Hoop House Farming: Planting Seeds

So, one of the many uses of the hoop house is a place to germinate seeds in the early spring and get them started with a head start that wouldn't be enjoyed with outdoor plantings. Now, you might say that these beet seeds could go outdoors; it's April already. Indeed they could go outdoors, but the cold soil and perhaps the variable conditions might lead to marginal germination and a slow development. By planting these valuable; these are both heirloom beets, actually three types of beets here. We have Kiogia from Italy, a Detroit Dark Gold and a Lutz beet which are known for their delicious leaves. By giving ourselves a little nursery row; notice I'm planting them a little thicker than I might for ordinary use, because each and everyone will be transplanted outdoors when the time comes. This is really just a nursery bed. I'm going to cover them over and mulch them lightly in with some of that nice dusty mulch. Give them a little bit of protection from water damage on the surface of the soil. Then finally we just need a marker to let us know where to expect our Lutz beets to come up.