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  • Root crops don't transplant well, so they are best sown in place. Carrots take several weeks to germinate due to the presence of an inhibitor in the seed coat. Put the seeds in a bowl, pour boiling water over them, and let them sit overnight to hasten germination. An old trick is to plant carrots and radishes together, since the radishes take only a few weeks to grow and form the edible roots. As you're pulling them out, the carrots are just beginning to grow.

    Beets and turnips are incredibly easy to grow, and to my surprise my own kids enjoyed eating them--even raw, in the case of turnips. My grandmother belonged to the New England school of cooking--boil all vegetables to death. It took me a long time to learn that beets don't have to be squishy and turnips don't have to be mashed. The fresher and less cooked the better, in most cases. Just remember to thin the seedlings to a few inches apart, and plant them in loose soil so the roots develop without being misshapen.

    Your early experiences at gardening can make or break the hobby for you. A little guidance from plant professionals can turn a childhood interest into a lifelong hobby. Planting from seed can be a fast, easy gardening activity with kids of any age.
    Or it can make the child feel like a failure.

    The key is choosing plants that have that special reputation for being -- all together now! -- easy to grow.





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    © 2008 Don Shor, Redwood Barn Nursery, Inc., 1607 Fifth Street, Davis, Ca 95616
    www.redwoodbarn.com
    Feel free to copy and distribute this article with attribution to this author.
    Click here for Don's other Davis Enterprise articles