Growing Beetroot

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1 Soil preparation

To make a seed bed, 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 fertiliser across the site and rake into the soil.

2 How to sow seed

Seed can be sown directly into the soil from April to July.
Make a 2cm (0.75in) deep trench with the corner of a rake (or a cane will do) and drop in two seeds every 10cm (4in).
Cover, water well and label - when the seedlings are about 2cm (0.75in) high, remove the weakest of each pair to leave one beetroot seedling every 10cm (4in).
If you want a plentiful supply of beetroot, sow seeds every month, keeping rows 20cm (8in) apart.

If you have a small garden, beetroot are easy to grow in pots.

To grow in pots (ideal for round varieties, not long cylindrical ones), choose containers that are 20cm (8in) in diameter and at least 20cm (8in) 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 finger tips aiming to leave a 4cm (1.5in) gap between the surface of the compost and the top of the pot.
Sow seeds thinly across the surface and cover with 2cm (0.75in) of compost.
Water and thin out seedlings when they're about 2cm (0.75in) tall, leaving 12cm (5in) gaps between them.

3 Aftercare

This is really easy. Remove weeds and keep seedlings well watered, especially during dry periods as this will stunt the growth of plants.

Category: Recipes

Aubergine Parmigiana

This simple aubergine parmigiana recipe from Italy makes a cosy mid-week meal. Serve this cheese, tomato and aubergine bake as a vegetarian main dish, with some wholewheat garlic bread or a peppery rocket salad, or you can also make it as a hearty side for for a meat dish.!

Fagiolini in Umido

This is a great dish to use some of the abundant Green Beans that should be available in the summer months Fagiolini in Umido is an Italian dside dish simply means Green Beans cooked in Tomato.

Irish Stew with Parsnips

Irish Stew with Parsnips
The Parsnips are by no means traditional in this recipe and are optional but my wife loves them so what you going to do?

Category: The Growing Season

Jobs to do in July

Harvest should be bountiful and the allotment is in full swing

Now is the height of summer, the days endlessly long, temperatures usually at their peek and you should be reaping the rewards of your hard work in the preceding months. Watering in this month is crucial to stem off premature bolting, tomato blossom end rot and splitting skins.

Jobs to do in January

Jobs to do on the Allotment in January
January is generally a very cold month with hard frosts freezing the ground and when the ground isn't frozen it is generally too wet to do much although there are no guarantees with British weather. Looking through my diaries, snow isn't that likely for a prolonged period but you never know.

Jobs to do in August

Harvest should be bountiful and the allotment is in full swing

August is the month of plenty, virtually everything you planted and sown will be giving you a crop, daily trips to the plot are recommended this month, harvesting, watering, and weeding all needing doing this month!

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