A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 small stringy beets

I give up on growing beets. Every year mine are small and stringy. When I say stringy, I mean they don't seem to have a chance to develop. Our growing season is short and the summers here are unpredictable, yet my mother in law's beets are decent size. I don't have much sunlight in my garden. Could that be it? Do beets require a rich soil, sandy or clayish?

This is exactly what happens to my radishes-nothing but red strings and they never form a globe.
Of all the things I grow well, and Green Thumb that I am, why can't I grow a simple radish???
It's frustrating !

Deborah, don't feel bad, the same thing happened to my radishes as well. I quit growing them.

Thanks, Daisy. Misery loves company....
I've given up on radishes too !

Beet like a sweet soil and are intolerant of acid conditions. A Ph of 6.5 is a minimum for good crops. Plenty of direct sun, constant soil moisture (mulching) and a fertile loamy soil will give good crops. Beet will develop very quickly and are an ideal crop for short summer areas.
Do a Ph test on your soils or add some dolomite or lime if the soil is acidic.

Longy thanks for the helpful information. My garden doesn't get very much sunlight. My garden soil is very dry right now so I am going to pick up some mulch. I had no idea that beets don't like acidic soil? I could put a bit of lime in the soil. I'm surprised that you say beets develop quickly, as mine develop very poorly or not at all. I'll throw in some lime along with the other suggestions, and hopefully I'll be back in the fall to rave about my giantic beets...okay I'll even settle for average size.