Beetroot

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) is the classic cool-season table beet, prized for its smooth round roots with deep crimson flesh and a sweet, distinctly earthy flavour. Heirloom lines even carry Egypt's name — 'Crosby Egyptian' (about 55-60 days) and 'Flat of Egypt' — a nod to its long history here. The tender roots are wonderful roasted, pickled, juiced, or grated raw into salads, and the leafy tops are edible too. Unlike industrial sugar beet, this is a garden vegetable bred for flavour and colour.

Planting

Choose a sunny, open spot for the best root development. Sow the corky seed clusters 1.3-2.5 cm deep — each cluster produces several seedlings. Germination takes about 7-14 days; aim for a soil temperature of 13-24 C, since soil above 27 C reduces germination. Space rows 30-46 cm apart, then thin young plants to 7.6-10 cm apart while they are only about 2.5 cm tall, avoiding deep cultivation that could damage the developing roots.

Fertilizing

Beets are moderate-to-heavy feeders. About six weeks after emergence, side-dress with a nitrogen fertilizer (21-0-0). Adequate boron is essential for healthy root development, but never band boron-containing fertilizer directly beneath the seed — it can severely burn young seedlings.

Care

Water regularly and uniformly, especially through the first six weeks and during establishment; drip irrigation works best. In dry spells water every 10-14 days. Avoid drought stress, which triggers bolting, and avoid waterlogging, which favours leaves over roots. Watch for beet leaf miner and flea beetles, plus leaf spots, root rots and downy mildew. Harvest at 50-80 days when roots are 4-7 cm across — golf-ball to cricket-ball size — before they turn woody.