Beetroots are incredibly easy to cultivate from seed, have a vibrant, sweet taste, and are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other healthy compounds. These hardy plants rarely let you down, as pests and illnesses seldom cause them any difficulty.
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It is also possible to infer flavour from colour; darker roots often taste deeper and earthier, whereas lighter roots taste softer and sweeter. The leaves are also edible and can be cooked like spinach or consumed raw when young. Beetroot is easy to grow at home most of the year, and it doesn't really require a lot of area, which is its finest feature.
Beetroot Planting Guide
Here's how you can grow beetroot at home:
Pick A Sunny Site
Pick the sunniest area you can for beets, since they require full sun to thrive to their maximum capacity. Select a location that receives six hours or more of direct sunlight. Avoid planting near other Beta vulgaris crops, such as Swiss chard, and areas where beets have recently been produced, if at all feasible. This will help ensure that any pests or illnesses that may have affected the previous planting won't affect your new beets.
Space And Plant Them Properly
First, plant seeds in rows that are 1/2 inch deep and spaced a few inches apart. Maintain a foot or so between beetle rows. When the seedlings reach a few inches in height, thin the beets so there are four inches separating each plant. Instead of plucking the beets by hand, which can disrupt the roots of the beets you aren't thinning, use a pair of scissors to thin them. Thankfully, beets don't require any form of support or trellis.
Important Factors To Remember
Once you have planted the seeds, make sure you follow these important tips to get the best beets possible:
Provide Full Sunlight
Full sun is ideal for beetroot growth, which is defined as having six hours or more of direct sunshine each day. They are able to withstand some mild shade, though.
Rich And Light Soil
Ideal soil has a pH that is slightly acidic to neutral, is rich, light, and drains well. It is advisable to eliminate any obstructions that hinder the growth of roots, such as rocks, clay, and weeds.
In addition, beets require boron in the soil to ward off black heart, a condition that results in malformed leaves and corky black patches on the roots. Applying compost or seaweed extract as a soil supplement is one way to supply boron.
Proper Watering
Every week, provide a minimum of one inch of water. Mulching will prevent the soil from overheating and drying out.
Ideal Temperature
While they may withstand a little frost, beets are not quite as cold-tolerant as certain other vegetables, like broccoli. Ideal temperatures range from 10 to 30 degrees Celsius. As long as the soil is kept at the right moisture level and there is air movement around the plants to help prevent fungal development, humidity is usually not a problem either.
Quality Fertiliser
Supplemental feeding will be required beginning around two weeks after the beets appear if your soil is low in organic matter. Use any quality vegetable fertiliser as directed on the label.
Pollination
Growing beets doesn't require worrying about pollination because the plants are grown for their tasty taproot and leaves.