Hello, I have tried growing several varieties of beetroot from seed (pre soaked & dry) and from seedlings every year for about four years in Rotorua. I always end up with lots of leaves but very little bulb. This year, from 14 plants, a mix of cylinder and heritage (white, yellow, variegated) I ended up with 100gms of beetroot! What do I need to do to get worthwhile beets? Thanks, Kaye.

Beetroot is a marvellous crop. It sounds like your issues are in the soil due to the lack of bulb forming and an excess of leaves generally means too much nitrogen in the soil. If you have used a lot of compost or manure, don't add anymore this season. Beetroot need phosphorus to develop, if there is too much nitrogen there will be plenty of foliage but not a lot of root development. Apply a balanced fertiliser such as Tui General Fertiliser or add some Tui Superphosphate to the garden.

Make sure the soil is loose and free draining, also, ensure they are not planted too close together, they need space to grow.

Keep the soil moist but not wet throughout the growing season. Beetroot doesn't like wet, boggy or shady soils.

Alternatively you could try growing beetroot in large tubs or barrels, fill with Tui Vegetable Mix.