Lucy’s top tips
Ensure year-round beetroot supplies
■ Position beetroot in an open (not shady) site, and lime the soil to neutral if it’s at all acidic. Work in a chicken pellet base dressing.
■ Sow bolt-resistant varieties (such as ‘Boltardy’) under cloches in mid-March, or sow into modules under cover and then transplant out.
■ Start sowing outside in April/May, spacing the rows 12in (30cm) apart and seedlings 4in (10cm) apart; overcrowding gives tiny roots.
■ Keep sowing outdoors every month, making your last sowing in mid-July. Water the base of drills thoroughly in dry weather.
■ Irrigate rows every fortnight. Frequent, light watering may encourage generous top-growth but small roots.
■ Lift and store beets in late October. Twist off the foliage and then gently bury roots in boxes of damp sand in a shed or garage.