When are beetroots ready?

[Wendie]

I planted out beetroot beginning of april - boltardy. I've read that they should be ready for picking 40 days after, but I dug one up today and all there was was loads of roots. The plants are about 6-8 inches high, leaves are very green and strong. how can I tell when ready? thank you

[WendyC]

The advice tends to be to use them from golf ball size. You should be able to see the tops of the beets above the soil. You could pull up every other one down the row while they are small and then let the others get bigger. Beetroot are fairly tolerant and will stay where they are for quite a while until you are ready for them.

[taff]

you'll see how big they're growing
the root will swell, and you'll be able to see how big it by the 'shoulders' that are out of the earth

[Florence Fennel]

As the others have said, but don't let them get too big Wendie or they'll be tough.

[Wendie]

that's great thank you, so the tops grow through the soil then, that makes sense.

[Bren In Pots]

Wendie and you can also eat the leaves from any thinnings you've taken out if they're growing too close together.

[Wendie]

What like cabbages, spinach etc? Not sure whether I could go with that! Do you boil them or just use in salads?

[Bren In Pots]

I eat the young leaves raw in salad, they're really nice.

[VirginVegGrower]

They are. I second that BIP. nice with pea shoots and chard leaves as an alternative salad.

[Alison]

Leaves are only really good when they're small though as they become tougher as the plant gets bigger although suppose you could cook them like chard then seeing as they're practically the same.

[rustylady]

I've never heard of beetroot being ready to pick that soon after sowing. However, I will second using the baby leaves in salad.

[Wendie]

thanks for your advice. this site is great as the books aren't half as knowledgeable as you lot.!!

[Rocketron]

thanks for your advice. this site is great as the books aren't half as knowledgeable as you lot.!!

Ain't that the truth, though.
I havven't bothered with books at all after discovering this site.

[evenflow]

No me neither. This site has so much info. Im on the search thingy all the time...

[Wendie]

The thing is Evenflow and Rocketron, if I ask too many questions, I feel a bit of a pest but then I suppose that's what it's all about