🟣 Beetroot

Beetroot is one of the easiest and most forgiving root crops, giving both sweet roots and nutritious leaves that can be eaten like chard. It grows well in pots, beds and between other crops, and a few short rows sown every few weeks keep a steady supply going from early summer to late autumn.

Beetroot seed is actually a dried fruit that contains several seeds, so each ‘seed’ produces a small cluster of seedlings. Thinning is therefore part of the job, but the thinnings make a tasty salad leaf.

Varieties to try

Boltardy (reliable and resists bolting)Chioggia (candy-striped flesh)Burpee’s Golden (sweet yellow roots, no staining)Cylindra (long roots, easy to slice)Pablo (smooth, uniform globes)

Sow from March under cloches or fleece, then outdoors in April to July once the soil is above about 7°C. Colder soil can cause young plants to bolt. Sow seed 2 cm deep in rows 30 cm apart, one cluster every 5–10 cm. Seedlings appear in 10–14 days, and soaking the seed in water for a few hours before sowing speeds germination.

Sow a short row every three or four weeks for a steady supply, and finish with a late sowing in July for autumn roots. In containers, use a pot at least 20 cm deep and sow thinly across the surface, thinning to 5 cm for baby beets.

Top tips

• Choose a bolt-resistant variety such as Boltardy for early sowings.
• Thin to one seedling per cluster when they reach 5 cm.
• Sow thinly in a pot for a baby-beet crop on a balcony.
• Do not sow into freshly manured soil.

Thin seedlings in stages, finishing at 8–10 cm apart for full-size roots. Water regularly, because dry spells followed by rain cause splitting and tough, woody roots. A mulch of compost or grass clippings keeps the soil evenly moist and suppresses weeds, which beetroot dislikes competing with.

Beetroot is rarely troubled by serious problems. Leaf miners leave pale tunnels in the foliage, so pinch off affected leaves. Birds sometimes peck seedlings, and boron deficiency in very alkaline or sandy soil can cause dark, corky patches in the roots, which a light application of borax-containing fertiliser addresses.

Top tips

• Water consistently; uneven watering is the main cause of poor roots.
• Pinch off leaves with miner damage and bin them.
• Feed lightly if growth stalls, but avoid high nitrogen.
• Eat the thinnings in salads.

Watch out for

Leaf minerFlea beetleBirds on seedlingsBolting in cold snaps

Baby beets can be pulled from about eight weeks, when they are the size of a golf ball. For maincrop roots, wait until they are 5–8 cm across, around 12 weeks. Larger roots tend to be woodier, so harvest before they exceed a tennis ball. Lift with a fork to avoid damaging the skin, as the roots bleed colour.

Twist off the leaves 2–3 cm above the root rather than cutting them, as cutting makes the beetroot bleed. Lift all roots from the ground by mid to late October, before hard frosts. Leaves can be picked sparingly throughout the season.

Top tips

• Twist, do not cut, the leaves to stop colour loss.
• Use a fork and keep it well away from the roots.
• Pick a few leaves from each plant; taking too many weakens the root.
• Harvest before hard frosts for the best storage.

Roast whole beets in foil for an hour, then peel the skins off, or boil them for 30–45 minutes. Grate raw into slaws, blend into hummus and chocolate cakes, or pickle with vinegar for a jar to enjoy through the winter. The young leaves can be wilted like spinach or added raw to salads.

Twist off the leaves, leave 2 cm of stalk and keep roots unwashed in a bag in the fridge for two to three weeks. For longer storage, pack undamaged roots in boxes of dry sand or compost in a cool, frost-free shed, where they last three to five months. Cooked beetroot freezes well, or can be pickled and kept for a year.

Top tips

• Wear gloves when peeling cooked beetroot to avoid stained hands.
• Pickle small roots whole for a jar that keeps for months.
• Wilt the leaves in butter like chard.
• Freeze cooked, peeled cubes on a tray before bagging them.