How do I grow larger beetroot?

[amandaandherveg]

Last year was my first at gardening and I grew Boltardy and Golden Detroit - some in raised beds and some in the ground, sowed some directly and started some off in trays. They were very tasty, but really slow growing and quite small.

How do I grow larger beetroot - what should I do to prepare the ground?

I went to an Open Day at a local garden and their Boltardy Beets were huge.

[Snadger]

Boltardy beet are LARGE...........that's why I don't grow them anymore and concentrate on Detroit little ball!

If yours haven't grown large you need to look at your fertiliser regime or your sowing times?
If you want biggies sow some in March in modules indoors and transplant later. Usually it isn't recommended as a plant to be started in modules but most people around here use this method.

The second thing to look at is fertiliser, particularily phosphate! Give the area for planting a good handful per square yard of bone meal and this should help phosphate levels, as well as supplying some slow release nitro!

If the soil is REALLY in poor health use Blood/fish/bone meal!

[lottie dolly]

last year i grew a 20ft row of boltardy,started of in moduals around march,and some of them are gig,but i have 4 still in the ground,that are huge,other lottie holders were amazed at the size of the things,yesterday i measured 1,17 1/2 in,aroung it's grirth,and stood alpost 8in high,i am leaving them to seed,hopefully,
i also grew another 20ft row of detroit 2,they were sweeter,of reasonable size,and darker,

[amandaandherveg]

I grew some in my elderly neighbours garden and they did nothing (planted in May though).

The area I grew them in hadn't been touched for 6 years, prior to that her husband used to grow strawbs there. I'll feed the raised bed as per your suggestions but I thought that the unused ground would have been fine as it had been left alone for so long. What would you suggest, I want big beets!!!!!

[zazen999]

I grew some in well fertilised soil and they did nothing.

I spilt some seed in august in clay soil at the lottie that hadn't had anything done to it, and they were huge by christmas.

[HeyWayne]

I grew some decent sized Boltardy last year (my first attempt) and whilst I didn't do much to the ground other than chucking in some compost, I did make sure I watered them well.

I started mine off simply in a seed tray - waited until the leaves were 3-5 inches high and then simply planted out into the ground.

[SarzWix]

Mine didn't get very big either, but, I did plant them closer together than advised which I assume makes a difference. The OH prefers baby beets I've discovered, so I won't worry too much about trying to make them bigger this time Could be worth spacing yours out a bit more and see if that helps?

[amandaandherveg]

Hmmmm..... I admit they were quite close.

[SarzWix]

When i'm planting onion sets, i sometimes use a plant-pot to mark out spacings - ie make a circle with the pot then plant the set in the middle, then I know they'll have room to get to a certain size. 'Spect it'd work for beetroot seed, but you'd still have to thin them to one seedling once germinated to get the biggest roots.