Beetroot thinning

When I thin down the beetroot in my efforts to ensure beautiful round roots, well spaced and all that stuff, I end up with a pile of plants with about four leaves, in a heap on the path and off to the compost bin they duly go.

But no more!

After seeing these leaves, plus the red stems cut into short lengths in bags of mixed salad we bought on holiday (and since then spotted in supermarkets here, but I had missed seeing them before as I don't usually buy salad leaves for obvious reasons lol) I thought I'd press them into service: wow!

As you can see from the photo, after a decent rinse and a trim, mixed red and golden beetroot leaves made a beautiful salad. The two leaves were quite different textures too!

And don't forget to settle the remaining plants back in and give them a good deep drink too, so their roots can quickly recover from being disturbed

I always eat the leaves - from fully-grown beetroot, too. Delicious raw in salads, or wilted like spinach.   

Mina often look quite tatty and unappetising... maybe I should think about picking some of the decent ones though!

Best keep to young leaves if eating raw as the older leaves have a build up of oxalic acid which may cause upset tummy. Older leaves OK wilted. Same as eating perpetual spinach or chard, close relatives

Useful tip Salmo. Thank you 😀

on the subject of beetroot,I had no luck last year with direct sowing, so sowed into modules (bolthardy and touchstone gold), come to plant out today as the seed leaves on both were yellowing rapidly...what an effing mare...all the roots had congregated at the bottom of the modules, leaving pretty much untouched compost above, really difficult to get out...made a reet dogs dinner out of it...module sown spring onions the same, any tips?

Plant the whole module in one clump and the beets sort themselves out as they grow, pushing apart slightly. same with onions I've found.

It has been quite successful for me... hope that helps, Urbanite

Do you think starting beetroot in modules really helps, PP ? Whenever I do it they sulk when transplanted and the ones grown from seed soon catch up or even overtake them. Not sure I'd ever bother starting in modules again.

I use fairly large modules - they are in sets of 6 and 2 sets fit into a standard seed tray.  Like Sunshine I sow a few seeds in each and plant out as a clump.

My soil is a bit heavy and seed germination can be patchy if conditions are less than perfect.  Modules mean I can plant out clumps and know I am making good use of space.  Beetroot are stem, rather than root veg, so a bit of root tangling won't hold them back, even if they have been in the modules a little too long.

The salad leaf idea is interesting though.  There are always beetroot seed in the 50p seed sales and a largish pot could yield a decent picking of salad.

Quote from: Pimento on April 27, 2017, 02:14

Do you think starting beetroot in modules really helps, PP ? Whenever I do it they sulk when transplanted and the ones grown from seed soon catch up or even overtake them. Not sure I'd ever bother starting in modules again.

It means I can get an early crop in, before the ground is warm enough to sow directly

Me too - start them off indoors or in a warm greenhouse that way I am sure I have some germinated and ready to grow on early on in the season. I direct sow too once the weather warms up.

I find sowing in cells and spacing as I want saves time weeding later. It's all a matter of personal choice and circumstances. Each to their own method/s