Over Wintered Beetroot

[Artisan]

I for the first time late last autumn planted in the vegetable plot some Boltardy Beetroot seedlings for the purpose of over wintering to get a spring harvest. I have noticed that although the plants look healthy they are not putting on growth like other vegetables in the plot such as Leeks, Onions and Garlic. Is this lack of growth common and perhaps due to the poor weather we are having here in Devon at the moment or am I wasting my time in hoping that they will develop into good sized roots. They have been regularly fed with Growmore but this does not seem to have helped much. Should I cut my loses and discarded them and prepare the site for a new planting?

Anyone who could give me some advice would be warmly welcomed.

[Penellype]

My experience of beetroot (contrary to the impression given in most places that it is a quick crop to grow) is that is grows very very very slowly, taking 9 months + to produce anything edible. I have some that I sowed in July, hoping for an autumn/winter crop, but the roots have yet to reach pencil thickness.

I think as long as they are growing slowly they have a chance of fattening up, but if they start to produce a lot of new growth I suspect that will quickly be followed by a flower.

[Snoop Puss]

I don't think they will grow much over winter. The temperatures will be too cold and the days too short, however much you've been feeding them. You might find that now temperatures are warming up a bit and the days are longer that they'll start to grow now. No harm in leaving them and seeing how they do.

When I grow what I call overwintering beetroot, I sow them in June and leave them in the ground for use during the winter.

[nickdub]

... Should I cut my loses and discarded them and prepare the site for a new planting?

Anyone who could give me some advice would be warmly welcomed.

I'd be very doubtful if the roots are going to be much good, as even if they do grow on they will be extremely tough. The new leaves on the other hand will be fine to eat either in a salad or stir fry. Its quite likely too that the plants if left will run to seed later this year, so you could leave a couple with a view to collecting your own home grown seed.

[sparrow100]

They should start leafing up now prior to sending up flower stalks in May/June. Mine are - and the sparrows in our hedge love the leaves. The roots shouldn't get any bigger from now on as the plants will use the root as food for creating flowers and then seeds. If you are wanting to eat them, I'd pick them now. They might have a woody core, they might not - try one to see, but the core is fairly easily removed if you are cooking them anyway.

[sparrow100]

PS If you like the lurid pink turnip pickles you get with felafels, they use beetroot to colour the turnip sticks. One of my big beets is going in a jar of turnip pickles this evening - ready to eat in a week and the garlicky brine liquid softens the beetroot too.

[Penellype]

They should start leafing up now prior to sending up flower stalks in May/June. Mine are - and the sparrows in our hedge love the leaves. The roots shouldn't get any bigger from now on as the plants will use the root as food for creating flowers and then seeds. If you are wanting to eat them, I'd pick them now. They might have a woody core, they might not - try one to see, but the core is fairly easily removed if you are cooking them anyway.

Mmm... not sure mine are big enough to eat yet:

[sparrow100]

Mmm... not sure mine are big enough to eat yet:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]79470[/ATTACH]

oh dear!

[Small pumpkin]

I'm going to try overwintering beetroot this year for the purpose of seed collection.
I think it should work because I'm the only one for miles around that grows veg I never let chard or perpetual spinach flower. And if I only keep one varieties of beetroot over winter.
It should be all good.... Right ?

[sparrow100]

Yup that should work. If you want more info:

https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/fil...26%20Chard.pdf

[Small pumpkin]

Thanks sparrow.
Apparently the link isn't real

I've been following the advice from real seeds.

[Small pumpkin]

Found it ! I went the long way round

[Artisan]

Thanks for all your advice.