Kitchen Garden Forum

I'm trying two beetroot varieties that are new to me from Marshalls this year - Solo and Cylindra. Solo is described as a monogerm, meaning only one seed from each seed cluster. I'm not sure I would have bothered, but Saint Joy (Larkom) advises getting monogerm varieties when they are available. Fine - but all of mine have come up with two or tree seedlings, much the ame as Cylindra. From that point of view, they don't seem to be worth a premium price. Has anybody had a similar experience?

So do the seeds actually look different? I would expect to see a single seed a bit like a radish seed if it was a single rather than looking like a cluster as they usually do.

I would say they look more like a small cluster, i.e. smaller than usual beetroot seed clusters..

Once advantage of growing a single seed variety would presumably be less work involved in thinning out, but ulless the varieties have a good flavour and are not prone to bolting it may not be worth paying the extra price.

Exactly, Primrose. I won't know until later how Solo performs re flavour and reluctance or otherwise to bolt. But, meanwhile, it looks as though I will still have the minor chore of thinning....