Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Seed is for Sharing--Late Planting Challenge

Well, here is the thing.

I am super happy the postal strike is over.  Super sad the cheques haven't found me yet, but the bills have.

The cheques have been in the mail a long, long time.

Let's celebrate anyways!

It does seem late to plant, but my message in the last blog post was that really, when it comes to gardening, forget the hard and fast rules. Just try things and have fun.

Especially this year.  Here in Southern Ontario it has been a dismal spring. Corn down my road will not be the coveted "knee high by the first of July."

I find myself with an excess of good old Detroit Dark Red beet seeds.



Would other people out there like to try a late planting, if you have a little spot (or a great big pot)?

I will send a good healthy package of seed to the first ten people, anywhere in the world, who respond to  this message.  How about a close-to simultaneous planting?  July 15th is the plant date, and if those who respond can track their plants progress I'll compare our results here on the blog.

It will be interesting to see how different conditions effect germination and growth rate.  Who will have the biggest beets, say by the 65th day which most seed companies indicate is the "days to maturity" for this particular beet.

If I am calculating this properly, that brings us to September 18th.

Please comment on this blog post to let me know, and other people as well, that you are interested.  If I don't get 10 people that's okay too.  Just you and me!

Then privately, send me an email at treeandtwig@sympatico.ca  with your address, and I'll immediately get the seed out to you.

It is a great beet! And September the 18th is the best date to harvest beets of all!!

Just saying.



Detroit Dark Red Beets BT5-50

16 comments:

sherilaugh said...

hey!! send me some! I just filled another box with alpaca poop and compost! I'm still trying to figure out what to plant in it!

Linda said...

Will do Sheri- you're #1!

Ian said...

Hi Linda

I'll be number 2 :) And I wish I had some alpaca poop or any kind of manure..LOL...I've had really bad results so far with beet seeds, so another, what is it now, the 5th planting? is welcome. :)

thesunnyabyss said...

Hi, I'd love to try too, since my beets did nothing this year :(

judy said...

hi Linda. i'd love to try a package of seeds...i've just finished reading "from seed to table" which encourages just that....count me in.
judy

CallieK said...

I'm in! I'm already growing squash in bins on the roof and carrots in a planter on the deck. I have another planter that I had earmarked for beats and black radishes but I can't find my beet seeds. It would be fun to be part of a beet grow-along

Linda said...

Great! Just mail me your address Callie, I'll get them out to you.

K said...

Oh, fantastic! I was just planning on what to put in the space left by the lettuce (eaten), radishes (bolted!), spinach (eaten) and celeriac (poor, late germination), and beets would be perfect!

BTW, I got my tomatoes from you this year - they are doing fantastic! I go look at the flowers every day, to see if they have magically turned into ripe fruit yet :)

sherry said...

Hi! I'd love to try your challenge. I'm behind this year with most of my veggies so I'm hoping for late September harvests for everything. I would love some beet seeds as that's the one thing I never got around to planting. I just had some trees pruned in my backyard and I'm hoping the sudden infusion of sunlight will make a big difference for my veg plot.

Kris Mo said...

Oh me too me too! All of my early beets got munched. Time to try again!

truenorthbbq said...

Linda! do you still have a packet left? I would LOVE to edge the front of my garden with big happy beet tops!

mark
(truenorthbbq.com)

Dirt Gently said...

I *just* put some beets in the ground, as it were, alongside some of the Jaune du Doubs carrots you sent me!

meansoybean said...

Ok, I'll bite! Sending you an email...

Linda said...

Great...the seeds will be in the mail on Monday!
If I'm over 10 people, that's just fine-you'll get the seed. The great beet-off is set to begin.

That Bloomin' Garden said...

Love to plant some beets. All I can think is how good they are roasted. I have an empty raised bed at our community garden ready for some root veggies.

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