Carrots, Onions, Radish Seeds

That's why I said everybody's schedule is different.....it's something you love to do so go for it! I just don't want people to think it's a MUST, to start them inside like peppers, tomatoes, eggplant etc. Everybody has a way that is easier for them. For carrot seeds I just put a board over them to keep them from drying out. For you it's therapeutic, for many it would be unnessasary work....I toss them, thin, then harvest. Whatever works....

I planted my beets, radishes, etc indoors this past winter only because my seeds were extremely old (2003-7). I used a wet paper towel for sprouting much like the coffee filter method mentioned above (by 1lisac, I think). With such old seeds, I wanted to 'baby' them and also see if they sprouted or not before planting them outside.

I don't have a light setup at this time but have managed to get seeds started in a sunny window. The seedlings are a bit leggy when done that way but grow properly once set outside. Lights would be better, but the sunny window works in a pinch.

cytf, thanks but so far I haven't had any trouble starting carrots just trouble knowing when to pull them...lol. I have made and used seed tape many times and I do like it but sometimes it's just easier to toss the seeds and thin them as they grow...I eat the rejects...no waste there.

I hear yah, Lise!

You reminded me of yet another reason I start indoors--I absolutely HATE wasting seedlings to thinning!

I get far better control over the numbers of seedlings I get to keep, by carefully spacing them in the cups after the soaking.

That way I usually have just the numbers I need for transplanting outside, without sacrificing too many to thinning.

This message was edited Mar 23, 2014 3:43 PM

I have to admit if I don't eat it I just move it over. But the beets have to be thinned one way or the other bc the "seeds" are actually capsules. By using the coffee filter method I know which seeds are viable. I've managed to get the pill bugs under control, after I was told for years they didn't do that much damage, ya right.

Linda,
i bet you dream doing gardening. Do you ever go to bed?? LOL!!!
I am sooo impress with your organization!!!

Your veggie looks good. i need to try your smoothies. I need to lose 10 lbs.

Belle

Thank you, Belle!

I only WISH I was as organized as I sound. If I manage to get my garage in order this summer, then I'll REALLY start cooking with grease!

Gymgirl & hillbillyBob,

I think it was the 2 of you who said you LOVE beet greens - and maybe even plant beets for the greens only. I was wondering if you have ever tried chard (sometimes called Swiss Chard)? Last month I gathered and cooked my 1st bunch of beet greens (ever). As soon as I tasted the 1st mouthful, I though, "chard, definitely, chard!" They taste exactly the same.

Then I started to notice the similarity in appearance between fresh (uncooked) beet leaves and chard, especially ruby chard, as the latter has red stems and veins just like beet leaves. Curious by this time, I did some research and learned that chard and beet are practically the same plant Beta vulgaris, except that chard is Beta vulgaris subspecies cicla. Even the seeds are the same, 2 or more smaller seeds in that hard, wrinkly looking seed case.

I brought all of this up because those of you who are growing beets primarily or entirely for the leaves/greens may want to check out chard, if you haven't done so already. The leaves taste the same (to me, at least). The main difference is that, whereas the beet plant puts a lot of its energy into the formation of the root (beet), the chard plant puts all its energy into the leaves and stems. Chard grows much larger and produces a lot more 'greens'. I think this may explain why beet greens have never really gone mainstream. For those interested in the greens only, chard it the better, more productive option.

Give chard a try, if you haven't already. i would love to hear your thoughts on this.

After tasting my 1st 'mess' of beet greens and rethinking Bob's comment about growing beets here in Chas all year long, I quickly headed out to the patio to reseed the 2 large containers in which I had grown beets last winter. I also planted several large tubs of chard. It's an experiment. Some of my research seemed to indicate that Bob may have been right; that beets (and thus also chard) may be able to take the heat here in summer. I'm told the actual beets (roots) will grow tough, gnarly, and inedible in the summer heat but the greens should still be fine. I sure hope that is true; it's great to imagine I might be able to eat greens year round, summer included.

