Beetroot is biennial - it forms a swollen stem in its first year and then goes to seed in its second year. They are very flavoursome in both the root and the leaves, so can be used in a variety of dishes within the kitchen! Beets are pretty simple to grow and are easy to care for.
Planting
When to plant
It is most common to multi-sow beetroot in March early spring and then plant out in April, in the middle of spring.
Make sure you have all your beetroot in before Autumn, as they are frost tender and will not swell, so unless you're growing for the greens you need to get them in earlier.
How to plant
Beets don't like to be transplanted, so make sure that you use a method of growing them that means you won't disturb the roots. We use soil blocks when growing beets to ensure the roots don't get disturbed when planting out. But degradable trays are just as good or old toilet roll tubes; just beware that cardboard based containers will rot when watered and can be difficult to work with.
When sowing the seeds, make sure you sow them thinly.
Varieties
Boltardy varieties are a very reliable variety of beetroot
Action is another variety that is knows to give good crop
Bulls blood is a good variety for the salad leaves
Where to plant
When planting out you need to think about where the sun is, if you plant from North to South then they will get sun on both sides of the crop; which will be the right amount of sun for this sun loving plants.
Companions
Tomatoes are a brilliant companion for beetroot as they do not compete with each other for space and both love the sun.
Beets also flourish near broccoli, beans, cabbage and bok choy.
How to care for
Feeding
Beetroot fertiliser should contain potassium and boron as a rule. They also need to basic nutrients that all plants need, being nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to ensure that the leaves are healthy, they are resistant to disease and have increased root growth.
Watering
Beetroot isn't an overly thirsty plant, it is easy to look after. Unless the soil looks like it's really dry you don't need to over water it.
Problem solving
Bolting
In the summer you might find that your beets start to bolt, this is not ideal unless you're collecting seeds as the energy will be in the flower not the root. If you have an exceptionally hot summer don't forget to use shade cloth.
Sparrows
Sparrows and other pests love to eat beetroot when it's young, because as you probable know the leaves are edible and super tasty! For this reason most gardeners do not plant their beetroot out until it has grown large enough to withstand a beating.
FAQs
Why is my beetroot leggy and now swelling?
The most known reason for this is having spacing not far enough apart or planting out too late in the year so that it doesn't have time to swell. Beets love the warmth and they need room to develop.
Products we recommend
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Soil Blocker |