Thin the Beets, Test the Soil?

Today I thinned the beets. Thinning the plants is an investment in the future. It allows space for the beet roots to grow. The nice thing about thinning beets compared to thinning many other crops ... the greens don't go to waste! The small leaves make a delicious fresh salad.  The large leaves may be cooked up. Any of the leaves can be added to a green smoothy. Let the beet feast begin!

I am a little concerned about the three rows of beets that are occupying the bed that has held pole beans the last few years. Half of those beet plants look healthy and vigorous. The other half are half the size!

Check out the plants in the foreground of the adjacent picture. They're puny! They look a little pale, too, compared to the more healthy plants. Last summer, the beans in that section of the bed turned yellow and dried up. I thought heat and drought had adversely affected them, but maybe there's something in the soil. I plan to put my okra in that bed, between the rows of beets, but I'm thinking a soil test might be in order. Don't want to risk the success of my okra!