And the Beet Goes On ~

   

     With pups on the mend and a weekend before me, I finally got back to what I set out to do from Day One with this blog, which is to say...
I gardened. And I wrote!
     As to the former, (three cheers!) ~ The beets are here! The beets are here!
     Other things continue to sprig forth (like okra, cantaloupe, watermelon and tomatoes). But it's always fun when something new arrives, after which there's a major period of adjustment (i.e.  learning curve) as you ask yourself, "Now what?" (Answer: Beets Me!)
     As is the case with any new crop, the first question you ask is "What am I looking for?" come time to pull it from the earth, after all, beets are a "below ground" crop, so you only get one shot at yanking them. You don't want to do it too early.
     For instance, with watermelon, there's a little pigtail of a curly-cue near the plant's umbilical cord; when it shrivels and turns crispy brown, it's ready.  With cantaloupe, there's no pig tail, but there is a color change (from grayish to peach--underneath the ropey outer layer). In addition, when fully ripe, cantaloupes drop off the vine as you lift 'em. (If you're tugging, they're not ready.)
     And the big sign for beets? (Drumroll please...) "Their little shoulders are showing!" Yep. That's all I was armed with before commencing to yank~ If you look under its leaves (which are a glorious combination of deep greens and purples) you should be able to see a third to half your beet above ground. Spot that and you're good to pull~
     So pull we did! (I actually had help today--thanks to a co-writing partner who joined me on a quick stroll down garden row. I've no doubt the muses like us on veggies--seems we get more done when one of us is testing recipes while the other is keystroking.)