Beetroot 'Crimson Globe' 

Beetroot are easy to grow and ideal for anyone new to vegetable gardening. And beetroot is for more than pickling! Try roasting beetroot – or even put it in a burger when you’re having a barbecue. For best results, sow beetroot little and often, harvesting the roots when they are young, tender and the size of a golf ball. If you grow varieties for winter storage, it is possible to have beetroot almost all year round. 

 

Difficulty – Easy 

 

Sow three seeds at 10cm (4in) spacings, 2.5cm (1in) deep in rows 30cm (12in) apart, at fortnightly intervals from mid-April to July for a succession of tender, tasty roots. 

 

Use bolt-resistant varieties for early sowings under cloches or fleece in late February or early March. You can sow without protection from late March onwards. 

 

Beetroot sown from June onwards can be used for storing in winter. 

 

Beetroot will grow in any well-drained garden soil but requires fertile conditions. Prior to sowing, dig in around a bucketful of well-rotted garden compost or organic matter and rake in a handful per square metre/yard of Growmore or other general purpose fertiliser. 

 

When the seedlings are about 2.5cm (1in) high, thin out to leave one seedling per 10cm (4in) station. 

 

Water every 10-14 days in dry spells. If plants are not growing strongly, apply 30g per square metre of high nitrogen fertiliser, such as sulphate of ammonia, and water in. 

 

Pull up alternate plants once they have reached golf ball size, leaving the others to reach maturity. Harvest these when they reach the size of a cricket ball.