It has become a trendy vegetable in recent years, served up in restaurants in goat's cheese salads and also in chilled soups and sauces. It can be sown now, but soak the seed overnight in warm water to help germination.

Beetroot should be grown in an open, sunny spot in well-drained, fertile soil which has been enhanced with well-rotted organic matter.

You can sow outdoors from mid-April, although it's best to warm the soil with cloches beforehand.

Seedlings should be thinned when they are around 3cm high, leaving a single plant every 10cm. Keep the area well weeded and water every couple of weeks during dry weather.

Mulching helps retain moisture, but dryness leads to woodiness.

For a regular supply, beetroot can be sown every couple of weeks up to summer.

Harvest when the roots reach tennis ball size, or else they become woody.

Before lifting, loosen the soil below with a garden fork and try not to damage the roots. Roots can be lifted from summer to autumn, depending on the variety.

Recommended types include Pablo', a globe variety with smooth roots with good disease resistance, and Cylindra', a cylindrical variety with excellent keeping properties.