Learn how to apply this method of planting beets to get a huge harvest.
In this episode of MI Gardener Channel, the host showcases the benefits of multi-sowing, a method of planting root crops in sets of three to five plants to prevent crowding and reduce competition. Despite being planted closely together, the roots expand outwards when given enough space within their grouping, resulting in full-sized roots. The host demonstrates this by harvesting beets that were planted in little cell packs with three seeds per cell and not thinned out, showing that they did not crowd themselves out and produced a bountiful harvest.
The host also emphasizes the importance of high intensity spacing, a method of growing more food in less space by maximizing soil fertility and allowing plants to grow in a crowded but effective manner. This method shades the soil, helps it stay damp longer, acts as a living mulch, and suppresses weeds. By planting beets in a high intensity fashion, the host was able to grow more food in a smaller space, achieving three times the harvest compared to traditional spacing methods.
Key Takeaways
- Multi-sowing is a method of planting root crops in sets of three to five plants to prevent crowding and reduce competition, resulting in full-sized roots.
- High intensity spacing is a method of growing more food in less space by maximizing soil fertility and allowing plants to grow in a crowded but effective manner, resulting in a bountiful harvest.
- By implementing these methods, it is possible to grow more food in a smaller space and achieve a greater harvest.
Explanation of Multi-Sowing
Multi-sowing is a method of planting crops in a set of three to five plants, allowing them enough space within their grouping to expand and mature without crowding. This method has been used for centuries, particularly for root crops, which are notorious for crowding and reduced size due to competition. By planting crops closely together, the roots will hit each other and expand outwards, resulting in full-sized roots.
The method of multi-sowing is an important part of high-intensity spacing, which allows for growing more food in less space by maximizing soil fertility and allowing plants to grow in a crowded method without affecting their growth. This method shades the soil, helps it stay damp longer, acts as a living mulch, and suppresses weeds.
For example, beets can be multi-sown by planting three plants in each cell, instead of spacing them six inches apart as recommended on the package. By doing so, one can get three times more production from the same amount of space, resulting in a higher yield of beets.
When multi-sowing beets, the roots expand outwards, pushing themselves outwards as they mature. This results in larger and fuller roots, even when planted very closely together. This method allows for growing so much more food in so little space, making it an attractive option for gardeners with limited space.
The multi-sowing method is not limited to beets but can also be used for other crops such as lettuce, radishes, and carrots. By using this method, one can achieve high yields of crops in a limited space, making it a valuable technique for small-scale gardening.
High Intensity Spacing
The My Gardener Channel emphasizes the importance of high intensity spacing, a technique that allows for growing more food in less space by maximizing soil fertility and allowing plants to grow in a crowded but effective manner. This technique involves planting certain crops, such as lettuce, radishes, beets, and carrots, in a high density fashion.
Multi-sowing is a method of high intensity spacing that involves planting three to five plants in a group, allowing the roots to expand and hit each other without crowding. This technique is particularly effective for root crops, which are notorious for crowding and reduced size due to competition.
In a recent episode, My Gardener harvests beets and demonstrates the effectiveness of multi-sowing. Despite planting the beets in little cell packs with three seeds per cell and not thinning them, the beets did not crowd themselves out and were able to expand and grow to their full potential.
The results were astounding, as My Gardener was able to harvest a large number of beets from a small space. If the beets had been seeded with the recommended spacing of five to six inches between plants, it would have taken up three times more space to achieve the same harvest.
High intensity spacing not only maximizes crop yield, but also has other benefits such as shading the soil, suppressing weeds, and helping the soil stay damp longer. My Gardener emphasizes the importance of this technique and encourages viewers to implement it in their own gardens.
Harvesting the Beets
The My Gardener Channel shares their method for harvesting beets using multi-sowing. By planting three to five plants in a set, the beets are given enough space to expand outwards and grow to their full potential without crowding. This method is part of the high intensity spacing technique, which maximizes soil fertility and allows plants to grow in a crowded but productive manner.
When the beets are ready for harvest, they are pulled out from the soil to reveal the results of multi-sowing. The roots expand outwards and push themselves out of the soil, resulting in full-sized beets that are not crowded or reduced in size. This technique allows for more food to be grown in less space, making it a valuable method for growing root crops like beets, radishes, carrots, and lettuce.
The My Gardener Channel demonstrates the success of their multi-sowing method by harvesting a clump of beets that weigh close to three and a half pounds. They show that, even with traditional spacing, they would have only gotten around 20 plants from the same space. By multi-sowing, they were able to grow more than three times the amount of beets in the same space.
The beets are grown completely organic by combining pure compost with trifecta in the spring. The My Gardener Channel encourages viewers to try multi-sowing and high intensity spacing for themselves and to experiment with different crops to see the benefits of this method.
Results of Multi-Sowing and High Intensity Spacing
Multi-sowing is a method of planting where multiple seeds of the same crop are planted in one spot. This method has been used for centuries to prevent root crops from crowding and reducing in size due to competition. In the case of beets, multi-sowing can be done in a set of three to five plants, given that there is enough space within their grouping. Even when they mature, the roots will hit each other and expand out, resulting in full-sized roots.
In addition to multi-sowing, high intensity spacing is also an important aspect of growing more food in less space. This method maximizes soil fertility and allows plants to grow in a crowded method without affecting their growth. When crops like lettuce, radishes, beets, and carrots are grown in this high intensity fashion, it shades the soil, helps it stay damp longer, acts as a living mulch, and suppresses weeds.
The results of multi-sowing and high intensity spacing can be seen in the harvest of beets. In the video, the speaker harvested beets that were planted in little cell packs with three seeds per cell and were not thinned. Despite being planted very closely together, the roots did not crowd themselves out. Instead, they expanded outwards and produced full-sized roots.
The speaker harvested three gorgeous beets, each of which was a perfect example of the power of multi-sowing. The beets were planted in two rows, with three plants in each cell. Had the beets been seeded as recommended, with five to six inches of spacing between plants, they would have taken up three times more space to produce the same harvest.
In conclusion, multi-sowing and high intensity spacing are effective methods for maximizing food production in limited space. These methods allow crops to grow in a crowded manner without affecting their growth and produce full-sized roots, as seen in the harvest of beets.