage: once the beetroots are harvested, they should be left to dry for a full day on the ground. To keep them throughout the winter, it is advisable to store them in a cool and dark place such as a cellar or pantry. To optimise storage and preserve the best taste qualities, you can bury them under a layer of dry sand.

Gardener's tip: beetroots should be planted in full sunlight but also kept in damp  soil. To maintain these two conditions, consider mulching around the plants.