GROWING BEETROOTS
Growing beetroot is easy, giving delicious, round, red roots that can be boiled, roasted and pickled - and even grated into salads. The colourful young leaves can be picked fresh and used in salads, and mature leaves can be wilted and used as spinach.
There's a wide variety of beetroot to grow, with orange, yellow and pink cultivars to choose from.
HOW TO
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When to plant beetroot depends on the equipment you have to hand. Outdoors, sow seeds direct in the soil from mid-April to late June, in a shallow drill, 1cm deep. Space seeds 10cm apart, with 30cm between rows. As beetroot is a root crop, make sure the soil is free of large stones to avoid the roots being damaged as they grow.
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Growing beetroot in pots, using sifted garden soil or high-quality compost. This is a good option if you're short on space. It’s an attractive crop and perfect for an ornamental kitchen garden.
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You can also sow beetroot in modular trays and transplant the plants outdoors later on.
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You can buy beetroot plug plants or you can sow seed in modular trays to transplant out after the risk of frost has passed to extend the beetroot season. To plant plug plants, leave them out during the day but take them in at night for a few days to help them acclimatise to outdoor temperatures (known as 'hardening off'), and then prepare the soil as you would normally for planting. Be careful when removing the plugs from their modules to avoid damaging the roots. Plant them at the same depth they were growing in the tray, at roughly 10cm intervals, and firm around them so that all soil is in contact with the roots. Water thoroughly and continue watering regularly until you see signs of new growth.
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Beetroot spacing depends on how large you want the roots to grow. For cricket-ball sized roots, thin out beetroot seedlings, leaving one plant roughly every 10cm.
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When harvesting beetroot, grab the foliage firmly where it meets the top of the root and pull. Beetroot is better harvested too early rather than too late. Pull the roots when they are the size of a cricket ball. After lifting, twist off the foliage about 5cm from the root, leaving short stalk.