Beetroot

Overview

Beetroot is easy to grow and ideal for first time gardeners. For best results, sow beetroot little and often.

Beetroot will grow in any reasonable garden soil but will require fertile conditions, grow on ground that was manured for a previous crop. Freshly manured ground will cause the roots to crack.

Varieties to choose (all sold by Kings Seeds)

• 'Boltardy' AGM: Delicious, smooth skinned and good for early cropping. Good resistance to ‘bolting’.
• ‘Bikores’ AGM: A variety suitable for early sowing under cloches or for main crop. Smooth skinned roots, uniform sized, good red colour and nice flavour.
• ‘Crimson King’: Medium to large round roots of deep red, with fine flavour and texture.
• ‘Moneta’ :  A monogerm that produces medium sized roots that are slow to bolt

 

How to grow

Use bolt-resistant varieties for early sowings made under cloches in late February or early March. Make the first sowings outdoors of the main crop during April - May.

Sow three seeds at 6ins/15cms intervals, 1ins/25mm  deep in rows 18ins/45cms apart, at fortnightly intervals from mid-April to July for a succession of tender, tasty roots. When the seedlings are about 1ins/25mm high thin them out to leave one seedling per 6ins/15cms station. Beetroot seed contains a cluster of seeds which means that 1  corky seed will produce several seedlings, with the earliest sowings it is best to allow them all to grow and thin as you harvest. Always water along the rows before and especially after thinning them to settle the seedlings back into the soil after the disturbance of thinning.  There are modern hybrid beetroot seed that only has one seed they are known as monogerm varieties they are clearly identified in the seed catalogues.

Water weekly days in dry spells. Beetroots are a coastal plant and appreciate feeding with liquid seaweed.

How to Harvest

Loosen the roots with a folk and pull gently out of the soil, twist off the leaves about 3ins/75mm from the crown to prevent the stalks from bleeding. Beetroot can be harvested from when they are the size of a golf ball up to the size of a tennis ball.

Issues

Bolting:  This is when the plants flower and set seed, rather than producing edible roots. It is usually caused by stress – a cold snap or drought conditions. Opt for bolt resistant varieties to safeguard against this problem and keep watering them regularly.