What did you do in the garden today?

[dirkandlorie]

Let’s see, I took pains to make sure the pH was above 6, changed the variety, fertilized with a general purpose fertilizer prior to planting, painstakingly space the seeds to limit the need to thin, succession planted, and thinned as needed. Still, although I do get a harvest, the beets tend to be both small in size and harvest. I’ll plant anywhere from 40 to 50 row feet and get about enough harvest for roughly six or seven pint jars of processed beets. I fight them every single year.

This time of year I start digging trenches in my garden beds, A couple feet at a time. I dump all my kitchen scraps in the trench with a handful or two of shredded leaves and fill it in with the soil from the next area. I keep doing it all winter long even if the ground is covered with snow or frozen. By planting time in the spring I have really good soil down deep for planting those beets, and anything else for that matter. The other thing I do that's specifically for beets is add a teaspoon of borax to a couple gallon waterer and water the planting hole before planting seed. I've never had my soil tested, so don't know if I'm deficient in boron, but know that beets love it. I grow the Ruby Queen variety, and they have grown really well here for me. My seeds are over ten years old now, so thinking of trying a new variety this spring. I don't know, sometimes its best to stick with the tried and true. Hope there's something in here that helps you with your quest for bigger, better beets. If not, sorry for wasting your time.

 

[jerryse]

AM rain. Wet cloudy day. Indoors today. No sunshine until Saturday.

 

[Minanora]

Let’s see, I took pains to make sure the pH was above 6, changed the variety, fertilized with a general purpose fertilizer prior to planting, painstakingly space the seeds to limit the need to thin, succession planted, and thinned as needed. Still, although I do get a harvest, the beets tend to be both small in size and harvest. I’ll plant anywhere from 40 to 50 row feet and get about enough harvest for roughly six or seven pint jars of processed beets. I fight them every single year.

What's the fertilizer? What did your harvested beets look like?

pH between 5.5 and 8, they should be fine. That harvest is at least something, but I definitely agree that the yield seems pretty low for that many row feet.... Kudos for sticking with it.

Did you plant all at once? Maybe succession planting would give you more variation in growing conditions to see how the season impacts at different growth stages. My fall beets always do better than my spring and summer beets but I still suck at getting the harvest I want. I keep trying though... I love beets so much that I am determined to find the magic recipe.

I will grow bulbing onions again this spring, the right day length varieties this time...


Onto the rest of my garden day.
I checked on seedlings today. On Saturday DS and I planted more kale and lettuce. My dogs forced their way into the garden while I was at work today. I am using wire fence and they pulled my clamp off that was holding the gate shut by forcing themselves between the tee post and gate opening. -_- Even got caught on the gate and took one of their collars off getting unstuck. I wish they had gotten stuck so could have caught them being naughty. They know the garden is off limits.... Stupid smart@** sneaky destructive dogs....

I'm planning my next garden expansion....er... Expansions. I need more room for long growing crops. The dogs have provided an excuse to make an epic border tunnel and nice, permanent, secure gate. Two super long 18“ wide raised beds with a walking path between them and my rebar trellis along the whole thing to make a tunnel. This will replace my wire fence and make a ton of room to grow vining crops that will be safe from my dogs and the chickens. Though I'm struggling with the height because I want to be able to see the chickens behind it. I need the grow space though. So I may have to sacrifice my chicken viewing. I'll figure something out. A compromise. Maybe a few gaps for feeding and viewing.

 

[jerryse]

41 and mist with a high of 47 ugh. Another wet cloudy day. Did not check the mail due to the rain. Very few mice compared to last year. Maybe the cats that are not mine helped.

 

[Sally PB]

I'm hoping that the relatively nice upcoming days will lead to some outdoor projects. The garden could use some more leaves for mulch (always!) and there are things I could do to fortify the fence. I could mix next season's potting soil in the green house; that's a messy job, but sitting in the green house on a sunny day is very welcome in months when being outside is not very comfortable.

Other than that, I'll enjoy other people's gardens here online vicariously. And with a tiny tinge of envy...

 

[Smokerbill]

I cleaned all the crappy bedding out of the chicken coop and used it on one of my 5'x15' raised beds. 10 gallons gave the bed maybe a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick topcoat. Not much, but it was pretty ripe smelling.

 

[chickengr]

I need to water again. spring temperature and drought for the last 2-3 days. cool weather in the next week forecast.

 

[dirkandlorie]

Got a whole week of rain coming up, gonna be awhile til I can shred more leaves for mulch. Mother nature knew I needed a rest before holiday cooking, lol

 

[Rick589]

What's the fertilizer? What did your harvested beets look like?

pH between 5.5 and 8, they should be fine. That harvest is at least something, but I definitely agree that the yield seems pretty low for that many row feet.... Kudos for sticking with it.

Did you plant all at once? Maybe succession planting would give you more variation in growing conditions to see how the season impacts at different growth stages. My fall beets always do better than my spring and summer beets but I still suck at getting the harvest I want. I keep trying though... I love beets so much that I am determined to find the magic recipe.

I will grow bulbing onions again this spring, the right day length varieties this time...


Onto the rest of my garden day.
I checked on seedlings today. On Saturday DS and I planted more kale and lettuce. My dogs forced their way into the garden while I was at work today. I am using wire fence and they pulled my clamp off that was holding the gate shut by forcing themselves between the tee post and gate opening. -_- Even got caught on the gate and took one of their collars off getting unstuck. I wish they had gotten stuck so could have caught them being naughty. They know the garden is off limits.... Stupid smart@** sneaky destructive dogs....

I'm planning my next garden expansion....er... Expansions. I need more room for long growing crops. The dogs have provided an excuse to make an epic border tunnel and nice, permanent, secure gate. Two super long 18“ wide raised beds with a walking path between them and my rebar trellis along the whole thing to make a tunnel. This will replace my wire fence and make a ton of room to grow vining crops that will be safe from my dogs and the chickens. Though I'm struggling with the height because I want to be able to see the chickens behind it. I need the grow space though. So I may have to sacrifice my chicken viewing. I'll figure something out. A compromise. Maybe a few gaps for feeding and viewing.

It was a general purpose balanced organic fertilizer, and yes I did do succession planting for the spring crops but I did not do, nor have I ever, planted for the fall. Maybe that would make a difference.

 

[chickengr]

transplanted cabbages (2 green, 2 purple, 2 chinese), 2 broccoli and a few dill starts. squished about 50 caterpillars