Quality seeds for kitchen, cottage and native gardeners
Vegetable Seeds Catalogue
Beetroot
Beetroot (Beta vulgaris)
Sds/g: 30-75 Feed Requirements: Low Opt. Germination Temp: 10-28˚C
Planting & Harvesting Guide:
Cultural Notes: Pulling fresh, crisp, healthy beetroot from the garden makes you wonder why we put up with those soft fleshed excuses from the supermarket. Beetroot is super healthy with high levels of anti-oxidants and potassium (which helps keep blood pressure down and reduces the risk of strokes). We loved it peeled and grated raw with walnuts or sunflower seeds and balsamic vinegar tossed through it. Throw some young beetroot leaves into a salad. - Beetroot can grow in most soils (including clays) provided the top 10cm of soil are loosened as the edible root grows near the surface. When aerating the soil mix in 2 cm of compost or well rotted manure. Once beetroot is stressed, reach full size or go to seed they tend to become woody and lose their sweetness. Sow every 2 weeks to ensure a constant supply without the beetroot going woody. Sow seed every few cm in rows 45-60cm apart. Thin seedlings when they are about 10cm tall and again when they start to look crowded. With the second thinning you can usually use the small bulb and greens.
Harvest: - Harvest when the beetroot reaches your desired size. Do not leave in the ground for too long once it has reached its mature size as it will go woody unless you have hit mid-autumn. Most varieties handle cold winters well and can be ‘stored’ in the ground until needed. If you live in a very frosty area protect your overwintering beetroots by hilling up some soil over the roots. If the roots freeze they will rot once thawed.
Sowing periods
The earliest beet you will eat! These 10cm bright red beauties are the best beetroot for early spring plantings as they grow well in cool soils. The glossy green, red-veined tops can be harvested for salads as it grows. A good all round beetroot that also pickles well and stores in the ground over winter. 250 seeds.
Not only is this Italian heirloom sweet it looks amazing. A red skinned beetroot with alternating red and white concentric rings through the flesh (like the old candy canes). Use just like normal beetroot; roasted, grated raw, boiled, in dips etc. The young green leaves can also be used in salads. 120 seeds.
A red heirloom variety that originated in Germany in the late 1800’s. It was improved in the USA by Josiah Crosby, who selected to retain the earliness and to remove the rough nature of the original ‘Flat Egyptian’ variety. Harvest young for a baby beet or mature for a large, full sized root. The red veined leaves are also great for eating or stir fries. 200 seeds.
The easiest beetroot to peel and slice!! An heirloom variety with a long deep red root that retain sweetness even when mature. The cylindrical shape makes it easier to peel and slice than the large rounded varieties. Grows to 15-20cm in length and up to 5cm wide. Tops can be used in salads. 150 seeds.
A popular heirloom due to its versatility – the young leaves can be used and the beetroots can be eaten raw, roasted, pickled or boiled. It is also early and has delicious dark red globe roots. Has some resistance to downy mildew. A dependable cropper with good heat and cold tolerance. 250 seeds.
The best all singing, all dancing red beetroot in our trials. These dark red roots are sweet, tender and not fibrous even when older. A good looking variety with round, smooth roots that grow quickly and uniformly. The red veined leaves are also great for eating or stir fries. Use root raw, cooked or pickled. 250 seeds.
A round, smooth, cylindrical red beetroot prized for flavour and being early. Spinel is an unusual ‘baby’ beetroot in that it isn’t small at maturity like most ‘baby’ beets but can be left to mature for full-grown roots. It forms a golf ball size while the leaves are still small (other varieties require substantial tops before the edible part forms). Start harvesting Spinel baby beets a week to 10 days sooner than most varieties. It has a single taproot and narrow, tight crown. 250 seeds.