[jsgreen89]

I bought some beetroot seedlings from the garden centre a month or so ago and split them between two containers and put the remainder in the garden near the house just to use them up. Ones in the container were planted in vegetable compost. While the ones in the garden look "normal", the ones in the container look VERY purple/pink, without the hint of green.

I've attached photos of both!

Is this a problem??

[Nikkithefoot]

The ones in the pot look smaller than the ones in the garden It is almost if they have been stressed and not grown very much if at all.

[Goosegirl]

Yet another post about poorly seedlings in compost. Is something going on here with this year's compost?

[solway cropper]

There's a lot to be said for making up your own potting compost, at least you know what's gone into it.

[Headgardener22]

Did I read this right? You bought some beetroot seedlings? Beetroot are very simple to grow from seed either direct sown or in pots then transplanted as a whole pot.

I would have thought that handling them too much would cause problems and you've no idea how they've been treated by the garden centre.

[New shoot]

I sell loads of (well cared for)  beetroot seedlings at work    Plus radish, runner beans and lots of other stuff that is easy from seed, but some people are just happier starting with baby plants, or they have limited propagation room and it suits them best 

They look like they were good stock as the ones planted in the garden are doing just fine.  The compost in the pot looks very woody.  Unless that is a topping you have added jsgreen89, I would switch brands.  The plants in the container are very stressed and really need to go on the compost heap.  I know its a shame, but you would be far better off refilling that pot with decent compost and having another go 

[JohnB47]

Before you chuck them, I would try feeding with any liquid or soluble plant feed and wait a week.

The other possibility is that you've picked up a pack of swiss chard by mistake. As seedlings they look pretty similar to beetroot.

[Headgardener22]

I sell loads of (well cared for)  beetroot seedlings at work    Plus radish, runner beans and lots of other stuff that is easy from seed, but some people are just happier starting with baby plants, or they have limited propagation room and it suits them best 

Ok. My concern was that the majority of garden centres these days seem to be cafes with bought-in plant selling attatched whose employees no little or nothing about plants. Buying from a reputable place is acceptable but having looked at the majority of pots of radishes, carrots, beetroot seedlings in garden centres near us, i think one is better off waiting a while then sowing direct outdoors.

[beesrus]

I seem to remember it being a stress thing. I haven't had a problem before yet I also have some beetroot that are far too red leaved, almost unrecognisable, and am putting it down to cow manure only having been applied back in October... not ideal.
As it happens, the beetroot seedlings from the same module sowing that have gone into my garden as an afterthought are positively thriving. I have just sown direct another fall-back row on the plot to be safe, and will keep a close eye on the sufferers.

[Maarten]

Is it possible that the plants in the pots have had much more sun or heat than the greener ones?

Maarten

[DD.]

Just look at the two growing mediums. If you were a beetroot seedling, which one would you be happier in, some nice fine soil, or really course compost with very little humus that looks like it doesn't have the capabilities of retaining moisture & nutrients?

Look at the weeds happily growing away in the soil, (not a bad thing). For me the answer lies in the soil (compost).

[NewSteve]

I seem to have one purple beetroot seedling in my row. It's right next to a patch where none have germinated at all, so that would suggest there's something odd going on locally in the soil. Either that or the pigeons have had the others and it's pure coincidence!

[jsgreen89]

Is it possible that the plants in the pots have had much more sun or heat than the greener ones?

Maarten

They would have had more light / sun than the ones in the soil and we haven't had that much heat.

In the end I decided to chuck the lot, and have thoroughly cleaned the tub, refilled it with a mix of soil/Homebase grow bag, and have planted again. I'll be sure to update if the same happens again!

I looked at the other bags and they are "New Horizon Vegetable Compost", on which it also says "made from recycled renewable resources of UK origin with added nutrients", so I guess contamination could have been an issue, that and far too much wood!

[Goosegirl]

I'm now wondering why it is called veg compost - surely any sort of seeds will normally grow in any type of compost. Maybe too much added nutrients which seeds don't need, although I use multi-purpose and haven't had a problem in the past with it.

[jsgreen89]

I'm now wondering why it is called veg compost - surely any sort of seeds will normally grow in any type of compost. Maybe too much added nutrients which seeds don't need, although I use multi-purpose and haven't had a problem in the past with it.

Yeah it's strange. I also used it to fill two tubs. In one tub I planted garlic which seems to be doing fine, and in the other some red onion which is also struggling. Odd!!