How to grow beetroot with lots of pictures

Growing Beetroot

Beetroot

Beetroot is most often eaten cold where it adds a tasty splash of deep red to summer salads. The variety on the left is 'Wodan'.

QUICK GUIDE

Beetroot Folklore
Click here.

Latin Name
Beta vulgaris

Type
Edible bulb vegetable

Site and Soil
Tolerant of most soils. Sun or partial sun.

Plant to Harvest Time
10 weeks for common round types. 18 weeks for long types.

Yield
12 round types per metre (yd).
6 long types per metre (yd).

Beetroot can also be eaten as a hot vegetable, it's also great for chutney. With a high sugar content it's an ideal ingredient for home-made wine. Finally, it stores very well, making it available for a massive six months of the year. 'Beet' that for versatility!

Varieties of Beetroot
If you are not yet a connoisseur of beetroot, go for 'Bolthardy'. This variety is resistant to bolting and can be sown as early as the weather permits. It keeps extremely well, lasting into early Spring - the flavour is excellent, fresh and sweet.

The table below lists some other varieties recommended by GardenAction (click on the variety names below for a picture).

Variety	Type	Colour	Comments
Bolthardy	Round / globe	Deep red	The best - see comments above.
Burpee's Golden	Round / globe	Orange / Gold	A good tasting Victorian type of beetroot. The leaves are tasty when boiled.
Pablo	Round / globe	Red	Very uniform shape, smooth skin, good-looker
Red Ace	Round / globe	Deep red	Maincrop, very strong grower.
Wodan	Round / globe	Red	Good all-rounder.

NEXT BEETROOT PAGE

Name: Rajender Rawat
E-mail: rsrawat47@gmail.com
Date posted: November 07, 2011 - 06:33 am
Message: Very interesting & educative

Name: jim
E-mail: Private
Date posted: October 17, 2011 - 03:41 am
Message: Indeed. They are attractive in salads.

Name: Lee
E-mail: baggielee@blueyonder.co.uk
Date posted: October 16, 2011 - 03:26 am
Message: Grace, they sound like Chioggia, an Italian heritage variety if I remember correctly. The pink and white is only when raw, when cooked they turn a uniform pink colour. Quite tasty raw though, grew them last year.

Name: grace
E-mail: oscarsyd@hotmail.com
Date posted: September 02, 2011 - 11:03 am
Message: i have planted beetroots which appear to be red and white stripes when cut open. people are telling me that they are over sized radishes, but i did not plant these. is this a type of beetroot.they do not bleed when cut either

Name: BusyMum
E-mail: Private
Date posted: July 22, 2011 - 05:36 am
Message: In response to Rick Hughes, beetroot all winter if you store them in a bucket or container full of sand.Make sure they are completely covered by the sand.

Name: TOONY KIZZA
E-mail: tonykiiza@yahoo.com
Date posted: June 24, 2011 - 11:01 am
Message: My name is Tonny Kizza, a Ugandan and having read some information about Beetroot and working with an HIV/AIDS community, Orphans and vulnerable children plus the elderly, feel the desire to grow beetroot for improvement of thier diety and health.
I have no experience about the plant, not even having the seeds. Few can afford buying it since its expensive here but we can grow it in our kitchen gardens a scheme we put up in our homes. With this mail I'm asking for support interms of seeds and some literature so as to anable us grow the plant.
Sincerly,
Tonny Kizza
Coordinator,
Jjajja Dez Psychosocial support services and care (JADPASAC)
P.O.BOX 1792
Masaka- Uganda.

Name: sue
E-mail: Private
Date posted: May 31, 2011 - 08:56 am
Message: have pulled up a couple of my 12 week container grown bolthardy beets, and they are all tops. Am I too early or have I spoiled them by keeping them in my greenhouse ?

Name: allan
E-mail: Private
Date posted: May 11, 2011 - 06:02 am
Message: can i eat beetroot leaves as salard?

Name: Rick Hughes
E-mail: Private
Date posted: October 21, 2010 - 12:36 pm
Message: Planted 3 rows of beetroot this year - followed tip of sprinkling salt on plants when shoots first appear.
Fantastic crop ... picked loads of baby beets .. and for past 2 months been pulling beets about size of large Oranges.
Very tasty ... not at all woody.

Not sure whether I ought to pull rest before any frost, but will they keep without cooking ?

Name: P Hayes
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 09, 2010 - 12:32 pm
Message: i GROW BEETROOT EVERYYEAR BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME I HAVE NOTICED ON SOME OF THEM ROUND WHITE EGGS AT THE BASE OF THE LEAVES AND A SMALL WORMY TYPE THING, aLSO SOME OF THE LARGERB ONES HAVE BEEN EATEN, LARGE HOLES IN THEM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THIS IS. tHANKS

Name: mary
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 05, 2010 - 11:36 am
Message: l am growing beetroot for the first time in pots,had no problems germinating and they have big lush leaves,which l have been picking and using for salads but the beetroots themselves don't seem to be and growing very large.help

Name: Roy Doran
E-mail: baggieboyroy@talktalk.net
Date posted: October 16, 2011 - 05:38 am
Message: Used raised veg bed for the first year filled it with a mixture of good quality top soil, compost and soil inprover purchased from local garden centre. Used soil ph tester reading is 6 slightly acid. I have been very disappoited with Beetroot growth very small also lettuces seem to be slow to develop and are dieing off? What am I doing wrong? Can anyone please help me? I used new good quality seeds.