[foster75]

planted some beetroot in march just pulled one to have a look but there is nothing under just a few roots. the plants are 20 inches or so and just starting to flower what am i doing wrong?

[Rangerkris]

watching with interest, i might have just been lucky in my first year our first lot were fantastic.

[gillie]

You said 'planted' rather than 'sowed'.  Exactly how did you grow them?  What variety are they? growing beetroot that early in the year you would need a bolt resistant variety.

Gillie

[foster75]

sorry it was the end of april. got them in garden centre  they where about 5inch tall.

[gillie]

I have had very mixed results with beetroot in the last few years and have come to the conclusion that it is very much better to sow seeds than plant out from modules as it is so easy to damage the roots .  There is still time to sow seeds now. 

Cheers,

Gillie

[celjaci]

If grown in modules they need to be planted out when quite small. Any check to growth - drying out or root constriction can trigger the plants to start flowering

It sounds like yours were too big ( 5 inches) when you bought them. I would complain to the garden centre - doubt they would give a refund but they need to know when they are selling plants unlikely to suceed. This is a problem when garden centres jump on the grow your own bandwaggon

[DD.]

I know some manage it, but I never plant root veg at all.

All are direct sown.

[yummy]

I am in my 3rd year and I am still yet to produce a single beetroot 

[lisa80]

I have used bolterdy this year and am doing well not getting huge ones i put them in april and most are golf ball size and have pulled some that are almost tennis ball size. I cant stand the stuff but hubby is happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DD.]

Last lot I did were these.

http://www.molesseeds.co.uk/acatalog/Products_F1_Pablo__graded__3833.html

Sown 10 days ago, 2 cracking rows & being single seed sown finely, no need for thinning.

[Salmo]

They probably bolted due to stress at planting out. Plant some seed now and you will have roots to eat at the end of August and in to the Autumn.

[poppies]

Hi I alway's sow beetroot in modules but they are planted out at about 2 inches high, sounds like it was a bit late for these

[Kristen]

I have always grown my beetroot in 3" or 9cm pots, and I'm pretty slack about planting out at the right time - but the pot probably gives some leeway, and reduces root disturbance (compared to a module).

I have decided that we don't grow enough beetroot, and I don't plant them close enough together - typically a trowel's distance or a bit less - so I'm going to try 3 plants around a 3" pot in the future, and then pull 2-of-the-3 as thinnings

(P.S. I grow "Boltardy" in case it makes any difference?)