I absolutely agree with you and I love Swiss Chard so much more.
Swiss Chard grows all summer here in Dallas, even with our extreme heat.
Happy gardening

drthor,

How excellent to hear that chard does well in your area. That gives credence my assumption that chard will be able to stand up to the heat here. Glad I planted a bunch of chard (and some beets) for summer. Thanks for letting me know.

It may seem quite contrary to expectations, but the climate here in Charleston is very similar to that in the SE quadrant of TX up to around Houston. There is one very detailed climate zone map (not the one we usually use) that places Charleston in the same zone as the extreme gulf coast including the SE quadrant of TX and the northern 1/2 of FL. I've since learned that it is the Gulf Stream which is largely responsible for bringing the warmth of the gulf coast to our shore, such that Charleston weather is totally distinct from that of the rest of SC.

Thanks again!

Hi Gymgirl, I have good results with Beets , thanks to you.They are growing very healthy so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get nice produce.

Cytf,
Did you start those indoors or direct seed them into the garden? Either way, they look FANTASTICALLY HEALTHY!!!

You are going to have a wonderful harvest. Just remember to keep your soil evenly moist for them, and maybe put some mulch down to keep the soil moist and cool.

You did a great job! I am so proud of you!!

P.S. Which varieties are you growing?

Do you know how to pickle them? LMK. I have a killer recipe!

This weekend, the press will be on to get my seedling rooms ready for sowing. I'm employing the two neighbor boys (7 and 9) next door to wash up ALL my seedling trays, cups and vessels for the sowing to begin next month.

It is absolutely amazing how the time flies from season to season!

If I start some broccoli and cabbage seeds next month, they'll be 10 weeks old and approximately 8-10" by transplant time in mid-September. They'll have a good head start on the pill bugs. Once they're established (about 2 weeks in the ground), they'll take off just as the weather begins to cool down.

I reviewed an old post of mine, which said it took 120 days from seed to harvesting an Arcadia broccoli, in MY veggie garden, LOL.

Let the countdown begin!

Linda

The package says Seeds of Change 100% certified organic colorful beet mix, I will put down some mulch tomorrow, I started them indoors as you advised me .Hey I have a good Mentor ,lol

>> the central stalk of the collard plant (sliced thin with tough/woody outer part removed. eaten raw like crudite).

Try the Asian Brassica "Gai Lan" or "kailaan" (stems).

Or any of the flowering Bok Choy (Yu Choy Sum) - eat the flowering stalks and baby blooms / buds.

But both of those are typical cool-weather Brassicas. At least, with Yu Choy Sum, you don't mind it bolting ... that IS the edible part!

Or maybe Celtuce "celery lettuce" - the celery-shaped stem is eaten raw or cooked:
Lactuca sativa var. asparagina, augustana, or angustata
Also called stem lettuce or asparagus lettuce,

How about "leaf broccoli"? It tastes like broccoli, but you eat the leaves and tender tips:
Spigariello Liscia = Broccolo Spigariello = Brassica oleracea var. 'Spigariello'
If you let it overwinter (no problem where I live, Zone 8), it will bolt next spring and then you'll see the resemblance to brocoli.

Wow, cytf. You did VERY well! Glad I could share some knowledge.

Now, since you've obviously got the hang of this, be on the lookout for the next newbie and "pass it forward!"

And, please, continue to post your progress here so we can share your experience.

Hugs!

Linda

RickyCorey_WA,

Thank you for the wonderful suggestions! (I'm the one who eats the central stalk of the collard plant and am on a mission to try to find a way to eat all edible/non-toxic parts of the plants I buy and grow.)

This year I planted a veggie garden again for the 1st time since my car accident some 5 or so years ago, so I kept it pretty simple. I hope to expand my garden slowly over time, as I see that I am able to manage it. I will most definitely try your suggestions. I had already begun looking at some Asian vegetables.

Thanks again!

Gymgirl,

I'm so glad you said that about starting your broccoli and such now. This year, in addition to planting a garden again for the 1st time in years, I'm starting everything from seeds. As I've always used transplants in the past (for those items which would need to be started indoors), I have no idea when to start such items. I greatly misjudged my tomatoes and peppers for the spring planting, and had you not mentioned starting your broccoli now, I suspect I would have been late with that as well.

