Beetroot 'Badger Flame'

Beta vulgaris

• Perfectly mild and sweet - delightful raw or cooked
• Bright fiery appearance
• Sought after by chefs

This vibrant, oblong cultivar has a starburst yellow, orange and red interior and all the natural vegetal sweetness of a beetroot with minimal amounts of their earthy flavour. Developed over 15 years by renown United States beet and carrot breeder Irwin Goldman, this fascinating beetroot has a low amount of geosmin, the compound that gives beets their earthy or dirt flavor – creating a perfectly mild and sweet golden beet that is delightful raw and cooked.

Each beet averages 3cm wide and 10cm long - cylindrical. We love this beetroot for its bright fiery appearance and its incredible flavour. Sought after by chefs and championed by Dan Barber from Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York.

‘Badger Flame’ is a licensed variety, and every seed you purchase helps support public plant breeding and research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, United States. Seeds from this variety can’t be reproduced with the intent to sell, nor can the variety be used in breeding projects without an approved license.

Certified Demeter Biodynamic and Certified Organic

SEED COUNT: 80, 400, 800 approx.

Seed Raising, Growing and Harvest Information

DIRECT SEED - Begin early sowings when soil has warmed to 7°C. Sow 15 seeds every 30cm - 10mm deep in rows 25-30cm apart. Thin to 1 plant per 5cm. For a continuous supply of tender beets, sow seed at 3-4 week intervals until 8 weeks before regular heavy frosts are expected. Although the optimal soil temperature for germination is 29˚C, beetroot will grow well in cool conditions, surviving through the Winter in the ground in our Southern Victorian location.

TRANSPLANT – Start seed about 5-6 weeks before transplanting out. Sow 7-10mm deep, 2–3 seeds per cell in flats. Transplant 7.5cm apart in rows 30-45cm apart. We have great results transplanting 3 plants/hole, 20 cm between plants, in rows 25 cm apart