Beets do better for me in the spring. Too hot for consistant staring in late summer and they need to be started in early September. Planted in February, they do nicely in spring. Beets are not demanding, they do dislike an acid soil, but tolerate widely varying levels of ferility. They do need full sunlight to develop. No shade. Blood Turnip Crosby's Egyptian Early Wonder Kestral

George, I read about the resistance of the varieties you mention, but didnÂt imagine that would change so much per location. I have to have those seeds next year to try. Si, el cambio es muy grande, after the 6inches/14.8mm of rain yesterday, I had to wear my wooden shoes to go to see the vegetables LOL! ItÂs sooo strange to walk with them but they help in the mud, and you write so perfect Spanish. How come? Raisemybeds, we covered the tomatoes with that lightweight fabric, although not pretty, till now (cross my fingers) the tomatoes and pepper seem to like that protection. IÂve been earlier shaking the stems and was wondering if the pumpkin pollination would be so simple not so, as per what I read. Bill, yesterday I didnÂt turn the compost pile that I left to mature, since I saw there were some pumpkin seedlings showing up, and I thought, well, you never know maybe they grow nice. This morning guess what, they were gone, disappeared. IÂd eat Butternut Squash every day, casually found a grocer that sells it. Back in Argentina my mother had a piece ready for my arrival from the office nearly everyday Now IÂve got some Butternut seeds popping up in a propagator. Violet, I know thereÂs lots of info. However, last year while I was "researching" what happened that time to the tomatoes raised by me from seed, my husband convinced me to check a bit less ugly bugÂs pictures and diseased plants on the internet, and just try again, strengthening precautions. Pumpkin is not so popular here for eating, but for Halloween, therefore availability of seeds for consume (ie. to grow without chemicals) is just starting. I didnÂt plant resistant varieties, because I simply could not find any offered for sale. Thank you all for such warm welcome! Carol.

Today I just sent vacuum packs to Jesky (the original trade), Grdngramma and Fluffybonbon. I ended up picking up the shovel again and finding enough nice roots with crowns for Debi too -- and will be working on completing a trade with her on that one soon. While I was out -- I also dug up some extra root and have a nice sized pack already sealed up for ONE last trade. These roots do NOT have crowns, but they are perfectly fine for propagating. You plant them a little differently and roots will start in multiple places along each root you plant (this is why you NEVER want to rototill a horseradish patch -- every little chunks comes back another root). So if antiqueorchid wants these roots -- that cleans me out! I had posted a request to be adopted as a newbie when I first joined -- but after this flurry of trades, I don't think that will be necessary. If all goes well, I think I'll have a great start!

Oops. Sorry to have duplicated your thread, veggiecanner. I didn't see it when I started another. Anyway, I agree. Vegetable forum to Bean forum would be a very useful link. Jim