I do realize that you are starting yours a little earlier than absolutely necessary, but I figure by the time I get things in gear, I will probably be right on target thanks to your comment. Thanks!

DreamofSpring,

You're right about getting my seeds started early. Our mild winters here allow for earlier and later plantings. Houston has ~285 growing days, and I'd like to use as many of them as I can, LOL! I've also passed enough community gardens in our area that had almost-full heads of cabbages growing by mid-September. That tipped me off as to how early their seeds were sown!

After I reviewed my post that said, "... it took 120 days from seed to harvesting an Arcadia broccoli, in MY veggie garden..." I pulled out the calendar and began targeting dates I wanted to harvest my broccs, cauliflowers, & cabbages. Then I began counting backward 120 days to help me determine when to sow my seeds indoors. This is what I came up with as a schedule:

Sow Date ►Harvest Date
6/14/14 ►10/18/14
7/12/14 ►11/15/14
8/9/14 ►12/13/14
9/13/14 ► 01/17/14
10/4/14 ► 02/08/14**

**As long as my last harvest is done by this date, I'll have one week to clear out and prepare the beds to receive my long season tomato transplants the next week, on February 14, 2015.

I'll start tomato seeds at the Winter Solstice, the weekend of December 20-21, 2014...the seedlings will be 8 weeks old by transplant time...

I know I push the winter envelope by starting tomatoes outside so early, but, I hedge my bets by having all my frost protection contingencies in place ahead of time. We really only get between 3-8 days below 30° in our winters here. And, they're usually not back to back days, nor or they entire 24 hour days -- more like a couple hours before dawn, each time...I can protect the tomatoes for brief periods of frost...

I need between 80-120 days for my long-season tomatoes...

Hugs!

Linda

Thanks, Linda!

Wow, you sure are incredibly organized. Appreciate all the info. The climate here in Charleston is very much like that of TX - not true of the rest of SC, just Charleston. We can garden year round here. I have flowers in bloom here at all times year round. Likewise, there is no month during which one cannot plant or grow vegetables here, as well. I think your planting dates will probably work quite well for me, too. Thanks again.

>> I had already begun looking at some Asian vegetables.

Consider looking at these sites for Asian seeds:
http://www.tainongseeds.com/ and
http://www.kitazawaseed.com/

Kitazawa has GREAT variety and detailed descriptions including traditional recipes. Their paper catalog is almost a research resource. I think their prices are good because the packets are large.

With Tainong seeds, you get a picture and a very short description, but you almost have to know what you want.

They are oriented towards market growers, so they list a lot of hybrid varieties, and they don't post prices. You "just have to know" that they will sell hobbyists "little" $2 sample packets that are usually two grams, but I-Lung just calls it "a scoop". Two grams for two dollars is a GREAT deal!

I make up a list of requests and email them to see what's in stock. If you tell I-Lung ("Sandy") your climate, he'll suggest alternatives. I love the fact that they usually answer the phone in Mandarin and switch to English if that's what you speak!

When I learned that Daikon radishes are much too hot for me, someone on DG suggested eating the seed pods raw. Those are much milder and delicious.

hi Gymgirl, I reap 2 of my beets and they were very sweet when I cooked them .This is the first time I ever cooked the beet greens, and my hubby and I enjoyed it.Seeing yellow beets was something new to me,since I was only used to eating red beets.Here is a picture of them .

OMGoodness, CYTF!

You did great! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!

They look great, tops AND bottoms!

Thank you GymGirl and Corey. I am planning to do a fall crop.

I'm new here but I thought I'd share my tip for planting beets, carrots, and radishes.

I took the seeds and spaced them out sandwiched between two wet paper towels. I then placed those in a warm dark place inside a plastic sandwich bag until they started sprouting. The roots actually will go through the paper towels. Once they had started sprouting I just moved them out into the raised bed I was planting them in and put the papertowel squares down where I wanted to plant and then lightly covered them with dirt. No need for thinning because I had each seed placed where I wanted it to grow and the papertowels kept them in place while I spread the dirt lightly on each papertowel. When I couldn't see the papertowel then I knew that was enough dirt on top. Watering lightly and regularly kept the dirt in place and the papertowels kept the seedlings in place. None were traumatized and I had almost 99% success rate with the seedlings and none lost to thinning.

