my plants are huge but my harvest is not

Andrina 5/14/2011, 12:32 pm

Hello!
Please, I need advice! I harvested my first carrots, beets and
radishes. The plants looked beautiful, very big, but the carrots, beets
and radishes were very very small. I am not using Mels mix, because I
live in Costa Rica. I used different composts but it did not work well. I
appreciate any advice you can give me. I am ready to start over again!
Thank you!

Please forgive me for I dont know how to use ths forum, so I added a new topic.

sceleste54 5/14/2011, 12:39 pm

Sometimes that just happens. I've tried twice to grow beets and got huge beautiful greens, but only marble sized beets that were tough and stringy. I planted carrots last fall and they did nothing, little scrawny leaves and no root. The ones I had not pulled up sat there all winter and then in February started REALLY growing and made some decent carrots.. You just never know what you are going to get my plants are huge but my harvest is not 61949

my plants are huge but my harvest is not 61949

Andrina 5/14/2011, 12:46 pm

sceleste54 wrote:Sometimes that just happens. I've tried twice to grow beets and got huge beautiful greens, but only marble sized beets that were tough and stringy. I planted carrots last fall and they did nothing, little scrawny leaves and no root. The ones I had not pulled up sat there all winter and then in February started REALLY growing and made some decent carrots.. You just never know what you are going to get

Thank you for your words! sceleste! I hope I get lucky next time...

Patty from Yorktown 5/14/2011, 12:56 pm

I think that some of the root crops can be planted in soil which is too rich. It causes the green tops to grow and not the roots. (Might have something to do with too much nitrogen.)I have had that happen to radishes and carrots, never tried beets. The second crop I planted in the same square did much better. Feed the radishes to the neighbor. He was happy. Hope this helps.

Patty in Yorktown

quiltbea 5/14/2011, 1:46 pm

It sounds like a lack of potassium. Potassium is for stems and roots and improves fruit production.
I'd add some greensand (potash), seaweed or wood ashes to the soil.
Not a lot.
If using greensand maybe a teaspoonful to the bottom of each square planted.
If using liquid seaweed fertilizer, read the instructions on the container.

Tril 5/14/2011, 4:26 pm

Yum... beet greens!!! I'd take those over large beets any day of the week!

sceleste54 5/14/2011, 4:55 pm

Wood ashes I have !! I'll mix some in and try them again this fall.. Thanks Quiltbea

Old Hippie 5/14/2011, 8:54 pm

I have had the same problem with beets. The carrots weren't as bad. Onions were pretty small......even my Spanish onions were only a bit bigger than golf balls. That is why I added bone meal to my compost blend this year for any place I planted root vegetables or bulbs. It is not nitrogen they need but the potassium. Hopefully that will help you.

Best of luck.

Gwynn

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