Scientific Name: Beta vulgaris

Common Names: Beetroot 'Golden', Beetroot 'Golden Detroit'

Family: Amaranthaceae

Origin:

Golden is a heirloom beetroot variety that was bred in the USA in the early part of the 19th century.

Culinary Uses:

Use Golden Beetroot as a stain-free alternative anyway you'd normally use red beetroot.  Great cooked and sliced in salads and sandwiches, roasted or pickled.  Young leaves are also edible raw in salads and older leaves can be cooked as a green vegetable.  Golden Beetroots retain their sweetness and remain tender even when they're left in the ground to mature longer than ideal.

Growing Tips:

Golden Beetroots grow best in a full sun location, but they'll also tolerate light shade.  Ensure your garden soil is free draining, if your soil is heavy in clay or too compacted consider growing beetroot in raised garden beds instead.  Digs lots of organic fertiliser, well-rotted manures, worm castings and/or compost through your beds a few weeks prior to sowing.  Don't over-fertilise beetroot plants when they are growing as this will encourage leafy growth at the expense of root formation.  Remove any small stones or pebbles from your soil as these may cause deformations in your beetroot roots.  Water Golden Beetroot plants regularly, if the soil is allowed to become dry for too long their cores may become hard and woody, but don't over-water or your beetroots will grow lots a leaves with little root expansion.  Mulch around beetroot plants well to retain moisture, keep their roots cool and reduce competition from weeds.  Mound mulch or soil over any part of the roots that become exposed as they grow to prevent discolouration and toughness due to sunlight.

When To Sow:

Sow Golden Beetroot seeds from September to April in cooler regions of Australia.  In temperate regions of Australia sow Golden Beetroot seeds from July to April.  In subtropical regions of Australia sow Golden Beetroots any time of the year.  In tropical regions of Australia sow Golden Beetroot seed during the dry season from March to June

How To Sow:

Plant Golden Beetroot seeds 2cm deep spacing plantings about 10cm apart to give the roots plenty of room to expand.  What we think of as a beetroot seed is actually a dry cluster that contains multiple seeds, you may need to thin your beetroot seedlings to one plant per spot if multiple seedlings germinate from a cluster.  This variety can suffer from lower germination rates than red varieties so plant two clusters in each hole to increase your chance of success.  Soaking seeds in lukewarm water overnight prior to sowing can help to increase germination rates also.

Germination Time:

Golden Beetroot seeds take between 8 and 10 days to germinate once sown.

Time To Harvest:

Golden Beetroot takes between 8 and 10 weeks to produce decent sized roots.  Leaves can be harvested anytime in moderation and doing so can actually encourage them to grow bigger roots quicker, but don't strip the plants bare or there'll be no way for them to put energy into their roots.