Growing Organic root Crops from Seed to Harvest

Mary's Heirloom Seeds Growing Root Crops from Seed to Harvest Don't Miss Out! Check out  Mary's Blog ON SALE thru 7/27/15 CATNIP Garlic Chives Lemon Bee Balm Genovese Basil Green Sorrel Scarlet Nantes Carrots  Arugula "Roquette" Plains Coreopsis *Seed Packs as low as $1* $10 order minimum on all seed orders ORGANIC GARLIC is now available as a Pre-Order  Helpful Links Heirloom BEANS Heirloom BEETS Heirloom CABBAGE Heirloom CARROTS Heirloom CORN Heirloom CUCUMBER Heirloom EGGPLANT Heirloom GREENS Heirloom ONIONS Heirloom PEAS  Heirloom PEPPERS Heirloom RADISH Heirloom SEEDS Heirloom SQUASH and PUMPKIN Heirloom TOMATOES HERB Seeds Wildflower Seeds  Seed Pack Combos Germination SUPPLIES ORGANIC PLANT FOOD Organic Pest Control DIY Tincture Kits Organic Dry Herbs Join Our Mailing List Mary's Heirloom Seeds (954) 654-3501 A few of our favorites Forget-Me-Not Marigold Spanish Eyes Lavender Dear Mary, Did you get a chance to check out our AUGUST Seed Planting Guide for the US?  It was packed with growing info.  Last week we also shared Boost Your Health with Organic Herbs If you have additional questions, we are happy to help! Growing Radish from Seed to Harvest The   German Giant is my favorite Radish.  It's not fancy or hard to grow and tastes great at any size.  The Radish may be a cool-weather crop but I continue to have success even in South Florida.   Grow  radishes in full sun or partial shade. Plant radishes in loose, well-drained soil. Remove soil lumps, rocks, and roots from radish planting beds. Obstructions can cause roots to grow malformed. Add organic matter to planting beds before sowing radishes. Radishes prefer a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.8. Sow radish seed ½ inch deep and 1 inch apart; thin successful seedlings from 1 to 4 inches apart in wide rows depending upon the variety. Daikon Radish Sow radishes in the garden 2 to 3 weeks before average date of  the last frost in spring. Sow succession crops every 2 weeks in spring and in autumn. Two or more crops can be grown in spring. Radishes require 22 to 70 days to come to harvest. Warm weather can result in small roots. Long days may also cause radishes to flower; plant radishes during the shorter days of spring and autumn. In mild winter regions, grow radishes in late autumn and early winter. Radishes can withstand frost.          Continue Reading Growing BEETS from Seed to Harvest Beets can germinate in soil temperatures as low as 50 degrees, making them ideal for the early spring and fall vegetable gardens. Beets don't care for overly acidic soil, so gardeners should perform a soil test before planting to ensure that the pH is between 6.2 and 6.8. Chioggio Beets Table beet (also known as garden beet, blood turnip or red beet) is a popular garden vegetable throughout the United States. Beet tops are an excellent source of vitamin A and the roots are a good source of vitamin C. The tops are cooked or served fresh as greens and the roots may be pickled for salads or cooked whole, then sliced or diced. Beet juice is a basic ingredient of Russian borscht. The garden beet is closely related to Swiss chard, sugar beet and mangel. Continue Reading Growing TURNIPS and RUTABAGA For TURNIPS:   Fast-growing spring turnip crops are best harvested while the weather is still cool. The flavor of fall crops is improved by light frost. Don't forget the greens which are delicious! Days to germination: 4-7 Days to Harvest: 50-70    Prefers well-drained, fertile soil high in organic matter, pH 6.0 to 7.5. Can tolerate slightly alkaline soil. Needs plentiful, consistent moisture. Loosen soil deeply or grow in raised beds to encourage good root development.    From early spring to late summer, sow seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep, 1 inch apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Thin plants to 4- to 6-inch spacings. Plant every 2 weeks for continuous harvest. Quality and flavor are best if harvested when whether is cool.   For RUTABAGA: Rutabagas are cool weather crops that must be harvested before temperatures reach 75 degrees Fahrenheit but shouldn't be planted until the soil temperature remains at 50 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Days to Germinate: 7-10 Days to Harvest: 80-90 days  Prefers well-drained, fertile soil high in organic matter, pH 6.0 to 7.5. Can tolerate slightly alkaline soil. Needs plentiful, consistent moisture. Loosen soil deeply or grow in raised beds to encourage good root development.    From early spring to late summer, sow seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep, 1 inch apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Thin plants to 4- to 6-inch spacings.

All of the seeds listed are open-pollinated, non-gmo and non-hybrid, non-patented,  untreated, heirloom garden seeds. Mary has signed the Safe Seed pledge.   Most seed orders processed Monday-Thursday are shipped within 24 hours, except for holidays.