How to grow beetroot

Inspired by a practical growing guide from Huw Richards on YouTube. This guide draws on Huw Richards' "How to Grow Beetroot | 2 EASY Methods" video, which compares sowing direct in drills versus growing in modules - a genuinely useful comparison that shows when each method makes sense. Well worth watching if you've had patchy germination in the past.

1. Choose your variety

Boltardy is the most popular UK variety for good reason - it's bolt-resistant, reliable, and produces good-sized roots. Chioggia is worth growing for its striking red-and-white striped flesh. Golden beetroot is milder and doesn't bleed when cut.

Cylindrical varieties like Cylindra produce long roots that are easy to slice evenly. Any of these suit a standard UK kitchen garden. For a first attempt, Boltardy is the sensible starting point.

2. Sow from April to July

Don't sow beetroot too early. Cold soil leads to bolting, which sends the plant straight to flower and gives you no root worth eating. From mid-April onwards - once soil temperature reaches at least 7°C - is the safe window. Sow every three to four weeks until late July for a long harvest season.

Under cover, you can push that first sowing earlier - late March in an unheated greenhouse or polytunnel is usually fine.

3. Soak the seeds overnight

Beetroot seeds are actually a dried fruit containing several seeds in a cluster. Soaking them in water overnight before sowing softens the casing and improves germination noticeably. This is one of those small steps that makes a real difference.

Even after soaking, expect more than one seedling to emerge from each seed cluster. You'll need to thin them out.

4. Sow in drills or modules

For direct sowing, make drills about 2 cm deep and 20–30 cm apart. Drop seeds in at 5 cm intervals, cover lightly with soil, and water gently. Alternatively, sow two or three seeds per module tray cell, thin to the strongest seedling, and transplant carefully once roots fill the cell.

Both methods work. Direct sowing is simpler; modules give you better control over spacing and allow you to start the crop a few weeks before outdoor conditions are suitable.

5. Thin carefully once seedlings appear

When direct-sown seedlings reach about 5 cm tall, thin to one plant every 10 cm. For larger roots, thin to 15 cm. The thinnings are edible - young leaves work well in salads.

Be gentle when thinning. Disturbing the roots of nearby seedlings can check their growth. Use scissors to snip unwanted seedlings at soil level rather than pulling them out.

6. Water consistently

Irregular watering - long dry spells followed by a good soaking - causes the roots to split. Aim for steady, moderate moisture throughout the growing season. In dry weather, a thorough watering once a week is better than a little splash every day.

Beetroot doesn't need feeding if the soil was reasonably well prepared. High-nitrogen feeds push leafy growth at the expense of the root.

7. Harvest at golf-ball size

Beetroot is best pulled when the roots are the size of a golf ball to a tennis ball - roughly 5–8 cm across. Roots left to grow very large become woody and lose their sweetness. Check by gently brushing away some soil at the base of the leaves.

Pull roots as you need them. The rest will keep in the ground perfectly well until autumn, though they'll get bigger and coarser as the season goes on.

8. Store the surplus

Before a hard frost, lift any remaining roots and twist off the leaves about 3 cm above the root (don't cut - they'll bleed). Store in a box of slightly damp sand or compost in a cool, frost-free shed or garage. Stored this way, they'll keep for several months.

Alternatively, cook and pickle them straight away. A glut of beetroot pickled in late summer is a very good problem to have.

When to call a handyman

Beetroot is as simple as vegetables get, and most people manage it without any outside help. That said, if the veg patch needs digging over, improving, or you want to put in some proper raised beds before the season starts, Richard can get it sorted quickly.