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Monday, February 10, 2020

Mangels, anyone?

There was a time when I had never heard of a mangel.  Sure, I had heard the word “mangle” and may have done just that to the English language a few times.   When I did hear about mangels, that pesky 1930s prairie farm wife popped up and I bought red and yellow mangel seed in bulk.  Apparently, I had a fantasy about plowing up the back forty acres and planting a crop.  Sigh.  I did try a little patch, which did, well, little.  This year, I reorganized my seeds and finally agreed with my sensible self that they should find a more deserving home.  They were packaged for 2014/2013, respectively, but should still have a fairly good germination rate.  Any takers?  Comment below if you’d like them and I’ll pop them in the post.  I’m not sure the inter-country postal rules, so only the US this go-around.

Updated - OK!  I think I have enough seeds so that everyone who wants some, can have some.  Please email your mailing address and I will get them in the post at the end of the week.

14 comments:

ErinFromIowa said...

I'll bite. If I win my daughter from another mother will be the lucky recipient. She loves beets. Maybe it'll get huge and entered in the Iowa State Fair!

Leigh said...

My goats love mangels so enter me!

Annsterw said...

I LOVE BEETS!!! Please pick me! I would love to try beets in a deep pot!

Goatldi said...

👋. Over here me too. I will love to have some. Apparently my goats will too according to Leigh.

Mama Pea said...

Hey, I have that exact same seed packet! They grow great for us here, but we've never tried them for ourselves. I grew them for our poultry. Maybe I let them get too big (and, my gosh, did they grow big!) because after a peck or two (or gnawing by the ducks and geese) they were ignored. But if I cooked them the birds loved them! Don't know if Leigh had to cook them and serve them to her goats with butter and salt & pepper though . . . ;o}

Susan said...

Are these mangelwurzels? Grown as cattle feed. We had mountains of them on our farm in England. I was always nervous I would start a landslide and be buried under them. How would that look on a tombstone.

Goatldi said...

Here lies Susan Her demise was an unfortunate encounter with a herd of ravenous cattle and mangelwurzels. 🙏

Leigh said...

Goatldi, I'm pretty sure your goats will like them! I chop them for them.

Mama Pea, ha ha, no, I've never cooked them for the goats. Just wash, chop, and serve.

Everyone should be aware that while these are in the beet family, they are not like red table beets. They are traditionally grown as a livestock feed and they get BIG; up to two feet in length if your soil is good. My soil is heavy so mine never got that big.

Joanne Noragon said...

Myohmy, they look like watermelons to me. No garden, don't need them. If they are watermelon, I don't like them.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

I never did try planting those for the goats. No goats now, so I hope your seeds find a good home.

Ed said...

I've never heard of them and the package makes them look like a watermelon. A google search told me they were a beet. Learn something new everyday.

Retired Knitter said...

I never heard of mangels. Don't count me in. I kill green things. Not intentionally, but just the nature of me and plant life. I am convinced the seeds would brown up and die before they even got in the same room with some soil. Hahaha.

Susan said...

Susan, I would think something like: Cut down in her prime by a mountain of mangelwurzels. I think it would take a rather large tombstone and the sculptural subjects are endless...

Nancy In Boise said...

Never heard of them, but fascinating!