Topic: What depth for beetroot seeds?

[caroline7758]

After sowing my seeds yesterday  ::) I read in "Garden News" that they should be sown an inch deep, or two inches if growing in pots! I have sown them in small modules which are barely an inch deep themselves and only covered with a little compost and vermiculite. Are they set up to fail?

[Bubbles26]

Hey Caroline,

The kids wanted to plant some seeds a couple of weeks ago and I had some free beetroot seeds that I didn't want to use on the plot so we planted them for the kids to have on their mini-plot within our plot.

Tonight I gave up on them and pulled them out of the cells.

I did the same as you - I planted them very shallow maybe 0.5cm deep and they grew tall and fast but then started breaking at the bottom like they weren't supported. They looked so sad and weak, then I looked on the seed packet and saw that they should be sown 1 inch deep. Doh!

I'm no expert by any means but maybe yours can still be saved - is it too late to push them deeper?

I've decided that the rest of my beetroot is going straight in the ground when it warms up. From now on I am not started root veg early - but that's just me.  :)

[OllieC]

I've never sown mine that deep when in modules - but I'm not much of a stickler for sowing depths anyway. About 1 cm works for me, although when I sow direct they vary from just covered to an inch & again don't seem to have any problems.

@Bubbles - are you sure yours weren't suffering from damping off?

[Mark S]

I started some beets off in pots last year, and transplanted them after a few weeks.

All the beets were rubbery, and someone told me it was because they didn't like being transplanted.

I will be going straight into the ground in a fe weeks time

[caroline7758]

Thanks for your replies. Having mixed the compost with vermiculite i doubt I'd be able to spot the seeds now! Think I'll leave them and if they come up I'll plant them out deeper. Think I'd better start another lot as backup though!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I never bother about depth. Just wait till the soil warms up, then put them in, not too far down. They don't care. Yours may have been too warm, Caroline, or maybe they lacked light. Where did you plant them?

[Bubbles26]

@Bubbles - are you sure yours weren't suffering from damping off?

Ummm - what's damping off? Sorry, I don't know what that is?  ???

[Lottiman]

Damping off is a term for soil born disease that attacks seed and seedlings.

[Bubbles26]

Damping off is a term for soil born disease that attacks seed and seedlings.

Thanks for the explanation - ummm not sure how that happens and if it was that would other seedlings  have been effected too.

I used a brand new John Inns seed compost and the peas we planted on the same day grew big and strong.  The leaves were green and open it was just that they had very long slender and weak stems.

If that sounds like damping should I replace the seed compost?
Thanks

[OllieC]

It's when they go weak (due to fungus, I think) then fall over near where they touch the soil & is very common, esp. with early sowings. Worth a bit of a google for images.

[Lottiman]

Damping off is a fungus, you normally see a white fungal growth it can be caused by non sterile pots and trays contaminated compost and water from water butts. Although if you have other seedlings that are OK it may not be damping off. Very tall leggy seedlings are normally caused by low light levels.

[kt.]

I dig and turn the ground to a fine tilth with a garden fork then make a shallow drill of about 2cm direct in the ground with the end of a stick or hoe handle.  Without the rose on the watering can, water along the drill then sow the seed at 2" spacing.  Using a rake, cover the seedlings and water twice weekly until seedlings come through.  After this I usually leave them to their own devices.  As they grow, harvest every 2nd beetroot as baby beet, leaving the others to grow a little larger.  Repeat this when they grow a little bigger or harvest all when ready at a size suitable for you.  If left, some will grow to tennis ball size depending on variety. 

I only sowed in pots one year and it is very time consuming.  Much better to sow direct, thinning where necessary.  Yes you may sacrifice every third seed or so but time and effort saved is well worth it.