Beta vulgaris 'Chioggia Striped' (Beetroot) – Candy Stripe Heirloom Vegetable (12 Plants in 2 x 6-Cell Trays)

Chioggia Striped beetroot is an Italian heirloom that gives you candy-striped roots, with alternating rings of deep red and creamy white that hold their colour when served raw. It is a rewarding crop for a kitchen garden, a raised bed or a large container.

You get 12 plants, growing in 2 plastic trays of 6 cells, one plant to a cell. Chioggia has a sweeter, milder flavour than many traditional beetroot, so it suits salads, roasting, pickling and raw dishes. The deep green leaves with red-tinged stems are ornamental as well as edible, and young leaves can be picked for salads.

Plant out from late spring, once the risk of frost has passed, into fertile, free draining soil in full sun. Space plants about 10cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Beetroot is not reliably hardy, so avoid cold or waterlogged soil and wait until conditions are warm. Keep the soil evenly moist to help prevent bolting and to stop the roots turning woody. Harvest roughly 60 to 70 days after planting out, and pick them young at about golf ball size for the sweetest flavour. A mulch around the plants helps hold moisture and suppress weeds.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Chioggia Beetroot, Candy Stripe Beetroot
• Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris
• Growth Habit: Upright leafy tops with a rounded, globe-shaped root
• Perfect For: Vegetable beds, raised beds, large containers, kitchen gardens
• Foliage: Deep green leaves with red-tinged stems
• Planting Position: Full sun
• Soil Type: Fertile, free draining, moisture-retentive soil
• Hardiness: Not reliably hardy. Plant out after the last frost and lift before hard frost
• Sowing / Planting Time: Plant out from late spring
• Harvest Time: July to October
• Type: Edible vegetable