This beetroot is typically globe-shaped and can grow to be quite large. The flesh is dark red and is very tender when cooked. Detroit Dark Red is often used in salads, soups, and as a side dish. It is also a popular choice for canning and pickling.
Beetroot is great for picking or just cooked as a vegetable to accompany a meal. The leaves can also be cooked like spinach.
Beetroot prefers to be grown in moist, fertile soil in a sunny spot, but will also thrive in raised beds or pots. Although early sowings can be made from late winter, raising plants can be tricky, so for foolproof beetroot, sow seeds directly into the soil from mid-spring.
What to do Soil preparation: To make a seedbed, remove weeds and dig over the site with a spade, removing any particularly large stones. Level roughly and then work over the area with a rake to leave a fine finish. If you can, two or three weeks before sowing, spread a general granular fertilizer across the site and rake into the soil.
How to sow seed: Seed can be sown directly into the soil.
- Make a 2cm deep trench with the corner of a rake and drop in two seeds every 10cm.
- Cover, water well, and label - when the seedlings are about 2cm high, remove the weakest of each pair to leave one beetroot seedling every 10cm.
- If you want a plentiful supply of beetroot, sow seeds every month, keeping rows 20cm apart. If you have a small garden, beetroot is easy to grow in pots.
- To grow in pots (ideal for round varieties, not long cylindrical ones), choose containers that are 20cm in diameter and at least 20cm deep.
- Fill loosely with multi-purpose compost leaving the compost just shy of the top.
- Tap the pot gently to settle, and firm with your fingertips aiming to leave a 4cm gap between the surface of the compost and the top of the pot.
- Sow seeds thinly across the surface and cover with 2cm of compost.
- Water and thin out seedlings when they're about 2cm tall, leaving 12cm gaps between them. Aftercare
- This is really easy. Remove weeds and keep seedlings well watered, especially during dry periods as this will stunt the growth of plants.
Harvesting
- Depending on the variety, beetroot is ready to be picked when the roots are between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball - this is usually 90 days after sowing. To harvest, gently hold the tops and lift while levering under the root with a hand fork.
- Remove the tops by twisting them off with your hands to prevent the plants bleeding their juice - don't throw these away, they have bags of taste and can be cooked and eaten like spinach.
Every seed variety undergoes organic cultivation and self-testing on our South African, Botswanan, Zambian, and Tanzanian farms. Our commitment lies in offering a diverse selection of organically grown, open-pollinated, Non-GMO seeds, proudly produced and acclimated locally.
Before planting, please verify the conditions in your area suitable for the specific seed type. Growth rates and germination times hinge on various factors like soil conditions, rainfall/watering patterns, climate, and more. The outcome of growth and harvest may be influenced by these conditions.
