Choose a sunny spot with well-drained, fertile soil or fresh compost - make sure soil is well dug over and not too clumpy.
Raised beds are perfect, but they can be grown in containers and grow bags too.
Plant 10cm apart
You may notice that there are multiple seedlings per plug. If this is the case you can either plant them as is, in which case you will grow a clump of smaller beets, or you can thin them out to grow one or two larger individual beets (just pinch off the weaker seedlings)
Growing Tips:
They need water, but not too much. During dry spells, water well, once a week. Other than that, leave them to their own devices and they should be fine.
Take care not to damage roots when weeding.
Problems & Pests:
Brown spots on leaves – chocolate spot – this is a fungal disease common in damp weather. Pick off affected leaves. They won’t damage the roots, so it’s not a huge problem.
Crack/splits in roots – this is a common problem if plant has had very dry then very wet conditions. Try to water more consistently so that the soil does not dry out.
Roots eaten – voles, mice and rodents can tunnel underground to nibble on the roots. Keep rodents under control!
Roots not growing – could be not enough water or not enough space/light/warmth. Or the plants simply didn’t put a decent root system down.
Harvesting/Storing :
Harvest in late summer to early autumn when you can see the beetroot crowns are the right size (they usually pop above the surface so it is easy to tell)
Harvest before frosts
Leaves are edible too – use them as you would chard or spinach
They will store for a week or so in a cool dry place or in the fridge.
