Kestrel Beet is a productive, hybrid beet variety that works great for baby bunching or full-sized beet roots. It produces globed-shaped, deep red beet roots that are sweet and consistently-sized. Plants produce semi-glossy tops that mature at 12"-13" tall. Kestrel Beet has an excellent disease package that includes resistance to downy mildew, powdery mildew, cercospora and rhizoctonia. It is slow-bolting for extended growth periods into late spring. It works great as a storage beet for pickling and preserving.

Beets may be direct seeded or grown as transplants. Beet Seeds are multigerm, which means that each seed will germinate 2-3 plants. As a result, plants will require thinning once they emerge from the soil. Failure to thin will result in overcrowding and lack of consistently sized roots. Plants should be thinned to one every 3-4" along the row. Beets may be planted on a bed with multiple rows close together. Harvest beets when roots have reached 3-4" in size. For storage, remove the greens and keep the roots in the refrigerator.

Growing beets from transplants is also an effective method, because thinning can be done in the trays as opposed to the ground. Place one seed per cell in our seed starting trays and thin to one plant per cell. Transplant when a solid root system has developed, when the plants can be easily pulled from the cells. Transplant into the ground at 4" spacing along the row. Beets work great grown in double rows to maximize garden space. For double row planting, plant two rows 4" apart with 3' between double rows.

Kestrel Beet Planting Information

Planting Method: transplant and direct seed

When to Plant: early spring and fall

Planting Depth: 1/2"

Seed Spacing: 4-6"

Row Spacing: 3'

Days to Maturity: 55

Disease Resistance: Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew, Cercospora Leaf Spot, Rhizoctonia