I think my beetroot is on strike!

[Sanjo]

[

sorry to jump onto this thread but I am browing Beetroot for the first time this year and didnt know you coudl harvest some beatroot leaves for salad as the plant grows. My question is how many leave do you take off each plant ? 2 ?

Thanks

Dr Doug, I personally wouldn't bother as (in my opinion!) beetroot leaves can be a bit bitter, especially if you are talking about harvesting a couple from each beet.
To be able to do that you would need the beet to be fairly well established and the leaves consequently that much bigger.
If you enjoy things like Raddichio though then you probably wouldn't mind.
If thinning the beets, however, then eat them as they are.

[johninblackpool]

Mine have come up great for my first attempt
largest is about 2 1/2" across the smallest about 1"
They are Detroit 2
Taste great as well especially on last nights salad

[terrier]

Mine have come up great for my first attempt
largest is about 2 1/2" across the smallest about 1"
They are Detroit 2
Taste great as well especially on last nights salad

Mine are Detroit and they're the ones that didn't germinate! Tell us your secret system, John, we'd all love to have beetroot this early

[greengas]

Greengas, don't panic! Thinning is just literally pulling up the younger seedlings.
If you are pulling beetroots then the thin pinky/red bit at the bottom is the beetroot.
If you loosen the soil a little before you pull you lessen the risk of damage and you may be able to transplant the thinnings to another part of the bed, and therefore give yourself a head start on another row.
Otherwise, eat the leaves of the thinnings if they are big enough.
Thinning just means that you remove some of the seedlings where they are too close to each other. Lettuce is a good example. Either eat them as small salad leaves or transplant them somewhere else.
Most transplanted thinnings will look a bit wilty when they first go in but they should pick up.

Thanks it is really reassuring now I have found this forum to hear other peoples views!

[johninblackpool]

Mine are Detroit and they're the ones that didn't germinate! Tell us your secret system, John, we'd all love to have beetroot this early

No Secret just popped the seeds into modules in mid march then into the raised beds when they were about 2" tall

[sweetiepea]

I think we're all being a bit impatient here! Beetroot takes a good four months from sowing to cropping and the swelling takes place at the end. If you've got a set of healthy plant eventually beetroot will appear.

Gosh, thought it was three months. My 'bible' said three but after checking again it contradicts itself on the previous page by advising 'sow in March, harvest in July'. I don't mind for myself, I can wait. It's the ones in the school garden I'm worried about. Will the children have something worthwhile to pull at the end of their school year - in two weeks time?

[Maximillian]

Glad I've seen these. I'm on sowing three after pat lot did nothing. Have sowed in modules. Got a great crop last year so will persevere

[toastie]

My beetroot are Boltardy, were sown in modules, then put into raised bed. Even after all the rain we've had in the last week they are coming on great. Sowed another dozen or so seeds in modules last week for the next batch. Must admit like them roasted and eaten hot - yum.

[Edwardo82]

Also from reading about them, try not to water them too much as this only promotes lots of green foilage and reduces the size of the actual root.

[cupcake]

Have you tried them hot with cheese sauce?

[Peter Bluestar]

I have a differant problem with beets. They have all germinated well and are about 3" tall but the leaves have started to turn brown, shrivel up and die off. I'm a bit pig sick to be honest as I do like the leaves in salad.

Any ideas please, I try to be as organic as possible but if needs must!