the beetroot has bolted. it has gone into flowering mode. often caused by a sudden increase in temperature. erratic watering or a combination of the two.

You need to harvest them sooner.

or buy seed which is not prone to bolting there are a few varieties on the market. Boltardy is one I use.

I too grow boltardy as I love pickled beetroot and they've never bolted yet, but while they do well in my greenhouse they never get anywhere outside. I've had 3 rows in a 4ft long raised bed for 2 months but they're still only 2-3 ins tall. Most other veg grow here. Am I doing something wrong here ?

Hank I always think beetroot is a bit like that, mine is awful this year, so maybe just how it goes, I have got a few seeds up but very poor, and something is eating them when they appear. Think it is MICE - we sat in the garden the other night and laughed at them, they were doing circuits - well it looked a bit like circuit training, first one then two then three and then back around the garden and off they went again. Too much energy after eating their greens me thinks. lol.

Hi O, mice pulled up all my peas ( but no beetroot at all ) so I put traps down. We caught 1 a day for 8 days, then no more.
I have more peas coming up now with no mouse problem - I guess we got rid of them all. But maybe you don't like using traps ?

I like them in the garden, as long as they stay outside thats ok. I am not one for trapping, about the only thing I catch in traps are the darned rabbits which sometimes get in and eat my flowers, they cannot get into the veggie garden it is fenced off. After saying that if people leave the gate open they can get in. lol. We have tried to make the whole garden rabbit proof it is much better now than it used to be. Darned Peter Rabbit has a lot to answer for. Mice I can handle they do not do as much damage as the rabbits. Hope you get lots of peas Hank I love eating them straight from the pod but do not grow them, not enough room for them. I grow three kinds of beans, brussels, lettuce, carrots, parsnips and this year am growing leaks and of course the beetroot. Bought some more seed will set that and keep my fingers crossed that it grows better this time.