LIHU‘E — The Best Beet can earn its grower some bucks. The beet is the featured vegetable for this year’s Fruit and Vegetable Show at the Kaua‘i County Farm Fair, Aug. 26-29, at the Vidinha Stadium parking lot. In the
LIHU‘E — The Best Beet can earn its grower some bucks.
The beet is the featured vegetable for this year’s Fruit and Vegetable Show at the Kaua‘i County Farm Fair, Aug. 26-29, at the Vidinha Stadium parking lot.
In the general information flier available at the University of Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources office in the state building, the best beet entry can earn its grower a $20 prize. Second place honors earns $10 and third prize is $5.
Entries must be grown on Kaua‘i by the exhibitor and entries will be accepted on Aug. 26 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Fruit and Vegetable tent exhibit area of the fairground. Late entries will be displayed, but not judged, and all entries become the property of the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau.
In addition to the special vegetable category, the informational flier provides guidelines for Kaua‘i growers who are encouraged to enter their produce.
Judging is by the Danish system where there may be more than one blue, red, or white ribbon given for each commodity. Judging is based according to Hawai‘i Grading Standards when applicable. Otherwise, the criteria include uniformity in color, shape and size; and being free from defects, blemishes, injuries, insects or diseases.
Best in Show for fruit and vegetable earn $20 for each category. A blue ribbon earns $5, a red ribbon earns $3 and a white ribbon is worth $2.
In addition to ribbons and cash prizes, High Point cash prizes will be awarded to individuals with the highest point totals. First place earns $100, second place is worth $75, third place is $50, fourth $25, and fifth place $10.
Roy Yamakawa, the head of CTAHR for Kaua‘i, compiled an informational sheet for growers interested in growing the featured vegetable.
Beet, or Beta vulgaris, belongs to the amaranth family of plants and is a close relative of chard, the flier states. It is a native of the Mediterranean and reportedly has detoxifying properties, high in iron, good for blood, and is a great source of folate, necessary for healthy fetal development and a healthy cardiovascular system.
The beet is high in potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin A, C, phosphorus and a number of micronutrients.
Leaves and stems of beet plants are steamed briefly or stir-fried and eaten as a vegetable. The root is eaten boiled as a hot vegetable, cold as a salad ingredient, or baked, pickled, or made into soup such as cold borsch. It is also used shredded raw as a salad garnish and young leaves are used as baby greens in a mixed salad.
The Detroit Red variety, seeds of which come with the flier, matures in 58-60 days, although there are varieties that mature between 52-70 days.
In order to be ready for competition at the farm fair, seeds must be in the ground by July 1, and in order to assure a continuous supply of fresh, tender beets, and to display at the fair, successive plantings at 3-4 week intervals are suggested.
Beet production requires moderate amounts of nitrogen (the first number of three on fertilizer packages) and high amounts of phosphorus, potash (the second and third numbers on fertilizer packages) and other nutrients. Beets prefer a high soil pH and continuous soil moisture, provided by calcium carbonate or dolomitic limestone.
Seeds should be planted about 1/2 inch deep, spaced 12 to 18 inches between rows, and about two to three inches apart.
When seedlings are about two to three inches high, thing to three to four inches between plants, the thinnings making great baby vegetables, or micro vegies.
Beets do not like competition so frequent weeding is necessary. Beets have shallow roots and constant soil moisture is important. If weeds are allowed to get too large, weeding can damage adjoining beet plants.
When harvested at the prescribed maturity date, the Detroit Red variety should reach two to three inches in diameter and be tender and sweet. Beets continue to grow in size, but will become increasingly tough, fibrous and lose sweetness.
Beets can be stored for two to three weeks in the refrigerator in air-tight containers, but is best eaten fresh.
For a copy of the flier, call Yamakawa at 274-3471, or see Melissa McFerrin at the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau tent at the Saturday Kaua‘i Community Market at the Kaua‘i Community College campus from 9 a.m. to noon.
