How to Grow Mangelwurzels

At a Glance

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil texture	tolerant of most garden soils (She Grows Veg)
Drainage	well-drained
Lifecycle	biennial
Edible parts	root, leaves

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: mulch to retain moisture in free-draining soil or hot summers (She Grows Veg)

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing	0	Sow undercover mid-February to May in modules, one seed per module, or direct sow 2cm deep; germination can take two weeks or more (She Grows Veg).
Transplanting	1	Plant out with a dibber 30cm apart once transplants reach 6-8cm tall (She Grows Veg).
Root swelling (largely above ground)	4	Roots swell to a large size, sitting up to two-thirds above the soil surface, unlike buried sugar or intermediate varieties (Wikipedia).
Autumn harvest	8	Harvest from autumn onwards, before deep winter cold and hard frosts damage the roots (She Grows Veg).

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Harvest from autumn onwards; hard frosts can damage roots, so gather in before deep winter cold. Roots especially tender picked small, but larger roots (up to 5-20lb) are delicious too (She Grows Veg, Wikipedia).

Diseases

Rhizomania ("root madness")

moderate

Likely rather than confirmed: no source names this crop directly, but it shares a species (Beta vulgaris) with Sugar Beet, which lists this disease.

Pests

Sparrows

moderate

Passer domesticus

She Grows Veg names this directly: sparrows adore young mangelwurzel leaves.

Slugs

moderate

Gastropoda (slugs, various spp.)

She Grows Veg names this directly: young seedlings vulnerable to slugs.

Sources

1. Grit (rural living and small-farm magazine) - Growing Mangel-Wurzels

   Documented in European fields by the mid-16th century; fell out of favour in the 20th century as mechanisation favoured grain crops instead. Sow around the average last frost date: cultivate 2-3in deep to loosen the soil and kill weeds, sow seed every 6in in rows about 2ft apart, then thin seedlings to one every 12-18in -- generous spacing matters because the roots grow very large. Tolerates adverse conditions, thrives in moist cool climates, is drought-tolerant, and copes with clay soil without special amendment, though it appreciates good fertility. A 100ft row can yield 1,000lb of roots, individual roots exceeding 20lb in good conditions. FEW PESTS: small rodents, rabbits and deer may nibble the leaves but rarely do serious damage. Harvest before the first killing frost; cure the lifted roots in the garden for a few days to a couple of weeks, then store in a root cellar or an earthed-over straw mound, where they keep through winter into spring.

2. She Grows Veg - Marvellous Mangelwurzels: All You Need To Know

   A secondary gardening reference rather than a university or horticultural authority, used as the primary source as no RHS or equivalent authority growing profile exists for this heritage fodder crop, explicitly disclosed. A dual-purpose Beta vulgaris root crop producing both edible roots and chard-like leaves. Roots are especially tender picked small, but larger roots are delicious too -- roasted, boiled, in soups or curries; leaves used as you would spinach or chard. Mulching recommended in free-draining soil or hot summers to retain moisture. Sow undercover mid-February to May in 3-4cm modules, one seed per module, planted out with a dibber 30cm apart once transplants reach 6-8cm tall; or direct sow 2cm deep, 30cm apart. Germination can take two weeks or more. Harvest from autumn onwards; hard frosts can damage roots, so best gathered in before deep winter cold. Young seedlings vulnerable to slugs and sparrows, which particularly favour young mangelwurzel leaves.

3. Wikipedia - Mangelwurzel

   Historical/agronomic detail, cross-checked against horticultural sources. Mangelwurzel, also called mangold or fodder beet, is a distinct Beta vulgaris type from which sugar beet was later derived in continental Europe during the 1800s, as sugar cane was subject to English blockades during the Napoleonic wars -- historically prior to, not derived from, sugar beet. Grown mainly as succulent livestock feed, though also popular as a garden vegetable, both root and leaves edible. Roots are notably large, often growing much larger than typical garden beets, individual roots weighing 5-20 pounds under good conditions, and are less deeply buried in the soil (up to two-thirds above ground) than sugar or intermediate fodder-sugar varieties.

These 3 sources are specific to this region. The full list of 3 sources behind this guide (Grit (rural living and small-farm magazine), She Grows Veg, Wikipedia) is in the references of our UK guide to mangelwurzels; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.