How to grow Beetroot

Beetroot is a great all-round vegetable.  It is great roasted with balsamic vinegar, raw in salads or the more traditional use of pickled in vinegar.  Whichever way you prefer your beetroot, enjoy it more home grown.  
 
Origins:  Beetroot is a close relative of spinach and silver-beet, and was originally found growing along coastal areas  from India to England.  The leaves were originally the only part of the plant that was eaten.  It wasn’t until the Romans domesticated it that the roots became more prized than the leaves,  Beetroot was used to treat many ailments including: constipation, fevers and skin ailments.  The red colour was used to dye fabric and to colour many meals, including desserts.

Varieties:  Beetroot come in a range of colours and shapes, from white (White Albina), yellow (Burpee’s Golden), red (Globe) and red and white stripes (Chioggia). 

When to Plant - Beetroot can be sown throughout Spring, Summer and into Autumn.  Plant a couple of rows every three or so weeks to ensure a steady supply throughout the growing season.  Beetroot also keeps will if kept in the ground going into Winter, ensuring a year round supply. 

Planting - Ideally, beetroot should be sown from seed, as they don’t always tolerate transplanting.  The seed is actually a corky textured capsule, housing two of three individual seeds.  If you have the time, soak the seeds in water overnight to hasten the germination process.  Sow seeds directly into the soil from early Spring, into rich well drained soils.  Space each seed capsule 10cm apart.  Each seed capsule will produce up to three beetroot, so thinning may be required.   Additional fertilising is generally not needed.

Ongoing Management - Mulch well through the growing season, and keep the beets well watered as the weather warms up.    

Harvesting - When the tops are big enough, they can be harvested to brighten up salads.  Keep harvesting the leaves until they become too big and tasteless.  Harvest the beetroot roots anywhere from 8 to 20 weeks from sowing, depending on the variety.  They are generally ready for harvest, when the tops of the beetroot are visible just above the soil surface.