Winter seed sowing tips: multisowing beetroot, with our garden expert: Elly Keen
Multisowing beetroot
Beetroot are a crop that I like to grow year round. By sowing a little often, I find I can have a constant supply as they store well in the ground and can be picked as you need them. Beetroot is also a hardy vegetable that can be grown year-round here in New Zealand.
I always prefer to tray sow my beetroot as unlike some other root crops, beetroot are absolutely fine to be transplanted. In the winter time, seeds will have to be started indoors or at least in a greenhouse if you have one. A beetroot seed is actually a cluster of seeds, meaning you will almost always get at least 1 if not 3 seedlings per seed (sometimes it can even get up to six seedlings from one seed!). This fact makes them one of the easiest to germinate as long as your seed is fresh. Simply add a good quality seed raising mix, water and warmth.
Multisown beetroot is a method made famous by market gardener and the king of no-dig, Charles Dowding. He preaches its benefits, claiming better germination rate and greater yields and productivity of time and space when you sow 1-3 seeds per cell module.
Once they have germinated you may then thin them out to four strong seedlings before transferring into the garden. The beetroot grow on in a clump of four and you may simply pick one at a time, leaving the remaining to grow on. (Here’s a Charles Dowding YouTube video for a demonstration and further explanation.)
Remember when sowing seeds in the winter, provide your seeds with adequate amount of lights after germination to prevent legginess. Beetroot can remain in the trays for up to six weeks before planting out and will be more than happy to spend majority of this time outdoors in the trays as long as some protection from wind, rain and frost is provided. Ensure the seedlings are fully hardened off prior to transplant and if you are in an area with heavy frosts or snow, you will need to construct a garden cloche for further protection while seedlings are young and still tender.
