Planting Information > How to Grow > Beetroot

How to buy

A suggestion for the competition at the fair is to grow beetroot, it only needs, 56- 70 days for maturity.

Soaking the seeds

Beetroot seeds are actually clusters of one to four true seeds. Soak them in water for two hours before sowing them while they are still wet. Beetroot seeds can be sown into seed trays, but it is preferable to sow them directly into the garden as transplants are not always successful. Keep the bed damp until the seedlings emerge in 10-14 days.

Feed them well

Beetroot like fertile, well-drained soil so add a good dose of organic fertiliser before sowing. Encourage beetroot to grow as quickly as possible so that the roots remain sweet and tender. Liquid feed regularly after the globes begin to swell. Fertiliser rich in potash is good for beetroot.

Small is sweetest

Pick beetroot as soon as they reach the size of a golf ball, for they taste best and are full of sugar when they are just short of maturity. For this size of beetroot, thin seedlings to 5cm. Allow 10cm for larger roots or pick alternate beets after nine weeks, leaving the rest to grow larger. You can also eat the young leaves at the top of the beetroot, cooking them the same way as silver-beet.

Baby Beet

This fast growing variety only reaches a small size. Baby beet make attractive mini vegetable or decorative hors d'oeuvres, and are space saving in a small garden. On a patio they can be grown in a large tub.

Varieties

Long Beetroot: These take longer to grow, are 25cm long and 5cm in diameter, only come in red.

Round Beetroot: These are good straight from the ground, they are available in red, white and yellow. They are quick to develop and are resistant to bolting.

Diagnosing Problems

If your beetroot are woody, hairy and lacking in flavour, it could be due to a number of factors:

The soil may be too rich or it may have been dressed with fresh manure: beetroot grow best in a plot which was manured for a previous crop.

The soil maybe too acid: if it is below pH 6, apply lime to compensate.

The soil may be too dry: water well in dry spells.

Cracks and dark spots indicate boron deficiency: regular foliar feeding with a fertiliser containing trace elements will prevent this.

Root has tan corky scabs: Adjust soil pH to near neutral.

Root has hard dark rough textured area: check soil fertility, adjust soil as necessary with boron and fertiliser.

Leaves have pale spots with dark borders: remove all affected leaves and mulch plants, practice good sanitation, avoid wetting leaves, replant in a new area next crop.