Beets....they won't grow for me gah!

[Dixana]

I planted beets TWICE last year in the garden. Nada. Nothing. No beets.
I don't know if perhaps something ate the seeds or if maybe I messed something up? Soil too wet, too dry, too hot?

Any ideas?

[jal_ut]

I can't guess why they didn't grow for you. Maybe insects?

I plant them here about two weeks before the avg last frost date. They can also be planted later when it is warmer. The seed should be planted 1/2 inch deep and kept moist.

All I can say is try again and good luck.

[applestar]

I'm wondering about the soil pH.
I have trouble with beets and Swiss chard -- yes! Swiss chard!

On possible correlation I was making based on peoples' successes and failures here is that my soil which tends to be acid clay is the underlying cause. Jal has always said his soil is alkaline. Another is that he works deep loose soil.

Slugs are definitely a problem in my garden. However, last year's direct-seeded chard and beets were decimated at seedling stage by tiny black snails, then starting around when the leaves were around 4 inches, some kind of sawfly larvae (like rose slugs) preferentially turned their leaves into lace doilies, so much so that they never recovered.

If pH is an issue, then I think correcting for it would grow stronger plants better a le to resist pests. I'm leaning towards using wood ash.

I'm also wondering if I'm trying to plant them too early or too late. I have weird lingering freeze late winter/early spring, then short to non-existent spring weather followed by hot summer weather. This wouldn't be the issue for you, though, Dixana. Your seasonal weather must be similar to jal's at least temp-wise with longerl spring growing season.

[jal_ut]

One problem I have here with some of the smaller seeds like broccoli, cabbage, turnips etc. is that the bugs sometimes get the little seedlings even before they emerge. This may be what is happening with your beets also. I have little black beetles that punch holes in everything. They will kill the emerging seedlings.

As appleastar noted, snails and slugs can be a problem too. You may want to address the bugs and snails at planting time. Sprinkle some diatomaceous earth on the area after planting, and again as soon as you see some plants emerge.

I don't have a slug or snail problem here. Does anyone know if diatomaceous earth will discourage them?

[lorax]

Yup, DA will definitely discourage slugs and snails (I deal with both - and dagnabbit, the snails are a real pain in the patookie!)

Dixana, I think that applestar has a really good point about soil pH and beets/chard. For me, they come up like weeds and grow vigorously, but I've got quite and deep fairly sandy alkaline soils thanks to the volcano on my doorstep. When I lived in southern Ecuador, an area notorious for acid soils, I couldn't get either crop to come up for love nor money. However, I could grow prize hydrangeas and huge Andean blueberries, something I can't do here for love nor money.

[Dixana]

I only found a handful of slugs last year, the only major bug problem I had was earwigs taking over the whole yard.
I never even saw any little seedlings. My SIL had wondered if maybe the birds got the seeds despite being buried.
All I know is I want fresh beets this year!

[lorax]

Maybe try them in a container type bed this year - fill it up with fairly rich but sandy soil (ie not from your garden, but a mix you make from soils from the garden center), and start it off indoors. If you've got grow lights, you can grow beets indoors as houseplants, starting right now.

I've done this on several occasions before - those nice window-box type long plastic planters are ideal for beets. This kind.

[img]https://www.hardwarestore.com/media/product/127492_front200.jpg[/img]

[Dixana]

In the house?? As in fresh beets all winter....
Grow lights? Different from seedling lights I'm assuming?

[lorax]

Yup.

I'd start them with seedling lights, then once they're up and established, I've had great results with just a gooseneck lamp like they sell at IKEA, with a 100W-equivalent (I think it's 32W) full-spectrum compact fluorescent bulb. They grew like gangbusters.

I think I've mentioned that I'm from USDA 0 / CANZONE 2a - we used to do this all winter long with both beets and carrots, to avoid the horror of February squidgy-beets. (You know, how if you've got your root crops in the root cellar, even if they're buried in sand, after a while they get kind of, well, soft? Hate that.)

[Dixana]

I'm going to steal that idea and try growing carrots and beets over the winter next year too! YUMMMM.

I'm still looking for that perfect, sweet carrot though.

[lorax]

Have you tried Scarlet Chantonnay? It's my hands-down favourite sweet-spicy carrot.

[cynthia_h]

Scarlet Dragon carrots are good, too.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[sheeshshe]

OK, I am TOTALLY doing that with beets this year thank you for that lovely suggestion! I can't seem to grow them either and the container sound perfect and I have two long ones like tat doing nothing! yes! now I'd love to do it NOW, but I need to devote my grow lights to seedlings in a month and a half