How to grow beetroot – and use it as an excuse to drink beer

Beetroot is one of the easiest vegetables to grow at home. I have had more success with beetroot than any other crop. It’s easy to grow, looks pretty and it is extremely tasty and beneficial.

As a food source, beetroot is extremely versatile, and there are many ways to enjoy this earthy vegetable.

As its name would suggest, beetroot is a member of the root family of vegetables, however, the leaves of young beetroot plants are delicious, they belong to the same family of veggies as chard and make a lovely addition to any salad.

It is good for your heart, with recent studies finding that beetroot juice can reduce your chance of a heart attack and lower your blood pressure.

Sowing beetroot

Beetroot is best planted in well-drained soil between late March and early June. You can grow it in module trays or plant direct. I prefer to plant beetroot directly where it is to grow as the roots do not get disturbed. Germination usually takes about 10-14 days. You can sow beetroot every two to three weeks for a continued supply of baby beets during the summer.

Plant rows of beetroot about 30 cm apart and each plant 10cm apart.

Caring for your plants

I find beetroot needs very little tending while growing. It is a hardy enough plant and will do well once the weeds are kept in check. Thin out young plants as they grow so the beets have space to expand. Water well but don’t drown it, this can cause the plant to put all the energy into the leaves instead of the root.

Harvesting beetroot

I’d recommend harvesting your beetroot as baby beets, pulling every second plant so the ones left behind have space to grow even larger. These larger beets are the ones I usually pickle for storage. Simply lift the plant out from the soil. Try not to damage the root as you do this or you’ll be washing purple stains off your hands for days.

Storage

Beetroot is a great vegetable for storing. Most like to pickle it in vinegar. You can experiment with different vinegars to get different flavours. You can also store the roots in sand or peat, in a cool dry place, it should last this way for about 12 weeks.

Pests

Beetroot is generally a trouble-free plant, but like many vegetables, can be eaten by slugs and snails when it is young. You can used crushed egg shells or beer traps to try keep the slugs away. That means you can have some beer in the garden – always a bonus.