Brazen beets contain betaine, essential to heart health. Parsnips are the most finicky. They are biennials and
their tiny seeds demand to be planted within a season after production. Most don’t stay viable beyond that. Sow them lightly, 1/2 inch deep after soaking them overnight. You might test the soil ensure that it is above 8 C, but prefer- ably about 12 to 14 C and then don’t be anxious. It takes them time to germinate, which they do best and fastest at the higher temperatures. It takes 120 days to get a pars- nip crop, but they are sweetest when harvested after the first hard frost and up until just before the ground freezes. Harvest them as their leaves begin to die back. Carrots have almost microscopic seeds, which can be
purchased pelleted for easier planting and less thinning later. Their seeds stay viable longer – up to three years – but they too take about three weeks to come up. Carrots mature in 70 to 80 days, when they turn bright orange, but their sugars, too, are stimulated by a period in a frost- covered ground. To track just where you have planted these two, it is a
good idea to plant radishes along the rows. The radishes will come up very quickly and be ready to harvest in time for the first thinning of the carrots or parsnips. Thinning is important for these two crops. They need
room to mature without competition. Keep thinning parsnips until there is only one root every six to 10 inches. You will want to keep at least three to four inches apart for carrots, but you may want to harvest the second thin- ning for a special mid-summer meal of the little immature roots. As carrots grow, they may begin to push their shoulders
above the ground. Hill them or cover these sensitive parts with mulch to avoid greening from exposure to the sun and a resulting bitterness. Beets are less fussy and prove earlier rewards, especial-
ly if you like beet greens. When thinning, use the whole plant, tops and all, for a special salad. Beets enjoy a mulch- ing of mint leaves, which helps to repel flea beetles and aphids. Their seeds remain viable at least three years. They
www.localgardener.net Parsnips are the most finicky.
need to be thinned to three to six inches apart when they reach two inches tall. All three vegetables are chock full of vitamins and
minerals and other good things. Carrots are famous for their beta carotene and they have lots of vitamin A, and C as well as minerals and fibre. Parsnips have vitamin B, C and E, along with iron, thiamine and magnesium. Beets also contain vitamin C and lots of antioxidants, but they offer a bonus of something called betaine, which is essen- tial to heart health. Beet leaves also add minerals to the soil they are planted in. .
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