For early crops, beetroot can be sown in modules inside a frame or greenhouse and will provide the earliest crops. The seeds are sown individually, do not think that a big seed capsule is better than a small one, it merely contain more seeds
These seedlings are shown on the 28th March, two weeks after sowing. The closest has two seedlngs, one of which will be removed.
Beetroot are one of the easiest and most reliable of crops and home grown, pulled fresh, bear no resemblance to tired supermarket ones.
At four to six weeks, the seedlings can be planted out at about 4-6 inches apart.
They grow rapidly and 12 weeks after planting can be pulled for small sweet roots. It is important to sow in succession as later plantings will provide roots for storing that are still tender.
Have a look at this page for a quick review of my plot. Click in this box to view it.
You have got your allotment and are ready to start. Click in this box to begin
Sow until July in succession. They will grow in any soil and seem to thrive on relatively poor soil. I make sure that all weeds are removed.
These are a long rooted variety and do not need much thinning out to provide good sized roots as can be seen .
Who to believe?
Some authorities say leave in the ground and pull all winter, others say store as they go woody and tasteless left in the ground. I like to store in peat and cover them well. and place under the bench in the shed. The above were lifted on 15th November and the raised bed dug and manured.
The photo shows unthinned beetroot, the large one was a seed that produced one seedling while the adjacent one had about 4. The difference in size is dramatic so if you want small roots, don't thin, if you want prizewinners then thin them!
The above shot shows perfect beet with a few shoots and roots that have appeared by the 29th March. They are in perfect condition and there are some still left, which means that there will have been a 10 month 'cropping' period. The peat is now perfectly dry.
The last beetroot has come out of storage.
It is the Mother of all Beetroots (to paraphrase the late Saddam Hussain)
Even after several months in storage it still tops the scales at 732g (about 1lb 11oz).
My wife who eats most of them reassures me that they are still tender and tasty, but she is looking forwards to the golf ball sized ones in a few weeks!
The peat has now gone on the compost heap.
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