Salad Beetroot Seeds 10g

Salad beetroot is the kitchen-garden classic of Beta vulgaris — a cool-season root vegetable prized for its deep crimson, round roots ringed with concentric colour when sliced. The flavour is sweet and gently earthy, while the leafy tops are tender enough to use like chard. This is the same species celebrated in heirloom strains carrying Egypt's name, such as 'Crosby Egyptian' and 'Flat of Egypt'. Use the roots raw and grated in salads, roasted to concentrate their sugars, or pickled for a vivid jewel-toned preserve.

Planting

Choose a sunny, open bed for the best root development. Each beet 'seed' is a corky cluster that yields several seedlings, so sow the clusters 1.3-2.5 cm deep with rows 30-46 cm apart. Germination takes about 7-14 days; aim for a soil temperature of 13-24 C, as soil above 27 C reduces germination. In Egypt, sow during the cool season — roughly October through December in the Delta and Lower Egypt, and November to January in hotter Upper Egypt.

Fertilizing

Beets are moderate-to-heavy feeders. About six weeks after emergence, side-dress with a nitrogen fertilizer (21-0-0). Adequate boron is also needed for healthy roots, but never band boron fertilizer directly beneath the seed, as it can badly burn young seedlings.

Care

Water regularly and evenly, especially through the first six weeks — drip irrigation works best. Avoid drought, which triggers bolting, and overwatering, which favours leaves over roots. Thin seedlings while young to 7.6-10 cm apart, and avoid deep cultivation nearby. Watch for leaf miner, flea beetles, leaf spots and downy mildew. Harvest at about 4-7 cm across, roughly 50-80 days from sowing, before roots turn woody.