Traditionally, the red colour of the beetroot results in a few raised eyebrows. It is known to many as ‘blood turnip’ due to its resemblance to the vegetable, albeit with a contrasting, characteristic colour of its own. This is because beetroots contain an antioxidant known as betalain, which accounts for its unique pigment. Sometimes, the excess consumption of beetroot can result in a change in the colour of urine and faeces in a few individuals, due to this pigment passing out. Although it looks scary, it’s nothing to be afraid of.The colour of beetroots is not only limited to its characteristic dark maroon to bold red and pink shades. Apart from the most common ones, including maroon, dark red and purple — which derive their colour from the betalain in the vegetable — the other relatively uncommon colour includes yellowish golden. This is because, instead of betalain, they have the betaxanthine pigment — a renowned pigment that gives yellowish colour to different foods and is a sought-after solution for eyesight issues.

Beetroots that are devoid of any pigment tend to result in a sweeter, white-coloured harvest. Finally, one of the more attractive varieties is the striped one, which has rings of white and red going through the beet when cut open.

The previous columns elaborated on how to germinate seeds and how to shift the plants to a place with maximum sunlight exposure. With the seedlings growing bigger by the day, it will soon be time to apply the two most common, albeit critical, steps of managing the budding seedlings in its early plant life cycle — the thinning and shifting of the seedlings to their permanent place.

As mentioned previously, there are a few smaller seeds within a single seed of beetroot. This potentially results in the germination of more than one seedling from almost the same place in a container. There are two ways to approach this scenario: if one is a seasoned gardener who is an expert in different gardening techniques, then the careful segregation of stronger seedlings is done one by one. Then, these individual seedlings are shifted to their intended permanent place, in a manner where there is space of one foot on either side in between each seedling.

With shades of maroon, red and pink, the beetroot plant is as beautiful as any vegetable can get. But there are a couple of critical steps in managing its seedlings…

If the gardener is a novice, who may not yet be comfortable with segregation and separation of seedlings in such a manner, thinning is the order of the day. In thinning, the weaker seedlings are carefully removed to protect the strongest one. The weaker, removed seedlings make way to the compost bin, while the stronger ones are kept and grown.

Within one to two weeks of germination, true leaves begin to appear. In a month’s time, the true leaves attain maximum size. These leaves are usually very attractive, with mid-rib, veins and venules of the beetroot leaf in maroon colour, surrounded by the usual greens of the leaf. As more leaves grow from the beetroot plant, it is time to continue with nitrogen-based fertilisers. This will continue after every couple of weeks throughout the next month, as the plant grows bushier.

For those who consume beetroot leaves, this is the best time to harvest them. If the beetroot plant already has six to seven true leaves, one can begin harvesting the leaves, as their taste is considered to be at their peak at this moment.

Usually, the outer leaves of the plant are harvested and the central leaves of the plant are spared. The plant will die if the central leaves are also harvested. Soon enough, the new leaves will grow out as well and would be available for harvest. Just like the seeds, the size and height of the leaves of the beetroot plant also resemble spinach leaves, with certain distinct and attractive differences in colour.

The overall plant of beetroot is as beautiful as any vegetable plant can get. Just like burgundy okra and Malabar spinach, almost all the parts of the beetroot plant contain shades of red, maroon or pink. Since it is an underground root, the branches and stem grow above the ground and they are maroon in colour. The leaves, although green, have lots of maroon within as well. Thus, it becomes an appealing sight if one is growing a crop of beetroots in an open-spaced ground or a dedicated seed bed.

Indeed, the plant is nothing less than any attractive, multi-shaded, decorative ornamental plant!

Please send your queries and emails to doctree101@hotmail.com. The writer is a physician and a host for the YouTube channel ‘DocTree Gardening’ promoting organic kitchen gardening

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 15th, 2024