Growing Beetroot in Scotland: The Complete Guide

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Everything you need to grow beetroot in Scotland, from the first March sowing under fleece to roots packed in sand for the winter. We have done the research so you don't have to.

Beetroot earns its place in a Scottish garden by giving you two crops from one plant: sweet, earthy roots and leaves that cook like spinach. It takes up very little room, grows well in containers, and is ready in 50 to 60 days. The one thing that catches people out is bolting. A cold snap after an early sowing sends the plant to flower instead of swelling the root. The answer is a bolt-resistant variety, and in Scotland that matters from the very first sowing.

Why bolt resistance matters in Scotland

Beetroot bolts when it gets a cold check after sowing. A Scottish spring delivers those checks as reliably as rain. An early sowing in late February or March, which the seed packet says is fine, can run straight into a cold snap and trigger flowering instead of root growth. Once a beetroot has bolted, the root stops developing and the plant is done.

The fix is straightforward: choose a bolt-resistant variety for anything sown before May. Boltardy and Forono are the two AGM varieties with bolt resistance specifically noted. For later sowings from May through July, the risk drops and any variety will do. The first row of the year wants a variety bred for exactly this problem.

Varieties

Boltardy and Forono are the two varieties with bolt resistance specifically noted, which is what earns them a place in a Scottish spring sowing. Both carry the RHS Award of Garden Merit, a UK-wide award rather than a Scottish one. Nobody trials beetroot for our conditions specifically.

Also worth considering

Soil and site

Beetroot wants a sunny site with fertile, free-draining soil. On heavy clay in early spring, warm the ground with cloches for a couple of weeks before sowing. Light sandy soil warms up faster and should not need it. Weed thoroughly and dig in plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure.

Beetroot seeds can be slow to germinate. Soaking them in warm water for an hour before sowing gives them a head start and produces more consistent results.

Sowing

Sow outdoors from late March to July, once the soil reaches about 7°C. Sow about 2.5cm deep, spaced 10cm apart, with rows about 30cm apart. If you want clusters of smaller roots, ideal for baby beetroot, sow two or three seeds together, spacing each group 15cm apart.

You can push the season earlier, from late February, if you choose a bolt-resistant variety and cover the row with fleece or cloches. That buys you the earliest beetroot of the year, but it only works with a variety bred to handle the cold. Sow short rows every few weeks for a continuous harvest from early summer into mid-autumn.

Indoors: for an early start in colder areas, sow into modular trays indoors. Sow one seed cluster per module at 2.5cm deep. If more than one seedling appears, thin to the strongest. To grow clumps of small roots, sow up to four seeds per module and plant them out as a cluster without splitting.

Containers: beetroot grows well in pots. Use a container at least 40cm wide, filled with peat-free multipurpose compost, positioned in a sunny spot. Space the seeds 10cm apart. Choose round-rooted varieties. Long-rooted types need depth that a pot cannot provide.

There is usually no need to thin seedlings if you are harvesting the roots small, about the size of a golf ball. If you want larger roots, up to cricket-ball size, thin to 10cm apart once the seedlings are about 2.5cm tall. The thinnings go straight into a salad.

Planting out

Young plants raised indoors or bought as plugs go out once they are at least 5cm tall and well rooted. Harden them off first. Space single plants 10cm apart. If the modules contain several plants, plant each clump 15cm apart without splitting them up. Firm in gently and water well. Take care not to disturb the roots. Beetroot resents root disturbance, and a checked plant is more likely to bolt.

Watering and care

Water seedlings regularly until they are well rooted and growing strongly. Once established, beetroot does not usually need much watering, though the roots will be more tender if the soil is kept fairly moist. In dry spells or on free-draining soil, water every 10 to 14 days.

Dry soil makes the roots woody. Uneven watering, a drought followed by a heavy soak, makes them split. Too much water pushes leafy growth at the expense of the root. In a Scottish summer you may not need to water at all, but a prolonged dry spell is worth reaching for the watering can. Container plants need regular watering throughout. Compost dries out faster than soil.

Feeding is rarely needed. If plants are not growing strongly, an organic high-nitrogen liquid feed will give them a boost. Weed regularly, especially when the plants are young, and hand-weed close to the roots. A hoe blade can damage the top of the swelling root.

Harvesting

Beetroot is ready in as little as 40 days, usually between 50 and 60. Harvest from early summer through to mid-autumn depending on sowing time. Loosen the soil with a hand fork and lift alternate plants once the roots reach golf-ball size, leaving the rest to grow on. Harvest these when no larger than a cricket ball. Leave them too long and they turn woody.

The leaves are a bonus crop. Cook them like spinach, or eat young leaves raw in salads. You can take a few leaves from each plant through the season without harming the root. Just leave at least four or five on the plant so it keeps growing. Red varieties will stain your hands, so wear gloves if that matters.

Storing: sowings from June onwards produce roots for autumn harvest that will store through winter. Lift carefully, brush off the soil, and cut the leaves off about 2.5cm from the base. Pack the roots in a container of dry sand, potting compost or coir and keep in a garage or shed. They should last at least a couple of months. In mild locations where the ground does not freeze, you can leave late crops in the soil and lift them as you need them.

Common problems

• Bolting. The plant runs to flower and the root stops developing. Triggered by a cold snap after early sowing. Bolt-resistant varieties largely avoid it. Once it has happened, pull the plant and compost it.
• Woody roots. The soil was too dry during the growing period. Water every 10 to 14 days in dry spells.
• Split roots. Uneven watering: a drought followed by a heavy soak. Keep the soil consistently moist.
• Beet leaf miner. A fly whose larvae tunnel inside the leaves, creating large irregular blotches. Remove affected leaves and destroy them.
• Downy mildew. Yellow patches on the upper leaf surface with grey mould underneath. Good spacing and watering the soil rather than the leaves reduce the risk.
• Poor germination. Beetroot seeds can be slow. Soak them in warm water for an hour before sowing.

Common questions

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