Topic: Beet Thining?

[adamhill100]

After reading in a book yesterday that Beet seed is actually 2 or 3 seeds together... Does this mean I have to thin from the growth of a single cluster.?  Hope that makes sense.
 :P

[tim]

Sadly, yes!! =Tim

[derbex]

Or grow them as 'baby beet', although I wouldn't like to meet mine as adults :)

The beet grow a bit like a cluster of onions and you pull them small, golf-tennis ball size. They need to be a bit further apart than 'singles'.

I've grown them this way for a couple of years, this year has been very good, I think because the beds at the allotment are better than the ones in the garden.

If you're interested do a search on multi-seeding beetroot.

BTW it might be worth checking your variety -there are some beetroot that are supposed to be single seeded.

Jeremy.

[aquilegia]

As I'm terrible at thinning, I bought a single-seeded variety (solist). No thinning required.

But when some grew too close together, I carefully transplanted them into spaces. It seems to have worked.

[adamhill100]

Thanks for that! Lucky I found that piece in the book... I thought one cluster was one seed...

I will get one of the fellas up there to help me..Not too sure about thining..

[derbex]

I realised that in my message I forgot to say that if you do the 'baby beet' thing you don't thin them. If you're carefull you can pull them individually from the clusters and leave the rest to grow on.

[adamhill100]

Jeremy,

Sorry I am a bit slow... Not too sure what how you mean.

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[derbex]

Ad,

if you grow them as mini-beet then you don't bother to thin them -just accept the fact that you get more, smaller, ones. If you're carefull at picking time you can pick, say, alternate beets and leave the others to grow on and get bigger.

You can go further and 'multi-seed' the beetroot at planting time -that is planting 2 or 3 seeds together to get three or more  beetroot. I do this, but I'm guessing that you have already planted yours.

I have pulled some of mine already this year at golf ball size or bigger, and need to pull more soom as they are getting to tennis ball size. Time to sow some more -actually, time to sow some more was a few weeks ago.

I hope that's clearer,

Jeremy

[tim]

Having been a bit over-simplistic in my first statement, I must agree with Jeremy that, like with module sowing, the clusters will grow into useful entities although smaller. And probably more tender.
But I do find that, in drought conditions like we have at present, a single root has a better chance than 3.  What I did this year was pre-germinate the seed in damp paper & then make sure that they went out individually. Especially with golden beet, which is such a pain to get even. = Tim

[adamhill100]

Sorry for the late reply but was off all last week.... Thnaks for the comments After getting down and having a look it was pretty self explantary.!  I did thin them accordinly but have a few that will need thining that I may leave for the baby beet..  Do you chaps scrape around the beet to expose or do you just leave them to their own devices.?

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[derbex]

Ads,

I grow mine in modules and just plant them out when ready and there's space, other than that I let them get on with it.

Jeremy

[adamhill100]

Thats how I started most of mine off...Some I just planted out as seed and was given some thinings by a chap up the allotment.. I am hoping to have a succesion of cropping instead of all atonce!  Well thats the plan anyway.. Surprising how much you learn in a short space of time!  Hopefully I will be better prepared for next year by learning by my mistakes this year>..  Hows you doing in sunny Ingatestone?

[derbex]

Pretty well, considering it's my first year on the plot, it seems to be much more fertile than the garden veg beds I created.

The strawberries & raspberries have done well, as have the shallotts,I just need a few sunny days to dry them off properly.

I'm not very good at the successional sowing bit, I really should have done some more beetroot a few weeks ago and be doing the 3rd lot now.

How's your season going so far -you're just up the road aren't you?

Jeremy

[adamhill100]

Yep I am in Chelmsford.. .. Things are going fairly well but having a bit of a mixed bag really.!  Potatoes doing well, Beetroot is looking good... Runners are coming on but dont look as healthy as some of the other chaps..  Have spinach, Leeks, Cauli, garlic, marrows, tomatoes all of which are showing promise but only time will tell.., I have been lucky though as have had a lot of plants given to me from the other chaps!  Has given me a good insight on what I need to do next year when starting plants off under glass.  I just find myself always checking weather to see if its going to rain!  Never thought I would wish on rain :)