Using the Corn Jabber for Seeding Beets

It is time to get some seed in the ground. Last year Ken used the Corn Jabber to seed beets, and it worked well on the small seeds. We thought that the seed might be too deep in the ground, but they came out real nice.

So first we set the depth to about ½ inch. Shallow for spring and the cold weather, later when your moisture is deep, the seed needs to be deeper.

He puts two beet or chard seeds per hole in the ground. The beets need to be about 3″ apart. They come up well and do not need to be thinned. One beet seed often grows more than one plant. They grow to be a perfect-size for canning or a fresh eating beet.

Jab the planter crosswise to the t-tape about 2″ away, so as not to jab a hole in the t-tape. You can see the ridge of the t-tape just under the plastic mulch. Follow along the t-tape to seed the row. It will be fairly straight, and the beets do not care as long as they can reach the moisture. The second jab is diagonal to the first. Drop 2 seeds in, push the seeder forward to release the seeds, lift the planter out of the ground, and tamp the soil around the seed firmly with the toe of your boot. We carry a supply of seeds loose in a bucket hanging from our belt, so they are easy to get to making seeding down the row much quicker.

That’s all there is too it. Just keep on moving down the row until you reach the end. And of course our helpers (the dogs) are always there cheering us on. In 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll have a nice row of beets in the ground. Now isn’t that nicer than being on your knees for an hour meticulously dropping each seed in the ground?

We purchased the Corn Jabber through Johnny’s Seed Company. An ingenious farmer designed it and actually when we need parts we buy them directly from the farmer.

Happy Seeding!