Apr. 5 Column: Grow Beet Family Crops

Since there has been so much interest in growing vegetables this year, I’ve been focusing my columns on that topic. Today’s column is about how easy it is to grow beet family crops. Here’s a link to it in The Spokesman-Review: Grow beet family crops, and cover them to keep pests away.

Members of the beet family include beets (big surprise there, right?), spinach and Swiss chard. They are cool-season crops, which means you can plant them in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked (translation: when the soil is crumbly, rather than saturated with water). I intend to direct-sow my beets and Swiss chard around Apr. 15. I usually grow spinach during the fall and winter months, just in case you’re wondering.

But the most important thing you need to know is that each of these crops can be bothered by leaf miners. In my column, I explain the easiest way to prevent this problem (and I mean eeeeasy!).

As you know, I’m all about growing my vegetables organically and in the most environmentally-friendly way possible. That’s what you’ll always find in my columns, videos and on this website.

For this week’s “Everyone Can Grow a Garden” video, I show you a way to plant some veggies even earlier than usual by using something called a “cloche.” Have a look:

For more information about the cloches that Gardener’s Supply carries, go to this link.