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When to plant
beetroot in the UK
Each seed cluster produces several seedlings — thin to the strongest. Don't chuck the leaves, they're delicious wilted with butter.
Work out your own dates
Starts from the recommended sow date for your area. Sowed on a different day, or planted out late? Adjust below and the harvest moves with it.
Using the UK-average last frost · 15 April · add your postcode to tune it
Growing journey
9 weeks from planting out to harvest · Start indoors 4 weeks before planting out
Get beetroot seeds
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What beetroot need
Sun or light shade. Any reasonable soil. One of the easiest root veg.
Spacing
10cm between plants · 20cm between rows
Space evenly in rows. Thin seedlings early to avoid crowding.
Varieties worth growing
Boltardy
commonThe steady one that won't run to seed when spring turns cold and changeable — reliable, sweet, and the reason a lot of us grow beetroot at all. Sow it early, sow it often, and it rarely lets you down.
Beetroot, goat's cheese, and walnut salad
Roast whole until tender, then peel and quarter and tumble onto a plate with crumbled goat's cheese, toasted walnuts and a dressing of balsamic and olive oil. A plate that has earned its place.
Chioggia
rareSlice one open and there they are — candy-stripe rings of pink and white, an old Italian variety from the Veneto. It's a little milder than the deep red sorts, and the rings fade in the pot, so it's best eaten raw, where all the quiet theatre is on show.
Chioggia carpaccio
Slice paper-thin on a mandoline (raw, always raw). Arrange on a plate, drizzle with good olive oil, flaky salt, and a few drops of aged balsamic. The rings do the rest.
Detroit Dark Red
commonDeep, inky crimson all the way through, and as sweet and earthy as beetroot gets. It will colour your hands and the chopping board as you go — a small price, and one you'll happily pay.
Borscht
Grate beetroot, simmer with onion, carrot, stock, and a splash of red wine vinegar until everything is magenta. Serve with a generous blob of sour cream and fresh dill. Warmth in a bowl.
Beetroot hummus
Blitz roasted beetroot with chickpeas, tahini, garlic and lemon until impossibly pink and earthy. It makes a plate of raw vegetables disappear in no time.
Golden
uncommonAll the sweetness of beetroot and none of the staining — gentle golden-yellow flesh that leaves your hands and your kitchen quite unmarked. A happy find for anyone who loves the flavour but not the clearing up.
Golden beetroot and orange salad
Roast until tender, slice into rounds, arrange with orange segments and a scattering of toasted hazelnuts. Dress with a honey and sherry vinegar vinaigrette. Sunshine-coloured and unstaining.
Good companions
When to sow beetroot
Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.
Where to buy beetroot seeds
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What you'll need for beetroot
The stuff beginners wish they'd bought sooner.
Protects from late frost and gives seedlings a head start. Keep a roll in the shed — you'll use it constantly.
More in our equipment guide →Each seedling gets its own root space. Less root disturbance when planting out means faster establishment.
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Get your exact dates
Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for beetroot.