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may be a problem you have experienced when growing beets, radishes and carrots. Thinning and growing root vegetables in well-drained fertile soil at the proper spacing is key to growing success. Improve heavy clay soils by working several inches of organic matter into the top 8 to 12 inches of soil. If this hasn’t worked in the past, try growing your beets in containers filled with a quality potting mix.

Harvest beets in about 50 to 60 days when the roots are 1 to 1.5” in diameter. Pull or carefully dig the beets with a garden fork or shovel. Place the shovel several inches away from the root crops. Push it straight into the soil to avoid damaging the roots. Wiggle the shovel to loosen the soil and tilt to lift the beets free.

Trim the leaves back to an inch and leave the taproot intact. Rinse off the soil and allow the beets to dry before storing them in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Wash, and further trim your beets as needed right before using them. Minimize scraping, cutting and slicing that will increase the loss of vitamins and flavor.

Most garden centers and mail-order catalogs still have beet seeds available for purchase. You’ll find red, purple, golden and even white beets to grow and enjoy. Select the variety that best suits your gardening and cooking needs. F

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition, and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www. MelindaMyers.com.