Going to check em out.

Would like to know how ya faired at the end of the season :

 

Is it GMO seed?

 

From what I've read it is a heirloom seed. This is a plant that is highly useful, but largely forgotten in agriculture. You can also eat up to a third of the tops without hurting its growth. Tasting like spinach and just as healthy.
It is biennial, so you have to keep them over winter and replant if you want it to go to seed. It does better in cooler climates.
I even found a recipe for Mangel wurzel beer!

A fair amount of info if your doing an internet search.
If anyone has experience with this plant please post.

I'll throw some pictures up as they grow.

333

 

I even found a recipe for Mangel wurzel beer!

Now ya really got me interested :thumb:

 

I've been looking at these for when I get my food plot set up.
http://sustainableseedco.com/heirlo...oom-vegetable-seeds/a-ca/beet-heirloom-seeds/red-mammoth-mangel-beet-seeds.html

 

I have read that in Europe people who raise livestock do not graze them like we do in this country, land is too expensive. They grow their fodder like these beets and more or less hand feed the livestock.

 

Triple

Do you have a suggested source for these?

How did you plant, did you you use in a planter, broadcast?

 

I'm in Canada, so I sourced a small farmer in Ontario to order from.
Wallace Springs Farms for all those northerners who would like to try them.

I used an Earthway precision seeder because it was new and I had alot to put in.

You could also plant them like regular beets but thin with more space in between to compensate for the extra size.

Good seeding conditions here, so just waiting for emergence, all the early seeded stuff is up.

333

 

I grew mangel beets once a long time ago. As I remember they were available in an everyday mail order seed catalog like Burpees.

 

At two weeks

 

At two months

 

Thinning the beets out so the largest( 2" - 3" have room to grow.
The ones that get pulled are great animal food.

 

The thinned beets are a great forage source.

Cows, pigs, chickens all love them. The small leaves on top are crisp and delicious, a nice flavour for any salad.

The small roots don't seem to have much sweet in them yet, only the cows seems to love them.

 

I do love me some beet greens. A bunch of them thinnings would end up in my kitchen!

 

nice photos. esp the one of the red barn and the beef cow.

 

Mangels taste great, these with a nice beef gravy are superb.

They can grow to huge sizes depending on the climate, excellent fodder.

 

Harvesting a row of Mangels

There were still nice tops on this first row.
They went right into the hog pen, they loved them.
Harvesting in stages to see at what point in the fall led to the nicest storing beet.

This first row went about 20 Ton/acre of root weight.

Here is a little more info from Washington State U
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/FS053E/FS053E.pdf

 

You are pleased with them I assume. have you eaten any yourself?

 

I've just tried the tops, small beet greens, very nice.

Waiting for the winter to try out some wine/beer recipes I found.

 

You do plan on eating some beets, correct?

 

I don't know if I'd enjoy them too much at this stage. I've read that just like regular beets, they tend to get a little "woody" when mature. I do still have the odd smaller one here and there that I'll cook up and try. These beets are primarily a forage source, so I won't be disappointed if they don't taste great.
During the War the British ate way too many of these for survival.

So far they've exceeded my expectations for growth and livestock feed.

 

I'm sold

Now to acquire some seeds.

 

The red Mangel is great fodder for livestock.
The yellow Mangel has a much more softer flavor than the red.
It's a French heirloom cultivar from way back (I think the early 1800's)
I grew the yellow for two years for a restaurant that used to exist back in the early 1990's.
The tops of the yellow make superb greens...kinda chard-like.
Edible from top to bottom, and easy to grow.

 

@nld -mangels

Hi,

Rareseeds has excellent seeds, but we buy ours from Johnny's Seeds. Less expensive and every bit as good a product.

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7521-mammoth-red-mangels.aspx

They sell yellows too.

Mangels are an important item on our winter feeding menu.

Good luck.

Chatelaine

 

I see that Yellow Mangels are on sale at Johnny's:

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7536-yellow-cylindrical-mangels.aspx

I'm going to try some yellows next year for some wine I want to make.

333

 

$4/lb, excellent deal.

Good thread, I hope to grow mangel beets for my animals.

 

If anybody uses Johnny's, I'd love to hear the update on harvest.

 

Can mangels be fall planted in Zone 5?

 

Generally beets below zone 8 should be planted in spring, and 8+ zones in early winter.
My first round of Bull's Blood went in Oct 1st, and the second this past Monday.
Next round goes in on Nov 11th.