Late Spring
June 10, 2015
Hello out there. I have an abbreviated garden this year, similar to last year. In fact, I didn’t start a single seed indoors. Other things took over my free time, so purchased seedlings (tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, peppers, basil, thyme, sage) account for about half of what’s out there. Direct-seed items: beets, carrots, kale and peas in the beds and planted seed potatoes in my grow bags. I am always amazed, even after my 5th or 6th year of direct-seeding, that things actually grow when you throw seeds in the dirt and allow mother nature to take over. Hope everyone’s got some food growing as well.
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North Jersey Gardener 
Beets from seeds? WOW! Looking great! It’s interesting you mention seeds vs seedlings. I bought a yellow cherry tomato seedling at the city market, and then started red cherry tomatoes via seeds and they are growing at different speeds, which is fine, spreads out the harvest 🙂 Any thoughts on pest control? We’ve got some little bugs that have taken up residence on the yellow seedling, I hate to use pesticides because G likes to eat them right off the plant. I’d like to get a few praying mantises or lady bugs to eat the offending bugs but not sure that would work.
Thanks! Yea, I’ve always grown beets from seed, it’s been the one plant that never fails to grow that way, whether direct seeded outdoors or started inside. And I’ve never used any pest control for my tomatoes, but I think I have an idea of the “little bugs” you mentioned if they look like small gnats? Ladybugs do seem to help control those in my garden. Haven’t had to buy any, they seem to find their way to my beds each year. In any case, if the bugs/gnats aren’t eating the stalks (like the dreaded tomato hornworm), might not need to do anything. So great that G loves tomatoes. E has yet to find a taste for them, the texture makes him gag. It’s like he’s not my son!