Crop type: Beetroot
Beta vulgaris ‘Forono’
Common name: Beetroot ‘Forono’
Crop slug: beetroot
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Forono’ is a vigorous and productive annual beetroot with an RHS Award of Garden Merit. Unlike the familiar round type, it forms uniform, elongated dark-red taproots. The roots are described as sweet and easy to peel, while the young green leaves can also be harvested for eating.
The cultivar shows resistance to bolting, making it a useful choice across a long sowing season. Its bushy foliage feeds the long roots below and remains green from spring into autumn.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.5–1 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.5–1 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
The live RHS profile assigns both height and spread a range of 0.5–1 metre. ‘Forono’ completes that annual growth during a single season, producing a comparatively substantial bushy top over its elongated root.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Chalk, clay, loam and sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well-drained or well-drained
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline or neutral
‘Forono’ accepts all four listed soil textures and the full pH range. Fertility and free drainage remain important, together with enough moisture to sustain even root development.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- South- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H3 — hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK, while normally cultivated and harvested as an annual vegetable
Select a sheltered position in full sun. The H3 rating indicates tolerance of cool conditions in milder areas, but the crop reaches maturity within one year and is not generally retained as a perennial.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
| Season | Flowers | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | — | Green | — |
| Summer | — | Green | — |
| Autumn | — | Green | — |
| Winter | — | — | — |
Green foliage is listed from spring through autumn. Below it, the long, dark-red edible root provides the cultivar’s most important visual identifier. An em dash shows that the RHS profile gives no colour for that field and season.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Amaranthaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Beta includes annual, biennial and perennial plants, often with basal rosettes and thick fleshy roots. The genus encompasses wild species as well as food crops such as beetroot, chard and sugar beet.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Grow ‘Forono’ in fertile, freely drained soil in full sun. Sow at fortnightly intervals from March to July so roots mature in succession rather than all at once. Keep growing conditions reasonably even to support the production of straight, uniform roots.
Propagation
Propagate by seed. Direct sowing suits this root crop and avoids unnecessary disturbance as its long taproot develops.
Pruning
No pruning is required. Young leaves may be picked for eating without removing so much foliage that root growth is weakened.
Pests
The profile lists possible susceptibility to aphids, flea beetles and mangold fly, also known as beet leaf miner. Check foliage for colonies, feeding holes and mines between the leaf surfaces.
Diseases
‘Forono’ may be susceptible to beetroot heart rot, black leg and leaf spot, but the profile describes it as tolerant of downy mildew. This tolerance does not rule out other foliage or root problems, so continue normal crop inspection.