Beetroot

I think my beetroot have bolted away already!! Germinated the seeds in electric propagator and when they were about 1/2" high transferred them to conservatory where they have been for about 2 weeks.
Plenty of light but as the weather is unpredictable the sunshine on them has been up & down. Most are about 2" tall, not sure if that is correct but one is 3" and flopped over.
I would describe them as tall & spindly but as this is 1st time growing beetroot not sure how they should really look after 2 weeks in conservatory.
A far as the flowers that are in conservatory,they seem to be growing slow & sturdy.
Wondering if I planted them too soon or some other mistake I am making?

 

Probably too warm for them in the conservatory. Get them hardened off asap, I've planted spindly ones out & still got a good result before.

 

Thanks for info Zigs. I wonder if a cold frame would be idea once they come off of the heat? have not got one but no problem to buy or make one.

 

Just keep em outside during the day then bring them in at night for a week, should be fine then, beetroot is quite tough.

I grew some in a hotbed starting in January, they got a bit leggy due to the low light at that time of year but they still went on to produce good roots.

 

Thanks to all for your advice.Zigs ,that looks like a pumpkin with beetroots growing out of it,huge

 

I started mine in the cold frames. I have 2 sets in the cold frame that gets more shade and they are doing great, but the other one which gets more sun they have not done well at all.

Rusty

 

Germinate in the propagator, immediately move onto the greenhouse bench for a week once they show, then into a cold frame which is open all day.
Plant out a couple of weeks later.
I usually direct sow in April but its been so cold I decided to try this method.

 

I have mine growing in little modules in my blow away greenhouse with the door open, to plant out as soon as they are big enough. Blow away greenhouse.
Sorry to jump on the back of this thread, but i am hoping someone can give me a clue. I grew some beetroot last year, but struggled to know when it was ready, is there a 'fool' proof way to know when to pick it, or am i just being too careful with it? I decided it was too old when i finally picked it last year.

 

You pick once they are big enough
I usually start at golf ball size and move on to bigger things as the season progresses.

By late October or the first frost they seem to become tasteless or take ages to cook, or both.

 

I certainly do not grow it but buy it regularly. I don't like pickled but love the little ones they do in jars in Aldi. I also always buy beetroot juice (also in Aldi) which I have alternated with orange/tangerine/grapefruit juice. Best of luck to those who grow it and enjoy ... it's too cheap here to go through the uncertainty of attempting to grow it.

 

I prick out 3 plants per 9cm pot, and then plant that out. When we want some beetroot I start by "thinning" the individual plant stations to a single plant, and eating the small thinnings, and when I've done that I start picking the, larger, ones that are left behind.

If we run out I make a note that I need to grow more next year ... if we start eating woody ones I make a note that I grew too many, and that I need to grow then successionally next year

Some years they fatten up more than others, depending on sun etc. of course, so my "fool proof" method is just to start picking them when they are large enough to be worth it, and hopefully I have enough plants to last until we have had enough of them for the season!