Beetroot 'Star 1105'

This beetroot can be grown on a wide range of soils, but do best on a loam soil with good structure, more tolerant to saline soils than most other crops. Heavy clay soils may result in misshapen beets. Plough to 20cm then tilth or rotate for a fine, level seed bed. Where drainage is a problem, raised beds should be used. ¹

Be careful not to let the soil dry out too much during root formation, as this will cause white rings in the beet and they will become tough, woody and inedible ².

Make sure the top of the beet’s bulb is covered with soil; this keeps the entire bulb the same color and prevents ‘corkiness’ at the top of the bulb ².

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water often. Keep in mind when planting that Star 1105 is thought of as half hardy, so it will require protection in frosts and low temperatures. Planting Star 1105 in loamy soil with a ph of between 6.0 and 8.0 is ideal for as it does best in weakly acidic soil to weakly alkaline soil.

• Sow in spring/summer/autumn
• Sow directly in garden – not suitable for seedling trays.
• Sow on beds 1,2m wide and 4 rows per bed. Sow one seed every 5cm within the row.
• Sowing depth – 2 cm
• Water soil to 30 cm before sowing.
• Keep soil moist with light irrigation until germinated

They can be hard to germinate, so score seeds with nail file and then soak in tepid water 24 hours before planting so that you can separate the seeds.

Thinning is nearly always required as seedlings emerge from a seedball or cluster of several seeds (6-9 seeds). If you don’t thin them, you will get a number of rather pathetic plants which don’t grow to an edible size². Sow at a depth of approx. 0.78 inches (2.0 cm) and aim for a distance of at least 1.95 inches (5.0 cm) between Beetroot plants. Soil temperature should be kept higher than 7°C / 45°F to ensure good germination.

Avoid acidic soils. It’s important to space the beets so that they are growing about 1 inch apart. The roots will not develop properly if the plants are crowded together. Thick clumps of seedlings can be transplanted into bare spots. Continue to thin and use the beets as they grow larger. Root size is controlled by the spacing.

As Star 1105 is half hardy, ensure temperatures are mild enough to plant out - wait until after your last frost date to be on the safe side.

By hand or mechanically when required size is reached, 80-90 days from sowing (summer) or 90-120 days from sowing (winter) ¹

You can harvest small, tender leaves once the plant is established, but never take more than 1/3 of the plants leaves at any one time.

For tasty and tender beetroot, start harvesting at golfball-size ². At that time, you can use all the larger, older leaves the same way you would use Swiss Chard or mature spinach.

Beetroot Star 1105

¹ Manufacturer’s fact sheet

² Gardenate: Growing Beetroot