I did this with carrots, beets, and radishes in spring and I just started a new batch this past weekend for the fall crop.

Excellent idea, i have to try it.

Belle

Great tip, LV426!

I've seen recommendations for 1" spacing, or 144 carrots per square foot. That seems awfully close together for them to develop into nice size carrots.

What's your successful spacing on the carrots, and the beets, too?

Wow, great idea. I have started them in paper towels in plastic bags but when I removed them from the paper towels many times I broke the roots off. Never thought of skipping that step and just putting the paper towel in the garden too. I will do it that way from now on, it will be great for carrots since they like a very moist dark area to sprout ( they can take forever) but your method solves that issue too. Thank!

Hi LV426, that is such a nice idea . I will try it for the fall and spring.

Question: Someone somewhere in this thread mentioned soaking seeds. Do all veg. seeds need to be soaked or just some types? Should I just rely on what the packet says?

Seedfork: You mentioned the difficulty of getting little starts out of some (I think) yoghurt cups. Sometimes carefully and gently using a spoon underneath and maybe around the little babies will help get them out of the cups. I got this tip from another Texas gardener and it worked for me. Just saying.

TFC,
Not all veggie seeds need to be soaked. I soak the hard shelled seeds like beets and okra. I believe the H202 (Hydrogen peroxide) forces oxygen into the seed coat and activates some growth -- or not, LOL! I don't know the scientific principal for why it works -- it just does get them to germinate really fast -- sometimes, too fast.

I only use the wide-mouth yogurt cups, so I can pour the whole root ball out into my hand and set it to transplant it. Much less chance of transplant shock when you keep the root ball manipulation to a minimum...

Just saying...

Even if you don't use the H202, some seeds need to be soaked overnight in warm water to speed up the germination process. Sometimes the seed packet instructions will mention this but not always. This summer I had several different packets/brands of beet seeds, some of which listed soaking in the instructions while others did not. The good news is that even if you fail to soak them, the seeds will still germinate eventually if you keep them moist. It will just take longer, sometimes a lot longer. Some other vegetable & herb seeds that need to be soaked overnight include spinach & parsley.

When planting a variety of seed I haven't planted before, I usually google "How to plant [insert vegetable type] seeds" and skim a few of the resultant web pages to get more information and tips on planting that specific type of seed. If soaking is required, this information will usually be found on such web pages.

Soaking seeds in H202 has been shown to speed germination. If you are going to try this, you should look up directions on how much to use as it should be diluted with water.

Try a 1:16 or 1:32 dilution. That's really safe. I think some people use stronger, but it doesn't seem necessary.

1-2 ounces per quart or
1.5 to 3 tsp per cup

Drug store peroxide is around 3%, so this recipe gives 0.1% or 0.2% final strength.

http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/gardening-with-hydrogen-peroxide.html

Also consider what germination temperatures will give the fastest results:

http://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html Germination Temperature

Really, anything Tom Clothier has to say is worth reading for a gardener:
http://tomclothier.hort.net/page12.html soilless mixes & Seed sowing technique
http://tomclothier.hort.net/page13.html Damping-off

Gymgirl: How are your Broccoli seedlings doing? What else have you planted in your yogurt cups? I have planted my carrots & onion seeds. I plan to get some brocolli plants soon from the store, or I might get some seeds & get them started inside.

Behillman,
Check out my progress here!

https://allthingsplants.com/blogs/view/Gymgirl/

Gymgirl: Your Boccoli looks great. Where do you get Mitteider. Is that your fertilizer?

Yes. Google it and the Food for All website should come up.

Mittleider...

I don't know where you get all your energy!!!

Belle

Linda I just picked another 5 gallon bucket of Roma tomatoes. I dug a hill of my sweet potatoes and boy what a disappointment . I bet Bonnie and Wayne from Kentucky would die laughing if they saw them. I think I will call them sweet potato nubbins LOL.

https://allthingsplants.com/blogs/view/Gymgirl/