Select your climate zone Australia - cool/mountain Australia - sub-tropical Australia - temperate Australia - tropical New Zealand - cool/mountain New Zealand - sub-tropical New Zealand - temperate United Kingdom - cool/temperate United Kingdom - warm/temperate What is my climate zone?

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
P	P	P	P					P	P	P	P

(Best months for planting Beetroot in Australia - cool/mountain regions)

P = Sow direct in garden where they are to grow.

• Easy to grow.
• Harvest in 7-10 weeks.
• Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 7°C and 25°C.
• Space plants: 40-60cm

Soak seeds in water 24 hours before planting so that you can separate the seeds Thinning is nearly always required as seedlings emerge from a seedball of several seeds. If you don't thin them, you will get a number of rather pathetic plants which don't grow to an edible size. Harvest in 55 - 70 days but will keep in ground for longer. Tolerates light frost.

Keep well-watered as dry beetroot develop a woody and inedible core.

For tasty and tender beetroot, start harvesting at golfball-size.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Beetroot

Apart from boiling whole for salads, beetroot roast well, cut in wedges.
They also make a tasty salad grated raw with carrot and a little fresh orange juice.

Your comments and tips

24 Jul 10 janice (Australia - temperate climate)

i havn't got much space for a garden can i plant vegies in foam boxes

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05 Jul 10 Ray South (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Hi Belinda, I like most of Jackie French's books. They're easy to read and full of info. Something like Backyard Self-sufficiency or Organic Gardening. However, I'd start with my local library. Find a book that looks like it might do and borrow it. Only borrow one so that you can get familiar with it. Also, if it's your first veggie garden, go with easy things to grow. If you have a local gardening club, particularly something along the lines of BOGI (Brisbane Organic Growers Inc.), join up and pick their brains. There's nothing like homegrown. Good luck.

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05 Jul 10 Belinda Welland (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

On your site it says to sow at a particular time, and I am assuming that is for seeds. Is there any difference if I am going to use seedlings from the nursery? Can you recommend a book or website where I can learn about growing my first vegetable garden, the dos and do nots etc? Thanks

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05 Jul 10 Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

The plants from a nursery are usually ready to plant out but you might need to harden them off a bit first. To do that, put the pots or punnets outside during the day and then put them under cover or close to the house, at night. Do that for about a week. That should help the seedlings adjust to temperature changes.

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21 May 10 Brenton (Australia - temperate climate)

Can beetroot have any other colour,saw TV program they used yellow&white beetroot in the salad

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24 May 10 Debra (Australia - temperate climate)

Both Diggers and New Gippsland Seeds have golden, white, red and white beetroots - taste just like regular beetroot, maybe a bit milder or sweeter according the the type. the white ones are great for pickling and putting in sandwiches - if they drip, no stains.

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16 Apr 10 (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

@anna, I would slice the beetroot thinly and put them in a low oven (120C) until dry enough - or use a dehydrator

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16 Apr 10 Anna (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

At my local farmer's market a person sells dried beetroot which is delish. I'd like to use it for cooking preferably biscuits. Anyone seen anything on this plse, or suggestions?

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21 Mar 10 brian slane (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Thank you Lisa (Australia)

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15 Mar 10 Rob (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Early spring I planted Rainbow Beets. Wonderful. I got white, red, yellow and varying combinations of coloured ringed beets. They look great in the pickling jar and taste just as good

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