Fertilizing beets in open ground

Beets are considered one of those vegetable crops that grow almost effortlessly—"on their own." It's said that all a gardener needs to do is sow the seeds at the right time, then thin the seedlings and water the bed occasionally. But that's not entirely true: without human intervention, beets only grow well in rich, nutrient-rich black soil and a sunny bed. If any of these factors aren't ideal in your beet "plantation," you'll have to put in some effort to ensure a good harvest. We'll tell you how to feed beets for outdoor growth, and discuss the methods and composition of certain fertilizers.

By the way, do you know, What is the difference between sugar beet and fodder beet??

Foliar feeding of beets with ash

This feeding method is suitable for your beet garden if the soil is overly acidic and your water contains a lot of iron. This metal acidifies the soil and inhibits vegetable crops, so it's important to alkalize the soil periodically by adding ash or crushed eggshells. Furthermore, foliar feeding with ash will help repel pests such as aphids, slugs, and other unwanted insects.

How to feed beets with ash in the open ground? It's very simple. Collect the ashes left over from a fire (or rake them out of the stove if you heat your cottage to prevent dampness) and sift them through a large sieve or other perforated device. Spread the crushed ash over the rows of beets, making sure to get it on both the leaves and the soil between them.

Let the ash remain on the leaves (it will soon be blown away by the wind or washed away by the rain anyway), but immediately incorporate the ash into the soil between the rows, working it between the rows with a cultivator. The ash will enrich the soil in the bed and help the beets fight garden pests. This "procedure" can be repeated throughout the gardening season, but no more than once every three weeks.

Root feeding of beet beds with boric acid

Boron is essential for the full development of beet tubers. Without it, the vegetables can grow stunted – both in diameter and length. Therefore, it's a good idea to give your beet beds a "shower" with a boric acid solution every two weeks. How do you fertilize beets with boron? You'll need a 5g packet of boric acid, a 5-liter bottle, and 5 liters of plain water.

Pour boric acid into the bottom of an empty bottle, then fill it with water. Don't fill it completely to the top; leave some air to allow the solution to swirl. Screw the lid on and shake the bottle to mix the boric acid with the water and completely dissolve it. Then pour the boric acid solution into a regular watering can and water the beet rows from above. Let the liquid reach the leaves, the tops of the vegetables protruding above the ground, and the soil itself where the beets grow.

Root feeding of beets with folk remedies (herbal infusion)

A versatile organic fertilizer for vegetable crops that requires no financial investment is a herbal infusion of weeds. It's commonly used once every two weeks for beets, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, and all other crops except greens. Herbal fertilizer is the best way to enrich the soil with organic matter, so vegetables grow like crazy in such soil.

How to prepare organic fertilizer For beets? Place a 30-liter container in a sunny spot and fill it with 3 kg of garden weeds. It's highly recommended that they include plenty of nettles, both young and old. Pour water over the plants until the container is completely filled, then cover with a lid. After a few days, the liquid will ferment due to rotting of the plants and exposure to sunlight. Once bubbles (or even foam) appear on the surface of the water, this extremely unpleasant-smelling liquid can be used to water the beet bed.

Fertilizing beets is a very useful part of maintaining a vegetable garden. What's more, it doesn't require a lot of effort or money: you can help your beets grow to the desired size on your own!