Growing Beetroot - How to Grow the Best Beetroot.

Growing Beetroot - Tips and advice on how to grow beetroot in your own backyard. It's easy to grow, makes for great salad leaves as beetroot leaves are edible and eaten raw in salads or steamed, and the beetroot itself can be eaten both raw and cooked too. Don't just think about pickled beetroot.

GROWING BEETROOT: Climate

Beetroot like to be grown in at least half-sun, and will tolerate light shade, but not heavy shade. In light shade they will ripen a little slower than those beetroots that have been planted in full sun. Where areas experience heavy frosts plant in spring. Otherwise in temperate climates they can be planted from late winter to mid-autumn. In warmer climes you can plant beetroot throughout the year.

GROWING BEETROOT: Soil Conditions

These vegetables like to be grown in soil that is loose, fairly sandy and which has been liberally spinkled with lime as they don't like an acidic soil. 1/2 cup of lime per square metre is sufficient. If you are not sure, check the soil pH with a soil testing kit which you can find at your local gardening centre. However, they will tolerate any soil conditions and will also grow well in clay and particularly salty soils which they seem to like.

Planting beetroot in ground that has been manured for a previous leaf crop such as cabbages or lettuce is perfect for beetroot. To prepare the beds make sure that the bed has been dug over to a depth of 10 cm.

GROWING BEETROOT: How to Grow Beetroot from Seed

Growing beetroot from seed is more successful than transplanting. However, if the transplanting is done carefully they will survive and do well. It really is a hardy vegetable.

Soak the seed in water overnight before sowing. In the morning, sow 2 cm deep, spaced at 10 cm apart. Rows can be spaced 15-25 cm apart.

Cover the seeds with fine soil, and press done gently making sure that the seeds make contact with the soil. Water in gently with a fine spray. Keep the soil moist by watering every day. Seeds should germinate within 10-14 days. They will take 10-12 weeks to mature.

GROWING BEETROOT: Cultivation

Beetroot appreciates a good amount of nitrogen, so may be fed every 2 weeks from the time the plant is about 19 cm high. Because beetroot like a salty soil, you should give them a watering with a weak salt solution on every alternate week. Dilute 1 teaspoon of common household salt in 4.5 litres of water.

Always make sure that the soil never dries out because if it does the crop will be woody and unpalatable.

GROWING BEETROOT: Harvesting

They can be picked at anytime where they are big enough to be useful. Smaller ones can be picked and steamed. Medium ones can be grated into salads raw, pickled, cooked, juiced with other vegetables etc. However, as already mentioned, if you are going to leave the crop until fully mature, this will happen 10-12 weeks after sowing the seed.

GROWING BEETROOT: Diseases

Few ailments bother beetroot. Brown spots may develop on older leaves which could indicate the presence of a fungal disease, but this is a minor problem which won't affect the crop itself.