Picking Beetroot Leaves

[Sally's Garden]

My beetroot are coming along very slowly. I know that you can use the leaves as salad but do they mean that you use them when you pull up the beetroot or pick a few whilst it's still growing? If I just pick some now will it harm the growing beetroot in any way? Thank you

[Paulottie]

It will be fine if you just pick a few leaves to add to your salad whilst they are growing...more will replace them...just don't completely denude them.

[Sally's Garden]

I've not grown beetroot before and didn't want to loose them by pulling off the tops. Thank you.

[Florence Fennel]

Lovely in salad Sally, bulb or leaf. I just take a couple from each plant.

[rustylady]

I've not grown beetroot before and didn't want to loose them by pulling off the tops. Thank you.

Don't pull the tops off, just pick individual leaves.

[bearded bloke]

A friend always cut them off with scissors leaving as much stalk as possible,he reckons they don't bleed that way

[Peppermint]

I've just used some as part of a stir fry. Some of my beetroots are starting to bolt so I've cut the stalk off and used the leaves.

[binley100]

Mine still look like micro greens .........

[vegnut]

I wish my leaves looked edible after all this wind.

[PyreneesPlot]

We had the roots as starter and then the tops cooked like spinach yesterday. My OH wants to know if this counts as one or two portions of veg... I say two as it is very different bits of vegetable, unlike say an apple and apple juice.

And yes, we pick a few leaves from each plant to add colour to salad, too.

[Sally's Garden]

Thank you for all your replies. Will start picking!

[leonmc0708]

We had a load in clumps so thinned them recently, taking the bigger ones but splitting and transplanting hte smaller ones.

This resulted in the leaves witling pretty badly so I whizzed am all off except for the two centremost on eash plant.

They re-grew a load within 7 days - and are now looking much healitheir and flourishing.

Point being - even a harsh trim will mean they get soem more.