Slow beetroot

[MR EDD]

Hi all i planted some beetroot 8 weeks ago about 3-4 lines and not one has shown yet do you think its the cold weather??

[Sanjo]

Welcome to the vine Mr Edd. Are we talking sown into the garden or into pots. If you put your location on it helps when people give advice.
The weather has been atrocious and probably has some bearing on your lack of seedlings.

[Jardiniere]

my beetroot has taken an age to even show up....i find it fairly difficult to grow ...last year i tried the yellow type and my advice to anyone else is dont bother - they taste gorgeous but are an absolute b**g** to grow and the red types are allegedly better for you....just be patient i think....mine are little tiny things - we've had cold wet weather here too.............

[supraflyguy]

From a fellow novice... Be patient Mine were sown straight into the ground and took 5 weeks to germinate, got a few about an inch tall at the moment.

[coreopsis]

I'm rubbish at growing beetroots-they just don't want to grow.Shame,because it's one of my favourite vegs.I'm trying again this year(let's see who's more determined-me or beets),my seedlings have just made their appearance.I sowed my first seeds on 2nd of May as it was too cold to sow them before that-the highest daytime temperature was about 7-8 degrees,nighttime down to -6(I'm in the glen),not to mention lack of sunshine to warm up the soil.

[Helgalush]

From a fellow novice... Be patient Mine were sown straight into the ground and took 5 weeks to germinate, got a few about an inch tall at the moment.

Same here, except mine were sown in to modules (which I know now is not to be recommended) and are now in a big pot with some dwarf carrots. They seem to be doing ok.

After about 4 weeks I was sure they had failed, but then the day after I had given up on them, there was an exciting teeny weeny bright pink shoot sticking out!!

[MR EDD]

Hi sorry these where planted straight into the ground! been down the last few days with the heat an all but still no show last year they did wonders only thing i have changed is the brand of seeds and the type of beetroot! gone for johnsons seeds but and the moment its not just the beetroot all the johnson seeds i have planted are slow!!

[dawny]

Hello mr edd, welcome to the vine, hope you find your feet & settle in like the rest of us have! I grew the red beets last year, only got 3 in return, wasnt dis-heartened by it, must be a stubbon little so & so as I've sowed them again & found the first one today!

[ginger ninger]

Hi Ed welcome to the vine.
I can always remember my Dad putting his Beetroot seed's in the fridge for a few days before he sowed them, it worked for me last year but this year's a right flop where mi beetroot's concerned. Chard are the same not much in the way of germination.

[Garysvegpatch]

On the subject of beetroot I can get them to about 5 or 6 inches with the beets forming but all of a sudden the leaves go all funny turning yellow and dying off three times over the last two years this has happened but I am trying again and have a full row showing, any tips pleaseeeeeeeeee.

[NewbieGardenerRow]

I started mine off on the windowsill, then out into the plastic greenhouse then out into the ground. Now I'm keeping them covered at night with bottle cloches and open during the day. They look a bit weak and pathetic and about 3 cm tall and they are probably in shock from being bunged outside I guess.
Is it best to sow direct or start off on windowsills each time? I'm going to try to do another row of them as I have these 8 at the mo but after reading some of these posts I'm thinking that maybe I should try a direct sow as back up
Thanks in advance

[Nicos]

Mr Edd...where abouts are you- please can you put your rough location in your profile??...it makes it easier to ansewer questions like this!!!

Yup-it was VERY cold...and then VERY dry..I expect they'll poke their heads up soon ...

unless you used old seed
or- live outside the UK

[oliveoyl]

Give beetroot seeds a little soak and rinse before sowing... oddly, they have a natural germination inhibitor built in to their seed case - a little wash will help get rid of it and make them pop up more quickly.

[binley100]

I read to soak them overnight first and not to let them dry out. The seeds sown direct ( and ruby chard) are doing better than the ones sown in modules (cut down loo rolls )Last year I grew them for the frist time and after sitting there with not much happening they suddenly got their @rse in gear and took off. Be patient.

[sewer rat]

last year i tried the yellow type and my advice to anyone else is dont bother - they taste gorgeous but are an absolute b**g** to grow .

The yellow/golden beetroot has a well documented poor germination rate. As far as my own beetroot is concerned, I sowed Cylindra and Chioggia in the tunnel and these are doing really well after a slow start. I have also direct sown the same varieties in four of the gardens I look after and without exception, the beetroot (and for that matter direct sown Chard) have all been at least a fortnight slower to germinate than my diary shows for last year. Be patient - a good friend of mine sowed his direct in his tunnel but has had to resow as he started his in late Feb and it was way too cold, even in his tunnel.