Pre-germinated (4 days) & planted 1/4" deep yesterday.
Looks good. How do you pregerminate. Is it on wet tissue paper?
It would be useful to know as I'm finding they take ages.
Ray
Tim, why did you pregerminate ? I have some in my greenhouse that are growing quite well and were through in 8 days. I have heard stories of beetroot being hard to get going at times, I know my Dad used to soak his seed in water overnight to help with germination.
Yes - wet tissue - clingfilmed.
Why Richard?
1. Like so many things, I like to have them garden-ready before committing a plot for them. So often, things don't work out as planned.
2. Golden beet are notoriously unpredictable, so better to plant only viable seeds?
I'm pleased I didn't see this thread a couple of weeks ago, cos it would have worried me. :)
But I sowed a packet of Boltardy (from a multi-pack from Poundland), and they germinated beautifully, just sown into multipurpose. Now got 24 little plants growing nicely in modules.
I have bought another pack, from Home Bargains this time - Detroit Globe - but haven't sown those yet.
I sowed Boltardy last season straight into the ground, they were brill, we're still eating e'm now ;D 8)
I've got two varieties this year - boltardy everyones favourite, and a white variety I cant remember the name of. Trying the white variety as a test to see if its more pan, hands and urine! colour friendly!
Put a batch in one of those multi cell trays in a plastic greenhouse 70(ish) out of 105 up so far after 6 days with no pre germination. 70/35 boltardy/white.
You can never have enough beetroot!
I must say that I normally only pre-germinate for outdoor planting - especially for the golden variety which is so iffy.
Ooh what a lovely bunch ;)
I've pre-germinated for the first time this year taking advice from A4a-ers :)
The golden beet (front) seem to have done better than the red
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/Beetroot_April.jpg)
Tim, is the golden beet a better flavour than the red do you think.
My 7-year old daughter said the other day she can't wait to eat the beetroot, because she loves their juice.
Turns out she's really looking forward to growing vinegar-flavoured veggies. ;D
I think so, Richard - sweeter, more delicate, less 'earthy'.
And the best pickle - boil cup vinegar +1/2 cup brown sugar & bottle cooked sliced beet in it.
probably a silly question but....Supersprout - those beetroot that you've pre-germinated and look as if they're in toilet roll holders......do you put the whole thing (cardboard included) into the ground when planting out?....assume the cardboard just 'disintegrates' if you do :-\
The only two times I've grown beetroot - I've sown straight into the ground and had fairly good germination but....they're soooo close together that they don't grow particularly big. When I've 'thinned' out (& used the tiny thinnings) I find the ground/plant alongside is disturbed and wonder if that's why they don't get very big. Even if I push them back into the ground, it seems to 'stunt' their growth!...Did manage to do quite a few jars of pickles with them tho - using last one from last year now!
Yes, just make a hole and pop the whole thing in. The cardboard does indeed disintegrate :)
These were chitted before sowing to make sure I was sowing viable seed. Last year I used seed tape, will do for successional sowing when the soil is warmer.