The Double Row of Beets

Bob Bauer

April 04, 2018 (Last Updated: March 06, 2023) | Reading Time: 1 minutes

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April 04, 2018

So the question is whether I'm a big enough geek to use the corn template I made last year again this year? The answer is yes, but I couldn't find it. It may have gotten too brittle from all the sun exposure and I didn't save it. Makes no never mind, I cut a new sheet to cover the first planting patch and held it down with rocks. I'll be planting corn, like always, on April 15th, and as the shoots come up I'll cut holes above them so the corn can grow through, and the soil continues to warm..

When it's time for the second planting I move the plastic to the patch and plant through the holes. I cover the holes with little squares of 2" clear tape to keep the heat in, and remove them as it germinates. Repeat until you run our of room..

April 04, 2018

The double row of beets had 18 up last night and 38 up this morning in each row. I kid you not. Totally even. I can't make this stuff up. My conclusion is not what you would expect though..

I realized that my coarse compost is finer than most people's because it's derived from stall shavings which are of uniform size, and remain flat on both sides through the decomposition process. They lay flat on top of each other like shingles and keep the water in the soil, like putting down plastic. I have no doubt that seeds like close contact with the earth while in the germination process but this is so that they remain moist. They will germinate without soil contact at all if the humidity is kept high enough..

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