Transplanting Beets

In March, I planted two 24' rows of beets. The seed package said it would plant a 50' row, so I figured that was pretty close.

Now they're up about an inch tall, and they came up thick. There's about one plant per inch, and I need to thin them soon to 4 inches apart.

I'd like a couple more rows of beets, and I've got the room to make them. Has anybody here tried transplanting extra beet seedlings instead of just pulling them out? It seems to me that should work.

It is not easy, they have a long taproot, which responds negatively when broken. It can be done as can almost anything. Be a nice experiment if you are willing to do a bit of work for a single beet. It is not like transplanting something which gives a high yield per plant.

I see what you mean. It'd probably be a couple of hours work on my hands and knees with a hand trowel - and I'd be saving $1.75, the cost of another pack of beet seeds. That's working pretty cheap, huh? lol

Ozark, they also came up pretty thick because a beet "seed" is actually several seeds in one. Usually it's best to just thin them if you like.

I've transplanted the thinning's but I wasn't impressed with the outcome!

I've also started beet seeds in cell packs and transplanted them with fairly good results. However, I really prefer sowing insitu and being done with it!

F-dill and Ozark...have you ever tried the golden colored beets? I'm trying Touchstone Golden this year (Johnny's Seed I believe).

Shoe

"Ozark, they also came up pretty thick because a beet "seed" is actually several seeds in one."
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I've wondered about that, because beets and some other veggies like beets often come up a lot thicker than what I planted them. I think I tried to plant one seed every 2", figuring I'd thin out every other one. Now I've got several seedlings per inch in places. So, that explains it.

No, I've never tried golden beets. Sounds interesting, though.

They don't do anything for me, Golden Beets that is. Grow all right, just don't care for them. Of course I am one of those who never developed a taste for wax beans either. I do like Yellow tomatoes and Yellow fleshed watermelons. Oh well, taste is in the mouth of the taster. There are single seed beets available, hardly worth it for a home gardener tho. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/73264/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/73235/ are two examples.

I'm there w/ya, I never cared for wax beans either.

I saw that Johnny's (or somewhere) offered "decortitated" seeds (or something like that!) but haven't tried them.

Thanks to both of you. I'll let you know if these Golden beets do me justice.

Shoe

I transplant beet seedlings every year. I MUST grow them in a protected area on my deck in pots until they are a couple inches tall, since if I plant directly into ground, the bugs will mow them all down. The trick is to not water the pots on the day you transplant, keeping soil dry and light so roots are not weighted down, separate individual seedlings carefully, and using a dowel, put a deep hole into the ground to accommodate a long tap root. The seedlings separate well, and every transplant becomes a healthy beet.