Page 38 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2025

Growing Globe
Beetroot
Mark Hall is a top Globe Beetroot grower
and has offered to share some of his
growing tips. Mark lives near Telford in
the Midlands, so this is good to bear in
mind when looking at your own timings.
The two main varieties Mark grows for
show are Pablo and Cardeal. Mark finds
that for later shows, sometimes Pablo
becomes a bit more oval, so for later shows,
he uses Cardeal as he finds it holds it
shape a bit better later in the season, albeit
Pablo, he finds has the better skin finish.
Timings are Early May sowing for end
of July Shows, Late June sowing for late
September shows. (Mark does three
sowings; early May, late May and end of
June). Mark finds, in his area, that globe
beet can be ready for harvest in 55-65 days
mid-summer, but early or later sowings
may take longer around 75 days due to the
days being a bit shorter and cooler.
Mark’s Globe Beetroot bed is filled with
sharp sand and well-watered in advance.
The sand will settle and require to be
topped up a bit and you don’t want it to
settle once the seed has been sown.
The borehole mix is basically a John
Innes mix. Mark advises that Beetroot is a
very hungry vegetable, so
don’t skimp with the fertiliser.
All ingredients are firstly
passed through a 6mm
sieve, then mixed together; 7
parts loam, 4 parts peat and
1-part sharp sand. To this,
the following fertilisers are
added to one bushel (approx.
8 gallons) of the above mix.
5 ounces hoof & horn, 5
ounces of Superphosphate,
2½ ounces of Sulphate of
Potash and 1½ ounces of
Hydrated lime to keep the
mix sweet. Once all mixed,
You must
not disturb
your beetroot
once it’s
approximately
thumbnail size
as they can
grow squint
Tennis ball size roots 38 Simply Vegetables
Mark passes it all through
the 6mm sieve once again.
The globe Beetroot is
sown approximately 6 inches
by 6 inches (15*15cm) apart
on a matrix. Mark sows the
bed one section at a time
depending on which show
he is planning for. He cores
out the borehole to a depth of 12 to 15
inches deep and slowly/gently adds the
mix into the borehole with a funnel and
scoop (don’t fill the borehole too quickly as
it can clog up and give you air gaps).
Beetroot ideally prefers a cooler climate.
A cooler summer produces beetroot with
more sugar and a better/darker colour, but
you must keep moist all the time.
Lifting carefully