Home grown beetroot is a very versatile crop which is easy to grow, store, and overwinter in the ground. Grate the peeled raw roots for use in salads, boil the roots whole, peel and serve with a little vinegar. The leaves are a colourful addition to salads when small, and may be cooked when larger. +++ How to Grow Beetroot +++ Sow: Directly in the ground between March and July. For a winter and spring crop of beetroot, sow seed outside in July. For a summer and autumn crop sow seed outside from March to June. Harvest: Pick individual small leaves for salads, leaving the roots in the ground. To harvest the roots, dig them up carefully ...  Read the complete review

~+~+~+~+~ ~Background~ ~+~+~+~+~ Beetroot or Beta Vulgaris (its latin name), is a root crop which had its origins in ancient times as a dour tasting, bland looking root, commonly found in salty banks of coastal regions of various part of the world. Later this crop, which was at the time mostly used for medicinal purposes (generally obtained from its foilage) was gradually cultivated and turned into the brightly coloured and naturally sweet tasting, rooted cultivars we are familar with today. Despite its undeniably healthy and nutritious qualities, Beetroot conjures up unpleasant images for a large chunk of Western Europeans. For example. ...  Read the complete review