The BBC are campaigning to get everyone growing their own, which has to be good, and have produced this short video guide .
When you start growing your own vegetables it can all seem awfully complicated but honestly it really is quite simple. Personally I would never start beetroot off in a pot, they're so easy to grow straight in the ground. Despite having written 2 books on the subject, if I'm honest, my best advice is to always read the back of the seed packets before you sow!
Of course, the books go into a bit more detail! Vegetable Growing Month by Month and The Essential Allotment Guide
Key Facts On Growing Beetroot
- Beetroot come in two main types: globe and long. The long type are rarely grown nowadays but they're just as easy to grow as the globe.
- Sow thinly about 1cm deep in rows about 30cm part and thin out to 1 plant every 10cm in the row.
- Beetroot are best harvested small, about the size of a golf ball, to produce 'baby beets' ideal for salads and for pickling.
- Bolting (running to seed) used to be a real problem but with the introduction of bolt-resistant varieties like Boltardy this is no longer a problem at all.
- As well as dark red you can get golden and even white beetroot.
- There's a list of beetroot varieties in the allotment shop. Beetroot Seed The best varieties for home growing have the RHS Award of Garden Merit and are listed here: Beetroot with AGM
- Beetroot can easily be grown in containers as well as in the soil.
