Bolting beetroot

[ButternutSquash]

My largest beetroot, about the size of a tennis ball, is bolting. Books say you don't want them to bolt, and I assume this is because bolting takes energy away from root formation. So, if it is a decent size, should it be harvested ASAP, due perhaps to flowering sucking out energy from the root, or can it be left? It is a yellow variety incidentally. I am told that in Ukraine, they feed the yellow ones to pigs.

[Marb67]

My Bolhardy bolt too.

[Alison]

My largest beetroot, about the size of a tennis ball, is bolting. Books say you don't want them to bolt, and I assume this is because bolting takes energy away from root formation. So, if it is a decent size, should it be harvested ASAP, due perhaps to flowering sucking out energy from the root, or can it be left? It is a yellow variety incidentally. I am told that in Ukraine, they feed the yellow ones to pigs.

They tend to woody when they bolt so tough to eat. Personally I pick them when they're a bit smaller than that.

[Greenleaves]

The only beetroot I seem to be able to grow without bolting is Pablo. I tend to lift mine when bigger than a golf ball but smaller than a tennis ball. Any thing that grows bigger tends to get roasted

[Chippy Minton]

The title sounds like one of those exclamations from the old, old Batman series "Bolting Beetroot Batman"!

I'm with Alison, once bolted the roots go all woody and not nice.

[ButternutSquash]

Thanks all. Roast beetroot for dinner tomorrow.

[WendyC]

My Bolhardy bolt too.

Try Bolthardy instead.

[brownfingers]

I've grown Kestrel F1 and they are bolting too. This is happening before they have developed to a pullable size. Should you nip off the shoot that is bolting?