Beetroot

[Dorothyrouse]

Anyone else having problems growing beetroot this year? Normally an easy crop to grow, but the first ones I sowed, are very small and some so small I’ve thrown them,others obviously been eaten by rats ? Later sowings have obviously been chomped as they’ve germinated! So tomorrow I’ll be sowing more and covering with Environmesh or small netting. Shame, cos I love them!

[ameno]

I find both slugs and sparrows will eat the seedlings, but I never have any problems once they get to a decent size.

Variety does seem to play a big role, though. Some varieties I find will not produce usable-sized roots unless thinned quite heavily, whereas other varieties will happily grow close together and just push each other apart as they swell. I grow Pablo, and it's very good for this, to the point where the whole beetroot is usually growing above the soil, having levered itself out of the ground as it grew, with only the taproot going into the soil.

[Plot70]

I had to net mine to stop flying rats. Sparrows are unlikely to damage seedlings. They mostly take pests to feed there chicks.

[annie8]

Mine all bolted so just resown them all. I know mine don’t do well in years when it is dry.

[ameno]

I had to net mine to stop flying rats. Sparrows are unlikely to damage seedlings. They mostly take pests to feed there chicks.

I've seen them do it; half a dozen or more of them all busy attacking the seedlings. Shredding red runner bean flowers, too. And the growing tips of pea seedlings.
And it's not just me, as sparrows are a known pest of all of these things.

[Mr Bones]

We multi-sow and start them off in modules to avoid pests.

[Penellype]

I net mine along with almost everything else I grow (exceptions are potatoes, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, courgettes and melons). I planted some beetroot out at my friend's earlier this year and neglected to net it, and within days the leaves had completely disappeared apart from the odd midrib. I am developing a system where if it doesn't need pollinating, net it.

[Dorothyrouse]

I’ve resown again, and will net.