STEP BY STEP

1 MARK OUT YOUR DRILLS Rake the soil to a fine tilth then mark out short straight rows with string and bamboo canes.

2 MAKE A FURROW Use a trowel to create a shallow trench about 3cm deep (1in). Space additional drills about 30cm (12in) apart.

3 SOW THE SEED Sow thinly to help the seed go further. Or, sow two seeds every 10cm (4in) then remove the weaker seedling.

4 COVER THE SEED Gently cover the seed with soil by hand as beetroot seeds don’t need light. Germination will take around 12-24 days.

5 WATER AND LABEL Use a fine rose on your watering can, or mist setting on the hose. Keep the row(s) evenly moist until germination.

6 WATCH AND WAIT Keep watering and, in about a fortnight, you’ll start to see seed leaves emerging. These will be followed by ‘true’ leaves.

7 THIN OUT THE SEEDLINGS The true leaves are edible so you can thin out the crop and use them as a garnish for salads, pasta dishes, snacks and sandwiches.

8 HARVEST THE GLOBES From mid-June your early sowings will be ready to harvest. Pull them out as required, before they get to cricket ball size, as they’ll be too old and woody.

Boil or pickle beetroot and add to salads, chutneys and soups. Steam the leaves to eat like spinach