Description
A traditional Italian beetroot named after the village where it was bred, Chioggia is famous for its very attractive white and magenta rings. Unlike white or yellow beets which are mild and sweet, Chioggia has an robust, earthy flavour with a sweet finish.
We advise that this variety is best used raw, thinly sliced in summer salads and drizzled with a good dressing. The striking striped flesh also looks best used raw, as it loses some of its definition (but not its flavour) when cooked.
Seeds Per Pack - 150
Sowing:
Sow undercover from early March with heat, beetroot will germinate best at a temperature btween 20 and 25˚C. We recommend sowing in a 5cm seedling tray (e.g. Huw Richards 10 or 20 cell tray) with 3-4 seeds per cell, the aim is to have 4 seedlings per cell. If more than 4 germinate, the surplus can be thinned.
NB: Beetroot seeds are actually clusters of more than one seed but not all will geminate which is why we sow multiple seeds in each cell.
Planting out:
Each cell of 4 seedlings can be planted out 3-4 weeks later at a spacing of 35cm all round. The plants in the cell are not split up but grow together as a group. Roots grow at different rates so the largest beetroot can be twisted out as required leaving smaller roots to grow on.
