Chapter 15. Root Crop Production in Florida
Peter J. Dittmar, Eugene J. McAvoy, Richard Raid, Hugh A. Smith, Bonnie Wells, Julien Beuzelin,
Johan Desaeger, Joseph W. Noling, Lincoln Zotarelli, Shouan Zhang, Christian F. Miller, and Qingren Wang
I. Beet, Carrot, Radish, and Sweetpotato
Botany and Planting
Beet - Beta vulgaris, Chenopodiaceae
Carrot - Daucus carota, Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)
Radish - Raphanus sativus, Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
Sweetpotato - Ipomoea batatas, Convolvulaceae
Table 15.1. Planting information for beet, carrot, radish, and sweetpotato.
Beet Carrot Radish Sweetpotato
Planting Dates
North Florida Aug - Feb Aug-Mar Sept – Mar Mar – June
Central Florida Sept – Feb Aug-Mar Sept – Mar Feb – June
South Florida Oct - Jan Sept-Mar Oct – Mar
Year round (boniato/batatas type)
Planting Information
Distance between rows (in) 12 - 30 10 - 12 6 36 – 48
Distance between plants (in) 2 - 4 1 - 3 1 10 – 12
Seeding depth (in) 0.5 - 1.0 0.25 0.25 3 – 4
Seed per acre (lb) 10 - 15 2 - 4 10 – 20 9,000 – 15,000
Days to maturity from seed 50 - 70 70 - 120 20 – 30 85 - 130
Plant population (acre) 261,360 630,000 1 million+ 9,000 – 15,000
Cultivars
Table 15.2. Common cultivars of beet, carrot, and sweetpotato.
Beet Carrot Radish Sweetpotato
Bohan Apache Escala F1 Beauregard
Bulls Blood (tops) Choctaw Fuego1 Covington
Golden Beets (yellow) Navajo Red Castle Evangeline
Green Top Top Notch Red Satin F1 Hernandez
Pacemaker III Red Silk2 Picadito (Boniato)
Red Ace Rudi
Red Cloud
1 Resistant to yellows; Tolerant to black root and rhizoctonia scurf
2 Resistant to pithing; Intermediate resistance to black root, yellows, clubroots, rhizoctonia scurf.