Topic: Desperately seeking... someone who knows their beetroot!

[Common_Clay]

Hi all,

          There's a small Sri Lankan shop up the road that sells the most delicious beetroot I've ever tasted in my life. They look like rocks to look at, unappealing really, but they're so sweet, nothing like the ones I've had from Sainsbury's, which were bitter.
  I thought I'd give them a go on the plot this year and have been growing the variety Detroit, but I've just tried some and it's very much like the ones you get at the supermarket.
  I don't think I'll be able to find out what variety the Sri Lankan shop sells, but wondered if anyone can point me in the direction of the sweetest ones to grow? All the pictures on the front of seed packets I've found don't look like the ones I'm after... which are very dark on the outside and not perfectly round like supermarket's.

Thanks a lot.  :)

[blight]

with me it´s like this: the beetroots  i grow early in the year (ready about now) pick, when still fairly small and eat the same day are sweet and succulent.
the ones i grow for autumn harvest or for storing taste much earthier and more like shop bought ones.

[tim]

Sweetest? Yes - Golden.

[Curryandchips]

I am endeavouring to harvest my beetroot at about the golfball size so as to retain that sweetness ...

[OliveOil]

I've module sown my beetroot.... then realised they should have been sown direct.. can I/ when should i plant out....

btw sorry for hijaking thread.

[jennym]

You can try planting them out now but keep well watered.

[supersprout]

I wondered if you bought a few of those beetroot fresh and planted them again now, they might start to grow again and the shock might make them go to seed? Worth a try if you love them? Like tim say, golden are sweet, sweet :P :)

I've module sown my beetroot.... then realised they should have been sown direct

You're doing fine OO, I sow mine in modules, and I think a number of other A4a-ers do too. In succession - so I'll still be sowing and planting out til September. It doesn't matter if there are a few plants per module, they will grow together and push each other apart. I dib a hole, pop them in and water well, then ignore them until they are fat :)

[Common_Clay]

I wondered if you bought a few of those beetroot fresh and planted them again now, they might start to grow again and the shock might make them go to seed? Worth a try if you love them? Like tim say, golden are sweet, sweet :P :)

Thanks supersprout, interesting idea, not something I'd even considered so I might try that. I'll keep on the hunt for whatever variety they are though, definitely not Golden or the other darker ones in Tim's picture, the type I like is very dull on the outside, no shine to it at all.
Thanks.