leggy beetroot?

[norfolklass]

or do they always look like that?!?
think I may have a bit of damping off, too: this morning 3 seedlings had gone floppy and collapsed over the edges of the pots :-\
will I lose the whole lot or can I just get rid of the affected seedlings?
also, when I transplant them, do I sink them up to their first leaves?

varieties are Boltardy and Detroit, took 3 days to germinate in the airing cupboard.
I've been experimenting with composts too: some sown in leftover John Innes no 1 that I found, some in mpc, some in Homebase's peat-free mpc, and some covered in vermiculite... not sure what I'm trying to find out!

[norfolklass]

[Mrs Ava]

Yup, they are waaaay leggy.  I tend to plant at the same depth as it is a swollen root rather than stem, but am happy to be told otherwise.  Take out the affected pots quickly and hopefully the damping off won't spread.....but to be honest, I would probably start again.  They grow so quickly in my greenhouse - I don't know how your long seedlings would cope..... :-\

[norfolklass]

thanks EJ, think I'll take your advice and start again, you're right they do come up very quickly.

I guess they spent too long being pampered in the dark and warm of the airing cupboard â€" might try starting them off outdoors in the plastic greenhouse and see if this stops them growing so enormously tall and spindly ::)

looks like I'm slap bang at the bottom of a very long and steep learning curve :-[

[Barnowl]

My first year with beetroot and they're only just showing but now I'll be watching them like a hawk!

[norfolklass]

(aren't they a loverly colour though?!? ;D)

[Barnowl]

definitely cute :)

[Mrs Ava]

You could eat those sprouts you know.

[wilko]

I've sown mine directly into the ground,(that's what it said on the pkt)  :-\ should i have brought them on in the greenhouse first? :-\

[TEL]

I've sown mine directly into the ground,(that's what it said on the pkt)  :-\ should i have brought them on in the greenhouse first? :-\

no they will be fine there 8)

[GREENWIZARD]

i wish i  was as leggy as all my seedlings  ;) ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Those are terribly leggy, but no need to despair. If they're flopping over, move them; iit's probably too warm and damp where they are.

[wilko]

I've sown mine directly into the ground,(that's what it said on the pkt)  :-\ should i have brought them on in the greenhouse first? :-\

no they will be fine there 8)

cheers Tel  ;)

[kitten]

looks like I'm slap bang at the bottom of a very long and steep learning curve :-[

I'm right there with ya norfolklass (our beetroots look v similar to yours!)  ;)

[norfolklass]

I never got round to starting again with my leggy beet seedlings
plus, as my first-ever-sown-from-seed-for-my-new-allotment-crop, I couldn't bring myself to abandon them ::)

just look at them now!

[Barnowl]

Hmmm, looking at those I think we may have planted ours out a bit prematurely.. :-\

[norfolklass]

they're only still in baby pots 'cos I've got nowhere ready to plant them out into on my plot ::)
on my site, everyone else's beets were sown straight into the ground and are actually a bit smaller (mine are about 4" high)

[manicscousers]

they look really good, our next ones are going out at that size, the smaller ones got razed by the slugs  >:( :)

[kitten]

Ooooh norfolklass they look great - i must admit i abandoned ours & haven't gotten around to resowing yet  :(  You've just inspired me tho  ;)  :-*

[manicscousers]

just done 2 rows of globe and 1 row of cylindra, working on 1 for the birds, 1 for the slugs, 1 for us (rows)  ;D