![]() Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer and Trifecta. Our favorite multi-purpose fertilizers are Dr. Plus, for every 10 square feet sprinkle about a cup of a multi-purpose organic fertilizer containing Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium (N-P-K) plus trace minerals and mycorrhizae fungi. Without enough nitrogen the root becomes woody and very hard.Īlways add an inch of rich compost to the top of the soil bed each time you plant a beet crop. If you don’t have enough nitrogen the plant will have enough leaves to survive but won’t have energy to grow a big root. Then the energy moves back down into the root from the leaves. The plant takes up the nitrogen first into its leaves for huge leaf growth provided by the sun through photosynthesis. You don’t need a lot of phosphorus or potassium to grow beets. The confusion is that phosphorus, not nitrogen, is normally added for root development. Beets need to grow tall leaves in order for their roots to grow properly, so they require lots of nitrogen to encourage leaf growth. Beets have specific needs that are different from other root crops. But, most gardeners carefully pull out the smallest beet and eat it for dinner.įertilizing. If the soil is very loose you may be able to pull out the smaller seedling and replant it in another spot. ![]() Since you only want one beet in each spot thin when the seedlings are about 5 inches tall. For less competition and bigger roots space 4” apart. Plant 2 cluster seeds every 3 inches for high density. A beet seed is actually a cluster of several tiny seeds. Make sure to have even soil moisture to decrease chances of cracking. This occurs when the cell walls aren’t flexible enough because of a lack of moisture are then overwhelmed by a sudden burst of h20. If beets aren’t watered consistently they will crack once they drink up moisture, similar to how tomatoes crack. Beets will either be tough without enough water or they will be too dry. Tilling in compost to soil will increase water retention and maintain even moisture. They will tolerate at least five hours of sun a day. Beets prefer full sun – 6 to 8 hours – but more sun is better. Take a soil sample before planting to ensure that you don’t need to amend the soil with lime. ![]() Beets don’t like acidic soil and may perform poorly in soil with a 5.5 or less pH rating. Compost is a natural pH buffer, so if you notice your soil is leaning too acidic or alkaline simply add more compost to even out the acidity. PH Levels: Tolerant to any soil with a ph from 5.5 to 8, no lower or higher. Additionally, beets prefer sandy, lightweight soil that drains well. Misshapen beets result when the soil is too hard and is pressing in around the root. Mix in lots of nutrient dense compost at the start of the season. In fact, the beet will loosen up and aerate your soil. But they will still grow in harder clay soil but will produce a smaller root. Loose fluffy soil helps root development, allows the taproot to go deep and supports uniform root shape. When succession planting seeds outdoors, one or 2 weeks apart, you can harvest beets gradually all season long. Above 100° F and beets will grow quickly and flower before the root is fully developed. As long as they’re planted in an area that gets full sun, they will grow in temperatures anywhere between 50° and 85°f. Beets are fun to grow because they are heat tolerant, cold tolerant and grow in almost any weather in Zone 5. With an added bonus: both the roots and leaves are edible! They are some of the hardiest and most cold/heat tolerant of any vegetable. The wonderful thing about beets is that they can be grown all season long- spring, summer and fall. Root Veggie Growing Tips Beets, carrots and radishes Growing Beets
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