Beet...seedlings?

[Jstpssng]

I visited a greenhouse today, looking for a few things to finish my planting. As I walked past one of their displays I noticed what looked like individual beet plants in pots. WTF? Looking closer, that's just what they were. I guess that there must be a market they are trying to fill, but somehow it doesn't make sense.
I grew up in a family greenhouse. I left at 18 but still like to think that I know a little bit. The guy who is currently leasing the place said that he has people come in looking for carrot seedlings. A larger retail gardening center just up the road closed this year, apparently people are accustomed to buying them.
I can't imagine even taking the time to transplant a beet or carrot plant. Our lessee explains to people how much easier it is to just put seeds into the ground, but apparently they are accustomed to having them prestarted.

 

[jyoutz]

I visited a greenhouse today, looking for a few things to finish my planting. As I walked past one of their displays I noticed what looked like individual beet plants in pots. WTF? Looking closer, that's just what they were. I guess that there must be a market they are trying to fill, but somehow it doesn't make sense.
I grew up in a family greenhouse. I left at 18 but still like to think that I know a little bit. The guy who is currently leasing the place said that he has people come in looking for carrot seedlings. A larger retail gardening center just up the road closed this year, apparently people are accustomed to buying them.
I can't imagine even taking the time to transplant a beet or carrot plant. Our lessee explains to people how much easier it is to just put seeds into the ground, but apparently they are accustomed to having them prestarted.

Yeah, who plants single beets?

 

[ponytug]

Talk about plants that don't transplant well, are cold hardy, and have great germination rates!

Did I miss anything?

I have never seen prestarted beets or carrots, and I thought that I lived in a citified corner of the world, with lots of frivolous stuff...

learn something new every day...

All the best, Peter

 

[stuckmotor]

When dabbling into something that I know little about and don't want to take time to learn, I sometimes spend extra money just to get the job out of the way. That could be the case with some of the beet transplant crowd.

 

[Oaktree]

Talk about plants that don't transplant well, are cold hardy, and have great germination rates!

Did I miss anything?

I have never seen prestarted beets or carrots, and I thought that I lived in a citified corner of the world, with lots of frivolous stuff...

Guess I missed that, or else maybe the nurseries around here are afraid they'd be laughed out of town if they offered something like that.
Granted, carrots are slow to germinate, and seem to have a low germination rate but beets?? I can't imagine any root crop would transplant well.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Another transplant that doesn't work well is cantaloupe and watermelon. Once you disturb the roots, they just sit there. I always planted the seeds.

 

[Jstpssng]

Another transplant that doesn't work well is cantaloupe and watermelon. Once you disturb the roots, they just sit there. I always planted the seeds.

I start squash, melons, and cucumbers in peat pots.
Apparently I'm behind the times. I was at another greenhouse yesterday and they had Chard seedlings for sale. It hardly seems worth it to me, for the price you can go to the Farmer's Market and buy fresh greens.

 

[ericm979]

I asked my wife the expert gardener, and her answer (once past the obvious "some people don't know how or don't have time or started late") is that some varieties of beets don't germinate well.

Some home grown veggies taste way better than anything you can find in the farmers market. Tomatoes are the biggest example for me. Chard? Maybe not, unless there's a variety that you can't get at the market.

 

[MossRoad]

Another transplant that doesn't work well is cantaloupe and watermelon. Once you disturb the roots, they just sit there. I always planted the seeds.

I do pretty well with watermelon started indoors in peat pellets, then moved to 4-5" pots. I just put 8 of them out today.

 

[Oaktree]

Another transplant that doesn't work well is cantaloupe and watermelon. Once you disturb the roots, they just sit there. I always planted the seeds.

But you live in a southern state where the growing season is much longer and warmer. Here in New England we'd never have squash, peppers, tomatoes, melons, etc. if we didn't pre-start them inside, usually in March. You really don't want to set plants like that out until Memorial day.
Agree that a lot of plants take 2-3 weeks to fully re-establish once transplanted.

Some home grown veggies taste way better than anything you can find in the farmers market. Tomatoes are the biggest example for me. Chard? Maybe not, unless there's a variety that you can't get at the market.

Other than maybe corn, most of the vegetables I've seen at farmers markets have been kind of dried out and wilted from being on display outdoors for several hours. Carrots and greens especially.
Then again, most "farmers markets" around here are mostly for the tourists, with a large percentage of what's being sold artsy-craftsy stuff. The produce is much fresher at actual farm stands, but they're not always right on the beaten path.