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Annual Biennial

Beta vulgaris 'Bull's Blood'

beetroot 'Bull's Blood'

An attractive annual vegetable grown for its edible, crimson-red taproots and dense rosettes of glossy, edible, dark purple-red leaves. A striking variety for the kitchen garden or vegetable patch and an excellent culinary choice

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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
1 year
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Red Purple
Summer Green Purple Red
Autumn Red Purple
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H3
Botanical details
Family
Amaranthaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Genus

Beta can be annual, biennial or perennial plants, often with rosettes of basal leaves and thick, fleshy roots. The genus includes a range of wild species, as well as cultivated food crops such as beetroot, chard and sugar beet

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, well drained, alkaline soil in full sun. Dig over bed in autumn and add well rotted manure if humus content is low. Sow direct between March and July into drills 2.5cm deep and lighly rake over with soil. Thin out seedlings to 10cm spacings. See beetroot cultivation for more information

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Suggested planting locations and garden types
Pruning

No pruning required. Harvest roots when they are more than 5cm in diameter

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, flea beetles and mangold fly (beet leaf miner)

Diseases

May be susceptible to beetroot heart rot, black leg and leaf spot

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