[Marijke Jones]

Dear gardeners,

The weather has been quite decent for Ireland and everything is doing great so far. As I am still fairly new in vegetable growing I was wondering can I still seed beetroot?

[New shoot]

I think you would be pushing it for beetroot, but it might be worth a go if you can cover them.  I’ve got a big insect mesh tunnel just emptied of onions and was considering turnips next.  It is getting a bit late for them as well, but I have some cheap seeds I can use.  If it stays mild, they grow fast and I am usually still picking them come the end of the year.

On my plot beetroot really do get munched going into autumn and I end up with almost nothing left to eat, whereas turnips usually get left alone.

[Nobbie]

I think you would be pushing it for beetroot, but it might be worth a go if you can cover them.  I’ve got a big insect mesh tunnel just emptied of onions and was considering turnips next.  It is getting a bit late for them as well, but I have some cheap seeds I can use.  If it stays mild, they grow fast and I am usually still picking them come the end of the year.

On my plot beetroot really do get munched going into autumn and I end up with almost nothing left to eat, whereas turnips usually get left alone.

Do you know what’s doing the munching? I’ve got a good crop sitting in the ground at the moment which would be a shame to lose. If it’s mice I can put down some bait boxes. I think it was them that had a crack at my sweetcorn last week before I put socks over the rest of the cobs.

[New shoot]

I always find umpteen woodlice in the holes in them, but whether it is all down to them or slugs as well, I don’t know.

Not rodents though.

[Marijke Jones]

I discovered that hedge sparrows kept nibbling the beetroot leaves. I put a net over it to protect them.

[Hampshire Hog]

I have found it a tough year for beetroot
My early ones didn’t progress in the cold wet weather and I’m hoping my recent planting of seedlings will do better. I think this whole season has been blighted by the weather which has created perfect conditions for slugs and snails.