Vegetables
Salad Leaf Beetroot 'Bulls Blood'
Beta vulgaris
Grow in the flower border as an alternative to Heuchera, Coleus and other foliage plants. The deep burgundy leaves are delicious in salads when picked young or left to develop as an alternative to Spinach. The Blood Red Beets are at their sweetest when about golf ball size, perfect for roasting.
- Position
- Full sun
- Height
- 30cm
- Spread
- 15cm
Growing calendar
Sowing & growing
Seeds can be soaked half an hour before sowing. Sow directly from Mar-Jul, in shallow drills 3cm deep, 10cm apart in light, well-drained soil. Remove all visible stones. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, thin out until 10cm apart. Water well when soil is dry to keep roots cool. Overwatering can promote leaf growth rather than root growth.
Aftercare
When harvesting leaves, pick a few from lots of plants so that beetroots are able to develop. Harvest all beetroot before first frosts.
Ref. SES050