My beets did not do well at all this year. I planted "Bull's Blood" beets for greens back in May. They did NOTHING In the garden; only got a couple of puny leaves per plant, despite watering and organic fertilizing. (Meanwhile, the lettuces right next to them did great guns.) Later in the summer I planted a mixed assortment of beets, in hopes that they'd mature by fall, but again they barely developed leaves, let alone roots. They're also yellow, as if they're lacking in some soil nutrient.

(Over in another bed, the Swiss chard had a slow start but was healthy, if not terribly large, by September.)

I also planted kale at the end of July, thinking that I'd have a nice fall crop of it. It didn't take off either; is hopelessly stunted.

We don't have the best soil. Our home is on land that used to be swamp, and the soil is a kind of sandy clay that becomes sticky and heavy when wet, with a sandy crust on top. But over the last two years I have amended it with all kinds of organic matter -- leaves, straw, lime, compost, manure, a fall planting of clover last year, organic fertilizer. And other crops in the garden seem to do just fine.

A couple of questions:

What do you think is the issue with the beets/beet crops? Is there some nutrient that beets crave that I may not have in my soil? I know too much nitogen can keep the roots from forming, but what's up with the leaves?

When is the optimal date for planting kale and its kin in Zone 5? I thought it was possible to do a late planting here in July for a fall crop.