![]() Once the beets have been thinned, water the area to help the soil settle around the remaining plants. It is important to be careful to avoid damaging the roots of the remaining beets. The beets should be spaced at least 2 inches apart. Start by using a trowel or a pair of scissors to remove any beets that are too close together. If you wait too long, the beets will be too big and the roots will be entangled, making it difficult to thin them. This is typically two to three weeks after they were planted. Thinning is a simple process that can help you get the most out of your beet crop.īeets should be thinned as soon as they have developed two true leaves. This will ensure that your beet plants have the necessary space and nutrients to reach their full potential. Thinning beets is an important step in their growth, and it should be done as soon as possible after planting. How soon after planting beets should they be thinned? What is the best method for thinning beets?ġ.Is there a certain size that beets should reach before thinning?.What is the ideal spacing between beets when thinning?.How soon after planting beets should they be thinned?.In mild areas, where there is no risk of the soil freezing in winter, beetroots can be left in the ground until needed. Then place in a container of dry sand, potting compost or coir, in a garage or shed, where they should keep for at least a couple of months. Harvest carefully to avoid damaging them, brush off the soil and cut or twist off the leaves about 2.5cm (1in) from the base. Larger roots store better than small ones. Just be careful to leave at least four or five on each plant, to help it continue growing strongly and swelling its root.īeetroots sown from June onwards can be harvested in autumn and stored for use in winter. The leaves can either be harvested at the same time as the root or you can take a few leaves from each plant through the growing season. It’s usually best to wear rubber gloves when preparing red varieties, as they will stain your hands.īeetroot leaves can be cooked like spinach, and young leaves can be added raw to salads. The roots can be eaten raw, especially when young, or can be steamed or roasted to bring out their sweet flavour. Harvest these when no larger than a cricket ball. Loosen the soil with a hand fork, then pull up alternate plants once the roots reach golf-ball size, leaving the rest to grow to maturity if you wish. This is a particularly useful way to grow when space is tight.Ĭover the seeds with soil, then water the row if the ground is dry.īeetroots can be harvested from early summer through to mid-autumn, depending on sowing time and variety. Water along the base of the drill, then sow the seeds 10cm (4in) apart.Īlternatively, you can sow two or three seeds together, spacing the groups 15cm (6in) apart, to produce clusters of smaller roots, ideal for harvesting as baby veg. The corky seed clusters are quite large, so are easy to sow individually. It’s useful to make regular sowings of short rows every fortnight or so, to provide ongoing harvests over a long period.Īfter preparing the ground (see above), sow the seeds in drills, 2.5cm (1in) deep, with 30cm (1ft) between each row. Beetroots sown from June onwards can be stored for use in winter. If you want to sow earlier, from late February, cover the row with fleece or cloches and choose bolt-resistant varieties. The easiest option is to sow beetroot seeds outdoors, once the weather starts to warm up in spring – from late March or April through to July. When choosing varieties, look for those with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which shows they grow well and crop reliably – see our list of AGM fruit and veg. Many varieties produce attractive foliage with dark red veins, while ‘Bull’s Blood’ has particularly attractive glossy deep-red leaves that make a colourful addition to salads. The leaves are edible too and can be used like spinach or eaten raw when young. The paler colours are easier to prepare in the kitchen, as they don’t stain your hands, however the rich red and yellow pigments have beneficial antioxidant properties.Ĭolour can also indicate flavour, with darker roots usually having a richer, more earthy taste and pale ones being milder and sweeter. They vary in colour too – as well as the usual deep purple-red, there are varieties with crimson, orange, yellow, white or even pink-and-white striped roots. Most varieties produce rounded or oval roots, but there are also choices with long, cylindrical roots. Bolt-resistant varieties are a reliable option, especially for early sowings, which are otherwise prone to bolting (flowering prematurely, which suppresses root growth). There are many beetroot varieties to choose from. Malvern Autumn Show - 27-29 September 2024.RHS Flower Show Tatton Park - 17-21 July 2024. ![]() RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival - 2–7 July 2024.RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show - 14 June – 7 July 2024.
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