Beetroot growing?
Question:A neighbour plants his beetroot seeds individually in pots then transplants the seedling out in june/july. I thought that would not make a very good beetroot, ie too woody. Has anybody else heard of this method?
Answers:
yes I have planted beetroot seed into pots and then planted them in the garden. In deep peat pots as I did not want to disturb the roots when I planted them out. I did this as I required the beet for the early july flower/ vegatable show and by starting the seed earlier in the greenhouse i achived what I wanted to do. for general purpose use in the garden you can buy a seed called monogram so called as there is only one seed in the seed case, when planted with a space between each seed you will not have to thin out the seedlings as this is when the dammage is done to seedlings that get disterbed by the thinning out. with most beetroot each seed case contains three or more seeds inside this is the reason you always have to thin out.
no, not heard of this before. I always sprinkle seeds very sparingly, have had no problems. Let them grow, then instead of thinning out, just pull the small ones and use as what they sell in shops as baby beetroot. Let the others grow to the size you want them.
try this out
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_...
Beets are normally one of the easiest vegetables to grow and they germinate quickly. Sow your seeds thick outside in your garden. When the plants grow to about 6 inches tall, thin the beets out by pulling them, leaving the stronger plants behind. Then wash & cook the beet greens in a pot with 2 inches of water and eat them for supper. Dab some butter & a little vinegar on top...Yummmm!
It is usual to plant beetroot straight into the ground in drills about 1inch deep and a foot apart. You space the seeds about 2 inches apart and then thin them to 6 inces apart, so I suppose growing them in pots is ok as long as you use big enough pots so the roots are'nt diturbed when you plant them out.
Yes, I have always sowed my beetroots in pots or trays, mainly because wee have such greedy slugs, no seedling survives in the soil. And also because the beetroot "seed" is actually a cluster of seeds, so one seed makes four to five plants. By transplanting into the garden when the plants are stronger, I eliminate the slug problem. The root of the plant is not damaged by the transplanting. I even found a link to support my doings:
http://www.fedaga.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/v...
Beetroot is normally sown straight into the ground but can be raised indoors under glass and then transplanted outside, this can be done as long as the roots are not disturbed during transplanting. with this method the roots will usually not be ready until later in the season.
My soil is not too good for seeds so I always start the seedlings off in pots then plant out in early summer. I've never had a problem as all my veg is grown this way (except the potatoes and onions of course!). I wouldn't say my veg was woody or in anyway inferior to anyone elses.
the beetroot seed is a seed with many seeds inside so germination is highly successful. Best method is to sew in rows 2 inches deep and thin the seedlings when big enough to handle to approx 4 inches apart (2inches for baby beetroot).
Sewing in individual pots is not advised as they dont like being transplanted. Once established feed with liquid seaweed when watering.
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