How Do I Get a Continuous Beetroot Harvest All Season?

The problem with a single spring sowing of beetroot is that all roots reach harvest size within a few weeks of each other, creating a glut that is difficult to use or store, followed by nothing. Succession sowing — making several small sowings spaced three to four weeks apart through spring and early summer — staggers the harvest so that fresh roots are available continuously from June through October. A small row or half-pot every three weeks from April to July is all it takes to maintain a near-constant supply of sweet, tender, golf-ball-sized beetroot through the growing season without the feast-and-famine cycle of a single large sowing.

The succession sowing schedule

First sowing (early to mid April): use a bolt-resistant variety such as Boltardy. This sowing will be harvested from late June to mid July. Second sowing (mid to late May): any good globe variety; harvested from late July to late August. Third sowing (late June to early July): harvested from mid September to October. A fourth small sowing in mid-July is possible in mild areas and will provide small roots from October onward; cover with fleece in October to extend the season. Beyond mid-July, germination rates drop in heat and the growing season is too short for usable roots before frosts.

How much to sow each time

A short row (1–1.5 m) or a single deep container (30–50 litres) gives roughly eight to fifteen plants per sowing, providing enough for regular meals over three to four weeks. Sow more if you want to store roots or pickle; sow less if fresh eating is the main goal. The key principle is small and regular — a handful of seeds every three to four weeks beats a whole packet sown at once.

Keeping the harvest manageable

Harvest from each sowing as roots reach golf-ball to tennis-ball size — do not wait for all plants in a row to reach the same size. Pull alternate roots first (this also thins the row and allows remaining roots more space to develop). Leave the last roots from each sowing in the ground until the first roots from the next sowing are ready, so there is no gap. Label each sowing date with a simple stick marker so you know the sequence.