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B B B B B: Eet Family Eet Family Eet Family Eet Family Eet Family

The document provides information on growing and harvesting seeds from the beet family (beet, spinach, and Swiss chard), which includes selecting desirable plants, harvesting stalks when seeds have matured, and processing and storing the seeds. Key steps are roguing out undesirable plants, cutting stalks when seed clusters have turned brown, storing stalks for 2-3 weeks to further ripen seeds, and then stripping seeds by hand or beating stalks in a bag to remove chaff. Different varieties must be isolated 500-1000 meters apart to prevent cross-pollination by wind-borne pollen between beet, Swiss chard, and weeds like lambsquarters.

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36 views

B B B B B: Eet Family Eet Family Eet Family Eet Family Eet Family

The document provides information on growing and harvesting seeds from the beet family (beet, spinach, and Swiss chard), which includes selecting desirable plants, harvesting stalks when seeds have matured, and processing and storing the seeds. Key steps are roguing out undesirable plants, cutting stalks when seed clusters have turned brown, storing stalks for 2-3 weeks to further ripen seeds, and then stripping seeds by hand or beating stalks in a bag to remove chaff. Different varieties must be isolated 500-1000 meters apart to prevent cross-pollination by wind-borne pollen between beet, Swiss chard, and weeds like lambsquarters.

Uploaded by

anothersomeguy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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B eet Family

(beet, spinach and Swiss chard)

Production Selection
The beet family (Chenopodeae) includes Rogue out off-types taking into consider-
beet and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) as well ation the shape and color of leaves and roots.
as spinach (Spinacia oleracea). Plants are Plants that bolt and go to seed early should
grown as an annual for edible leaves and as be removed. Save seed from at least six
a biennial for seeds. The crop prefers cool plants to prevent inbreeding.
weather but is widely adaptable. Seed pro-
duction can be done in cooler regions of the Harvesting
tropics and subtropics. Two methods are
Seed does not ripen uniformly on the plant
used:
and sheds easily when mature. Cut stalks
Seed to seed. Sow seeds in late summer. when most flowering clusters have turned
Mulch in late fall to ensure winter survival. brown and stalks have turned yellow and
The following spring, select the finest young dried—the first seeds are shed at this time.
plants and transplant using 45-cm spacing.
The optimum transplant diameter is 2.5 cm. Processing
The tops may be trimmed, but not the root. Store stalks in a cool dry location for 2–3
Root-to-seed. Harvest first-year roots in weeks to encourage further seed ripening.
fall. Select desirable roots and trim tops 2– Do not heap stalks on top of one another
5 cm above root. Store at 4 °C in a humid since this causes seeds to ferment. Handle
location. Replant in early spring at 45-cm stalks as little as possible since seeds shed
spacing with tops just showing above soil. easily. Small quantities of seed can be
stripped by hand as seed matures. Large
In either method, only transplant the most numbers of stalks can be put into a bag and
desirable plants. Stalks may become tall beat with a stick. Chaff is winnowed away.
(over 1 m) and are susceptible to lodging;
support with staking if needed.

Isolation
The flowers are perfect and borne in groups
of 2–3 in axes of leaves. Flowers produce
pollen that is carried long distances by wind;
thus, it is highly cross-pollinated. Isolate
different varieties 500–1000 m apart. Beet
and Swiss chard will cross-pollinate so iso-
late these as well. Chenopodium album
(lambsquarters) should be removed from the
area to prevent cross-pollination. Fig. 8. Seed stalk of beet

6 | Saving Your Own Vegetable Seeds

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