Cylindra Beet, Heirloom Seeds (Organic)

Cylindra Beet (Organic) — The 1880s Heirloom That Grows Like a Carrot and Slices Like a Dream

Dating back to the 1880s and also known as ‘Formanova,’ Cylindra is not your typical beet. Instead of a round globe, it produces long, dark red cylindrical roots — 6 to 9 inches long — that resemble an oversized carrot or, left to grow a bit bigger, a sweet potato. That unique shape is what makes Cylindra so practical: uniform slices every time, easy peeling, and more usable root per plant. Plant them closer than you would standard beets — they grow longer, not wider — so you get more beets in less space. Roots tend to push up out of the ground as they grow, making harvest easy. The leaves are sweeter than most beet varieties and make excellent greens. Certified Organic. 60 days.

Why Grow Cylindra?

• Unique cylindrical shape — 6–9 inches long, resembles an oversized carrot or sweet potato
• Easy slicing and peeling — uniform rounds perfect for pickling, canning, and cooking
• Higher yield in less space — plant closer than standard beets; grows longer, not wider
• Roots push up at harvest — easy to spot and pull when ready
• Sweeter leaves than other beets — excellent as salad greens
• Great for drying — surprisingly sweet dried, retains more nutrition than canning, stores well
• Certified Organic — grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
• Historic 1880s heirloom — also known as Formanova, a proven classic

Growing Notes

Direct sow outdoors 4–6 weeks before last frost or in late summer for fall harvest. Sow seeds ½ inch deep, closer than standard beets — they grow down, not out. Thin to 2–3 inches for root production. Full sun to part shade. Keep soil consistently moist and loose to allow roots to push down freely. Watch for roots pushing up out of the soil as they mature — that’s your harvest signal. Harvest at 60 days when roots are 6–9 inches long. Can be left whole when smaller for pickling, or sliced into uniform rounds at full size.

Packed and shipped by Box Garden Seeds LLC — organic seeds selected for flavor, resilience, and your garden’s success.