It all came about in one of our conversations about our gardening challenges. This time it had to do with beetroots. Last year we had a dreadful harvest of our beetroot crop. The shoulders of the beetroot tuber were cork-like and the tubers themselves were very small and sometimes shrivelled. What can we do this year to improve the quality of our harvestable beetroots. Last year there was a sustained period if dryness here and there is no doubt that the poor quality of our tubers were directly related to it. You never truly know what kind season you will have until it is over, but corky shoulders is something that we have to deal with every year. The beetroot sends a taproot straight down quite far actually to find moisture. We were so dry here that the soil was not moist even to the depths of the distal point of the taproots and the sun and drying winds did a job on the beetroot shoulders. At a certain moment the Bride just exclaimed, “I am going to earth-up the beetroots and give them more water, more frequently this year! A good soaking, not just a splash of water”! I sat there stuperously blinking as I processed the words that I had just heard....”earth-up the beetroots”. Meanwhile the Bride picked up the tablet and started looking on the internet. She discovered websites who called for exactly the same thing. Oké, perhaps the idea wasn’t unknown generally; but it was new for us, and I dare say for the majority of the gardeners on our complex. Once I got over the gobsmacking moment, I realised what an original idea she had had. Original in the sense that we had never thought of or heard of this simple idea. She felt vindicated and took comfort that it was not a crazy idea. It was known and actually recommended. I am disappointed that I had not thought of this and wondered how she had done it. I am wildly proud of the Bride’s Eureka moment, beeting me to the solution. She is a such a smart cookie. We will be watering and earthing-up our beetroots this year.
beeting me to the solution--good one, Sjoerd! This year you'll have a stunning beet crop, and your bride can take all the credit!
Cayu— my Bride roared with laughter when I read her your “ in the Flesh” comment. But I know she is proud. Jane, yes she can. She can take all the credit, but I shall have tasty beetroot to eat again. I’ll tell you processing those things is a slippery proposal but what a reward when one has put up a massive amount in the freezer, to pull out to eat at will.
@Sjoerd that's great, I know that beetroot like a lot of water, I heard that carrots like that as well it stops the tops going green.
Better do something nice for the bride ! She is right although I have never earthed them up,, water is critical to production !
Now that you mention it Loggie I recall hearing that as well (about carrots). Mart— I’ve never earthed them up before either, nor have I given them very much water as the long root strings go really deep. Its just that last year especially, that really long dry spell made it difficult for the beetroots to reach deep moisture and what I was giving them was not sufficient. A bell should have gone off then. Well, hopefully the earthing-up will help keep my beetroots a little more hydrated, and then I will not have those rough and corky shoulders to deal with when putting them up.
A blessing for me as I grow beets and like them. Of course we're getting plenty of rain now, so no worries. Sjoerd, your Bride is your equal, no doubt!
