This is a journal of my vegetable gardens. Skippy was my first dog and he thought the garden was his, even though I did all the work. Now Suzie and Charley follow in his footsteps. We're located near Boston (USDA zone 6A). I have a community plot, a backyard vegetable garden, fruit trees, berry bushes, chickens, and bees. I use sustainable organic methods and do my best to grow all of my family's vegetables myself.
Monday, May 24, 2010
beet plants
I left my beets in clumps of 3 or 4 plants this year as I heard that they grow nicely like this. The beets push apart as they grow.
i have always thinned the beets, i planted a few strips of them this year and i think i'll leave a few unthinned to see how it compares. thanks for the idea.
I enjoyed looking up information on leaf miners. Before I had my community plot, I tried to grow beets, spinach and chard at home a few times and gave up because of terrible leaf miner damage. They are almost no problem at the community plot, I suspect because its better growing conditions for these plants (100% sunshine!) and they outgrow the miners. Maybe also because I have more space for crop rotation.
UMASS has a good informative site. "Leaf miners attack crops and weeds in the plant family Chenopodiaceae, which includes chard, beets, and spinach as well as weeds like lamb’s quarters and pigweed. Weed control and crop rotation are the first line of defense. Row covers can also be used to exclude flies if placed over the crop before flies are active."
I planted beet seeds and they were growing nicely. They were about 3 inches high. Last night they were there, and this morning they were gone. I live on Long Island in NY. What would've eaten the plants, and how can I protect them in the future. The garden is fenced on all 4 sides. Thanks
Rabbit or woodchuck. They both are very abundant here.
The baby rabbits that have probably just come out are tiny and can squeeze though very small holes and can dig. To keep them out you will need chicken wire 6 inches into the ground and 6 inches above the ground.
Woodchucks are bigger, like a cat, but also dig and can climb surprisingly well. They don't seem to bother going over my 5 foot fence, but probably only because their are plenty of shorter fences that are easier for them. Many gardeners put loose materials like edging fences or outward curled chicken wire along the tops of their fences to keep them out.
Also, it helps to reduce any brush near the edges of your garden to reduce hiding places for these critters.
Thanks Kathy, You're probably so right. We've seen a huge increase in baby rabbits this year, and two nights ago saw one resting very close to my veggie garden. I'll sow some more seeds and will keep a closer eye on them after they germinate. Thanks for the tips.
chipmunks got almost all my beet seeds this year. I have 3 left. I also saw them eating my strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and gnawing on my eggplants. Anybody have any idea how to get rid of those pesky little critters????
11 comments:
I've never seen a beet plant in the ground before. Thanks for sharing. I was eating beets today for lunch and this entry totally caught my attention.
i have always thinned the beets, i planted a few strips of them this year and i think i'll leave a few unthinned to see how it compares. thanks for the idea.
Interesting--I've never heard of that. It also looks great! Very photogenic that way. =)
Love the idea and glad to hear they will be okay and spread apart as they grow.
Interesting way to plant. Please tell us what happens when they mature...
My beets (and spinach) have been terribly infested with leaf-miners the last 2 years (we're in nearby Somerville). Yours are still looking good!
I enjoyed looking up information on leaf miners. Before I had my community plot, I tried to grow beets, spinach and chard at home a few times and gave up because of terrible leaf miner damage. They are almost no problem at the community plot, I suspect because its better growing conditions for these plants (100% sunshine!) and they outgrow the miners. Maybe also because I have more space for crop rotation.
UMASS has a good informative site. "Leaf miners attack crops and weeds in the plant family Chenopodiaceae, which includes chard, beets, and spinach as well as weeds like lamb’s quarters and pigweed. Weed control and crop rotation are the first line of defense. Row covers can also be used to exclude flies if placed over the crop before flies are active."
I planted beet seeds and they were growing nicely. They were about 3 inches high. Last night they were there, and this morning they were gone. I live on Long Island in NY. What would've eaten the plants, and how can I protect them in the future. The garden is fenced on all 4 sides. Thanks
Rabbit or woodchuck. They both are very abundant here.
The baby rabbits that have probably just come out are tiny and can squeeze though very small holes and can dig. To keep them out you will need chicken wire 6 inches into the ground and 6 inches above the ground.
Woodchucks are bigger, like a cat, but also dig and can climb surprisingly well. They don't seem to bother going over my 5 foot fence, but probably only because their are plenty of shorter fences that are easier for them. Many gardeners put loose materials like edging fences or outward curled chicken wire along the tops of their fences to keep them out.
Also, it helps to reduce any brush near the edges of your garden to reduce hiding places for these critters.
Good luck! Its sad to loose a nice crop.
Thanks Kathy,
You're probably so right. We've seen a huge increase in baby rabbits this year, and two nights ago saw one resting very close to my veggie garden. I'll sow some more seeds and will keep a closer eye on them after they germinate. Thanks for the tips.
chipmunks got almost all my beet seeds this year. I have 3 left. I also saw them eating my strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and gnawing on my eggplants. Anybody have any idea how to get rid of those pesky little critters????
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