View Beet
Beetroot is an easy vegetable to grow, the danger is that you will grow way more than you need so think about how many you are likely to eat when you sow them. They are one of the few vegetables developed from a species native to Ireland and their ancestors can be seen as 'Sea Beet' on the beaches of West Cork. This is why they are suited so well to our conditiions.
They don't need much manure but like lots of light. Sow them in the ground in April or whenever it has warmed up enough for you to work in your shirt-sleeves. If you want a really early crop, start them under cover in February or March. You can carry on sowing them till the first week in August to have small beet throughout the winter.
The seeds are are in clusters containing several seeds in each. Sow each cluster 3cm apart in rows 2cm deep and 25cm between rows. When the seeds have germinated, thin out to the strongest seedlings, roughly 10cm apart. Keep well weeded.
Pick the Beetroot while they are young and tender, before they get to tennis ball size.
Lift the root by loosening the soil with a fork and then lift out by the leaves. The leaves should be twisted off the root and not cut off with a knife. Using a knife will cause the root to bleed and will detract from the flavour and colour of the root. Cook whole with the root on to preserve the colour.
The later plantings can be left out all winter providing roots and leaves.