[iggyboy60]

Hello folks,I have never grown Beetroot before,but her indoors has asked my to give it a go so I guess I need to know the following...It is said that a beetroot seed can produce more than one seedling,is this right? If so,do you thin down to one single seedling in order to get one beetroot or do you leave the group of seedlings from one seed as one? Thank-you for your time

[mumofstig]

you can now buy beetroot seed that only produces one plant, they are monogerm varieties

I thin the others out 

[iggyboy60]

Cheers Mum,most helpful. I'm growing the classic,Boltardy,so I guess I will be getting on with a little thinning

[stompy]

I grow beets alot,

Generally there are 3 seeds to a seed pod.(you can get single seed pods but  i don't see the point myself)
I plant mine around 3" apart and let all the seedlings develop, once they are about the size of a golf ball i begin to harvest by taking 2 of the usual 3 that have grown leaving one in place to grow on watering after i have harvested to settle the remaining plant back in.

As the remaining roots begin to get bigger just remove them every other one to allow the rest to grow fully, then harvest and either store or use.
You should be sowing them a row every month then you should have a regular supply of roots through the growing season.

[8doubles]

I do not thin them as i prefer 3 or 4 golf ball sized beet rather than one cricket ball sized.
You should end up with a variety of sizes anyhow.

[starry]

Hi, I dont thin mine either  I just harvest them when they get golf ball size and leave the rest in the ground they also like plenty of water as I found to my peril last year and the other half had to get his beetroot from Sainsburys!!  :blink:

[stompy]

I like them small too but if you take 2 from each cluster and leave one in you can still be getting golfball beets from extra sowings whilst letting the others that you left grow on for storage for when the growing season finishes  for them.

[compostqueen]

I am stingy with seed so sowing carefully means no thinning. The monogerms are brill and you get 100% germination. The fat, corky seeds are easy to sow so no clumps necessary

I sow some into modules and plant them out.  Belt and braces approach so you are never short of luvverly beets

Roast beetroot is just so fabulous I think I'm an addict. Delia's recipe for roasted beetroots, which are then pickled in a red wine vinegar with tropical peppercorns and slivers of raw shallot is just sublime. Do yourself a favour and do some jars this year. You won't regret it 

[stompy]

Do you get 3 times the amount of seeds in a pack of monogerm beets then?
Otherwise your being short changed in my opinion!
I get 3 roots per seed whereas you ill only get 1, si i can get upto 3 harvests from 1 seed!

[compostqueen]

No idea. I've not counted them.    Just looking at two of the packets I have it doesn't say they're monogerm and the packets look flattish so I assume they're not.  I have a massive packet of Chioggias from SOI. Again it doesn't say mono. I'm not opening it to check though 

[stompy]

Ha ha ha, you'll have to let me know how many you do get though when you do open the packets.

I only grow boltardy at the moment, i may try one of the ringed or yellow varieties though this year just to colour our salads up a bit more.

I also let a few keep growing and use them just for their leaves for salads.

[sarajane]

Don't think I've ever thinned beetroot - Just harvest some of the golfball ones and if you don't you will still find they will all grow to a decent size  -  they just tend to push away from each other. 

I like boltardy and also the type that grow long  -  can't remember their name but sooo easy to peel.

Jst remembered, Cylindra.

[Salmo]

I may be regarded as old fashioned but I sow the seeds at about 1 inch apart and then single them to leave individual seedlings. Logically these will reach golf ball size quicker as they do not have to compete with their siblings for water or light.

I pull them as they develop and eventually they push each other sideways in the row.

I sow one row about now and a second row early June to give a supply of young beet right through.

The disadvantage of monogerms is that the choice of varieties is limited.

If you are sowing old varieties or some of the French or Italian ones do not be in too much of a hurry to so as a cold spell may make them bolt i.e. run straight to seed.

[prakash_mib]

I dont thin them.
last year I put an eight feet row of seeds with 10cm (a palm width) and I grew mainly for the leaves (3-4 leaves from each plant). I had 4 cuts of leaves and finally around 6 beets with size of swede and 30 odd golf to cricket ball sized ones.
I considered that a prettymuch huge success and will do that same this year.
My theory is "if you pick leaves they bulb to a very good size" 

[compostqueen]

I eat the baby leaves as well Stompy. They are so good! The chooks love the bigger leaves so no part of the plant gets wasted

The Chioggia( pink stripey job) is a bit pants actually in the taste stakes until it's ROASTED and then it's gorgeous.