Beetroot
Also called Beet, Table beet.
| Light | full sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 4 days in the growing season, every 12 in winter |
| Humidity | medium |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Height | Up to 30 cm (12 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats not known, dogs not known |
Pet safety not established for this species.
Edible here means commonly eaten. Nothing on this site is medical or dietary advice.
Beetroot is the easiest root crop and the most forgiving of ordinary soil. Each wrinkled seed is a cluster of several, so thin the seedlings early to one every ten centimetres and eat the thinnings. Pull them at golf ball size rather than leaving them to grow large and woody, and sow every three weeks for a steady supply. The leaves are as good as chard and can be picked lightly from any plant without spoiling the root. Beetroot stands cold well and stores for months in a box of sand, which makes it one of the few crops that genuinely feeds a household through a winter. Golden and striped varieties taste milder and do not stain everything they touch.
Ailments observed
| Spots on the leaves | Leaf spot in wet weather, which is cosmetic on a root crop. Remove the worst leaves and carry on. The root is unaffected. |
|---|---|
| Flowering at the wrong time, or bolting | A cold spell after sowing, which some varieties read as a completed winter. Sow after the soil has warmed, or choose a bolt resistant variety for the earliest sowing. |
Filed underPlants that forgive a beginner
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