Question
Hi Mike,

I hope you had a great weekend.  and i have a few more questions for you.  I have tried to grow beets in the past and have had not much luck with them what would you siggest to get them to grow better?  Maybe i need to use a fertilizer?  how long does it usually take for beets to grow?  
        Also i have a question about peas i have tried to grow peas in the past and it has been semi succesful but not as succesful as i was hoping for.  I got some peas but not a whole bunch like i would be expecting.  is there any advice you could give about peas/ beans,  because i have also tried beans over the past few years and i have gotten some beans but not bunches like i was expecting to get.  How many beans do you ususally get from 1 plant?  I have gotten a few handfuls at a time maybe like 6-10 at a time is this about right or should it be more than this?  any advice would be appreciated.

Chris

Answer
Chris, beets require a higher concentration of potassium. This is the third number in the ratio listed on fertilizer packaging. Potassium is needed for all root crops. You also want to avoid fertilizers high in nitrogen. Nitrogen will result in lush foliage, but very small roots. Given the right conditions, beets will produce 3-4" bulbs within 50 days. Like all root crops, they need loose soil. Raised beds filled with compost and peat is the best medium for them to grow.

Beans are legume crops. They do benefit from high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. You can also increase the harvest by adding inoculant powder. This aids the plant's ability to absorb nutrients. It also increase the harvest.

I personally grow bush beans. I used to grow the vining varieties, but have found the yields to be much larger with bush varieties. My favorite is Maxibel, which I order through Park Seed along with all my other vegetable seeds.  You can review their products at www.parkseed.com. Plant bush beans 4" apart in a 4X4 block for best results.

In regard to a normal harvest, bush beans yield one to two harvests of 50 or more beans per plant. They are heavy producers, and should be removed and replaced following the second harvest.

Good luck, and let me know if you have any other questions.

Mike