Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Is it possible to get beetroot to grow well in AP ?
I have searched and searched this forum. Plenty of people are/have planted it. And lots of people have had poor results.
And good results don't mean the plant grows well, I want to hear about great big edible beets !!
So can all the people who have grown and eaten beets from their AP system please respond, with photos if possible showing proof of their success
And if you have been successful please share you secret to beetroot goodness !

A beetroot over 1kg?


viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6036&hilit=size

Beetroot grows in AP without a problem, very well, even in gravel..

I tried and got some big healthy leaves but not much of a beet. My uncle reckons it is due to high available nutrients. My Nitrates are always high (nitrite and ammonia 0)

Thats strange Arbe... As I say, we've always had pretty good beetroot from almost every system I can think of..

But often we don't have a lot of nitrates.

are these things good pickled? I think I used to eat them when I was a little kid. Are they red inside and sold pickled lots of times?

I have 2 places so far to scale up a full on outdoor system next year and some of these might go well. My friends at the building we are going to do a decent system at drink a ton and loves pickled stuff. We are planning a big 20 foot wall of gherkins and other pickle-able snacks already.

No trouble here....

Or at Mittagong...



Or Bamarang...



Or Wallaby Hill...

The pics of the beetroot from both yourself and Rupe put me to shame. I get big, broad leaves but either no or skinny beet.

The lowest test result I have had for Nitrate is 80ppm - even with Tomatoes planted and fruiting.

I know Rupe runs all his systems at 0/0/0.

The high nitrate levels might certainly be promoting a lot of leaf growth Arbe...

What's your pH??

I have tried and grown some beautiful looking beets on several occasion but they had no flavour. They were commercial seed also a heritage mix from diggers grown in standard byap set-ups powered by trout, barramundii and perch all fed on skrettings , sown on various moon cycles in different seasons ( if I sound fustrated it is because I am ). Yet radish, carrot, parsnip no probs
Beetroot and tomatoes sh_t me and are banished to the dirt

6.4 last time I checked (and on it way up from under 6). Am over due for a test.

No problems with radish here (well I cant grow enough as everyone in the family loves them). Carrots didn't grow too well but I did try them in pea gravel - I think they would have done better in hydroton.

Heh, well I think that answers the question !
Thanks for the great photos guys.
You can't beet a fresh beet

Don't forget that as members of the beet family (as are silver beet) the leaves are suitable as a steamed leaf vegetable. We also eat boiled beets as a hot veggie, normally quartered and sitting on a bed of steamed beetroot leaves.

Try eating vegetables in different ways. Very few cannot be eaten raw, many can be pickled. Those that are normally pickled are delicious hot or cold as fresh veggies.

Regards,
Tony

They were the first thing I have harvested from my system.
Today in fact!