Beetroot is straightforward to develop from seed, doesn’t take up a lot of house and matures shortly, making it an incredible catch-crop or gap-filler. You may even develop beetroot in giant containers or window bins. We requested skilled allotment grower Lee Senior for his recommendation on rising beetroot at dwelling. Listed here are his high suggestions. 

Wish to give it a go? Browse our full vary of beetroot seeds.

How to decide on the most effective beetroot selection to develop 

The F1 selection Beetroot ‘Motion’ is my favorite selection for container rising. The beautiful sweet-tasting beets are finest harvested when small, roughly the scale of a golf ball. They are often able to eat in as little as 10-12 weeks, and I sow seeds each three to 4 weeks to make sure a continuing provide all through the summer season. 

Top-of-the-line early varieties is Beetroot ‘Boltardy’. In beneficial situations and gentle spring climate, the seed of this timeless selection might be sown in common intervals from late March or early April via till mid-July. It’s considerably proof against bolting from early sowings, and has a really high quality flavour.

A packet of Beetroot ‘Rainbow Combine’ seeds by no means fails to disappoint, and is understandably common with youngsters too. As with most varieties, the beets are finest harvested small. The star of the present is the flesh, which is available in an excellent vary of eye-catching colors together with yellow, white and naturally purple! 

For one thing completely completely different, the Italian selection ‘Chioggia’ actually comes up trumps. This selection reveals strikingly distinctive white rings within the flesh when lower open. You can too harvest the younger leaves to make use of in salads or cook dinner like chard. For anybody new to beetroot-growing, that is certain to be a speaking level amongst your allotment neighbours!

How you can direct sow beetroot seeds outside

Beetroot might be sown straight outdoors as quickly because the soil temperature is sufficiently heat. That is my most popular technique to sow the seed because it avoids root disturbance. In a light spring, early varieties comparable to ‘Boltardy’ might be sown in ready soil as early as April. Right here’s how I do it: 

• Pre-warm your soil in March utilizing black sheeting or utilizing a sizzling mattress system. 
• Sow beetroot seed thinly at a depth of as much as 3cm (nearly 1 inch) into soil that has been weeded and labored right into a high quality tilth.
• I wish to line the underside of the seed drill with proprietary multi-purpose compost, which I really feel provides higher germination.
• Pre-water the seed drill throughout dry climate. 
• Cowl the seeds flippantly with extra compost or very high quality backyard soil. 
• Defend the seeds with fleece or a cloche after sowing. 
• The seed can be sown in raised beds in rows or blocks.
• Germination takes 2-3 weeks relying on the situations. 
• It’s essential to not let the seed drills dry out or it will cut back germination success. 

How you can look after beetroot

As soon as your seedlings are all rising, skinny them out to roughly 8-10cm (3-4 inches) aside. Bigger spacings will enable for larger roots, however once more, it’s essential to keep in mind that smaller roots have extra flavour. 

Through the years I’ve taken the time to fastidiously transplant particular person beetroot thinnings they usually have gone on to turn into profitable vegetation, however this may be fiddly. Selecting damp cool situations for transplanting is important, as will not be letting the vegetation dry out for just a few weeks afterwards.

To efficiently develop younger beetroot vegetation, select a sunny location and attempt to hold the soil weed free. Water properly throughout dry spells. You’ll get significantly better high quality roots which have much less probability of splitting if you happen to hold the soil moist. Beetroots are usually not actually huge feeders so strange backyard soil, in good situation, ought to suffice. 

How you can begin beetroot seeds indoors

Beetroot seeds might be began off on a windowsill or heated propagator throughout late winter when the soil continues to be too chilly for germination outside. I exploit modular seed trays relatively than normal seed trays to start out beetroot off indoors. 

As soon as the seeds have germinated they are often grown on for a number of weeks in a chilly greenhouse or chilly body. Skinny out the weakest seedlings and permit the others to develop on. The seedlings might be planted out below cloches or fleece on the finish of April or early Could, however don’t neglect to harden them off first. 

How you can plant beetroot plug vegetation

Plug vegetation provide an incredible, fast-track technique to get your beetroot vegetation within the floor. The important thing job when planting out is to not injury the roots of the younger vegetation. Maintain the younger vegetation moist when you’ve transplanted them, and develop them on within the regular means. 

Some allotment holders develop their vegetation in small clusters to reap as mini beets, and use the foliage in salads too. 

How you can harvest and retailer beetroot

When harvesting beetroot it’s essential to twist relatively than lower the foliage. Twisting will cease the damaged stems from bleeding sap. I at all times harvest the roots once they attain the scale of a golf ball, as that is once they’re at their most tender. In the event that they’re allowed to get a lot bigger they will turn out to be woody and more and more unpalatable.

There are a selection of various methods to retailer good high quality, undamaged roots over winter. In case your soil is well-drained otherwise you’re rising in a raised mattress, they may retailer in situ as soon as the foliage has been twisted off, supplied there’s no frost. 

They may even survive the winter saved in bins of damp compost or sand in a cool dry location comparable to a storage, outbuilding or cellar. 

With a little bit of care, it’s fairly potential to have a provide of tasty beets proper via till the top of February. Should you begin sowing your seeds in late winter, it will let you be self-sufficient in beetroot for 8 or 9 months of the yr.

We hope we’ve impressed you to strive rising new and thrilling beetroot varieties which you can’t purchase in a grocery store. Discover extra of Lee’s sensible, hands-on, vegetable rising recommendation over at his month-to-month allotment pages. 

Lead picture:  Beetroot ‘Bulls Blood’ seeds from Suttons (©Thompson & Morgan)