Topic: Growing Beetrot

[Jeannine]

I have pregerminated them but they are very small, I only did it once  cos I had loads of old seed and threw the lot in a plastic box to see what happened, then popped the sprouted ones in, they grew fine but they were very overseeded so lots of thinning. Xx Jeannine

[redcoat]

Carrots?

Years ago, long before new fangled 'modules' and raised beds; I remember an old boy at the allotments sitting on the ground making rows of holes in the ground with an iron bar.  He filled these with fresh compost and planted a carrot seedling in each.

He said it worked just fine.

[powerspade]

I can grow anything except Beetroot - I have tried to grow the things for 10 yrs and never had success with them This year I put in Boltardy 2 rows nothing came up, I also put in a row of Detroit two weeks later -  nothing again, Two weeks ago I put in Pronto I`m still holding onto my breath. I sow about a inch deep in a trench filled with good sifted loam soil.

[sawfish]

I dont want to talk too soon but my beetroot planted later on in late May in their new position seem to be growing!

[Magnolia]

Interesting thread.  I was always told that beetroot is an easy crop to grow and I've not had any success.  This year I have a lot of leaves (started off in modules), fingers crossed I get a crop this year.

[Sparkly]

Beetroot is one of the things that seems to love our soil! You do need to keep the seed damp whilst they are germinating or else you may get very poor germination.  I sow a seed cluster every inch and then don't thin the seedlings out. I just pull the baby beets out and let the others fatten up after.

[grannyjanny]

An old chap on our site thins his beetroot & swears the thinnings are ready before the original ones he planted.

[Melbourne12]

In French markets you can buy bunches of beetroot seedlings really cheaply.  I bought some and planted them out and had more beetroots that year than every before.  It's quite good because you can get the spacing more even, my outdoor grown ones tend to grow in bunches although I thought I was putting the seeds in quite evenly.

[wicksyla]

this was my first time growing beetrot this year and they were doing really well til the other night, 2 nights in a row a d**n fox has been digging in my raised bed and ruined most of them :(. I keep finding chunks of bread in the holes so im guessing hes burying stuff for later use but really annoyed me. the night before he done the other bed with my courgettes, strawberriess, marrows and carrots in, spent hours sifting about finding all the shoots and replanting them hoping they will survive :-\. Off out to get some chicken wire in a bit and make a frame up to cover the beds with, more expense, i thought this growing your own was supposed to save money, its cost me a fortune so far hahaha.

[gwynnethmary]

this was my first time growing beetrot this year and they were doing really well til the other night, 2 nights in a row a d**n fox has been digging in my raised bed and ruined most of them :(. I keep finding chunks of bread in the holes so im guessing hes burying stuff for later use but really annoyed me. the night before he done the other bed with my courgettes, strawberriess, marrows and carrots in, spent hours sifting about finding all the shoots and replanting them hoping they will survive :-\. Off out to get some chicken wire in a bit and make a frame up to cover the beds with, more expense, i thought this growing your own was supposed to save money, its cost me a fortune so far hahaha.

This is our first year on the lottie, and we have a fox too (have only ever seen his excrement, one lot of which he did very neatly in a newly planted leek hole!)  I didn't know they buried food for later- a bit like dogs and bones, I suppose.  I'd love to actually see him rather than just his offerings!

[bionear2]

Strange how some people have such problems getting beet to germinate, and for others they grow like weeds!
We have had no problems since we started covering the seed drill with an open textured compost instead of soil. As long as you keep it damp, it gives us excellent germination.
Only wished it worked as well for parsnips - so far its not a good year....

[gwynnethmary]

We have had no problems since we started covering the seed drill with an open textured compost instead of soil. As long as you keep it damp, it gives us excellent germination.
Only wished it worked as well for parsnips - so far its not a good year....

I've done that with carrots, beetroot, turnip and parsnips, and had good germination in our hard lumpy clay soil.  This is my first year growing veg, so I'm really pleased I read that hint somewhere!

[PurpleHeather]

Beetroot seeds are very big and when sowing a lot of people find it easy enough to space them properly. In fact at the age of  7 It was my job to sow them in my grandfather's drills two inches appart.

That was nearly half a century ago.

A lot of people start them off in trays and quickly transplant them into neat rows.

The trick with the second method is to do the transplanting quickly.

If the seeds are sown outdoors into rows (drills)  the next stage is to pick tiny beetroot and cook them when they are about the size of tiny hen's eggs

Now my main argument with gardeners is that most of them can not cook.  They grow but have no idea of the proper size of a vegatable which is ideal for the kitchen

Small beetroot are a lovely vegetable. Overgrown beetroot are only fit for making pickles and chutney.

Learn about cooking before growing.

The two work hand in glove. I was taught by a grandfather who had to grow for the 'War Effort'. What ever grew in your plot you grew for food. Beetroot was an easy crop and a grand other who had to feed a family on rations.

Even though I now live several hundreds of miles away from the ground I was taught to grow on. It is still an easy crop to grow.

Perhaps people are making hard work of their project and trying to grow indoors to get an early start.

Beetroot is happy sewn in May in rows, one inch between each seed.

Then when they get to 'egg size' pick every other one and cook them.

Next wait for the others to mature to the size you want for the recipe you intend to use.








 

[Crystalmoon]

This is my third year growing beetroot on the same plot using exactly the same sown direct method yet terrible germination this year (Ive had bumper crops the first 2 years). Even the old boys at my site who have also worked on allotments since the war have had terrible germination. Im trying some at home for transplanting but will also now try your method bionear2......fingers crossed ;)     

[sawfish]

In French markets you can buy bunches of beetroot seedlings really cheaply.  I bought some and planted them out and had more beetroots that year than every before.  It's quite good because you can get the spacing more even, my outdoor grown ones tend to grow in bunches although I thought I was putting the seeds in quite evenly.

This is because each seed has several beets in it.

I have millions germinating this year for the first time ever. I'm convinced its because I waited till the end of May so the soil was warmer.