Tips for Growing beets?
15 years ago
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- 15 years ago
- 15 years ago
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Beets-Any advice?
Comments (4)I have done beets in my raised beds for the last 3 or 4 years. With the exception of last year, we have been very happy with our beets, happy enough to increase our planting each year. Last year we had some small black beetle attack the leaves of our beets and chard. The damage was enough to slow growth enough to where we harvested no beets. They were all too tough. If I lived on old cotton land (which I do), I would be careful about adding more phosphorus (the middle number of the 3 in fertilizer numbers). Alabama cotton farmers added balanced fertilizers to their land for decades. Cotton does not use nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium equally and phosphorus stays in the soil. There are places, like my area, where the phosphorus levels are at "very high" levels. According to Alabama County Extension System, I have about 40 years worth of phosphorus in my soil without adding any more. I would get a soil test (especially if living on old cotton land) before adding extra phosphorus). Steve...See MoreHow do you market beets during the growing season?
Comments (10)I sell beets in bunches with tops as long as the tops look good. After a late freeze or if leaf miner is a problem and the tops look junky, I sell them loose. The bunch price is much better so it's worth it for me to take the extra time. When beets are harvested in the morning and kept cool until they go on display, they don't wilt all that fast. On very hot days, I accept that the beets on the bottom will wilt, but I just keep restocking from under the table and the fresh top bunches keep the display nice. Usually someone at the end of market will buy the wilted ones for a discount. -Mark...See Moresecret to growing good sized beets?
Comments (11)I had some issue with beets last year, but that was primarily due to a rouge mole that decided to tunnel under my garden bed, shoving my beets out of the soil. I managed to salvage and replant a few but most started to wilt and had to be pulled pre-mature. Learned: beets don't take kindly to disturbed roots. Its hard to really diagnose your problem without knowing more about your gardening, but here area few ideas: 1) Is your soil too acidic? Beets can be stunted in very acidic soils 2) When did you plant, they're cool season, but if the soil is too cold they might not produce ample roots. 3) Did/when did you thin? Beets need to be thinned so that they have room to expand, can't grow any larger than the available space! Also more resource competition. 4) Root and sugar production is highly dependent on Phosphorus, make sure your beets are getting enough. They also need sun to do this, are they in a shaded spot? 5) What was near them? Pole beens can stunt beets. 6) Was the soil compacted? Many root veggies seem to do better in looser soil. In my experience, if the biggest thing seems to be spacing. Beets seem not to enlarge much after same time planted beets have matured. If they were squashed, even after removing the bigger ones, the small ones don't seem to expand. Make sure to plant carefully and thin early. They make great baby greens anyway....See MoreTake a look - Beets n kohlrabi refuse to grow
Comments (6)Oh I'm glad you post, and hoping to see some answer too. I have the exact same problem with my kales and mixed salad (grown from seeds). They grew from seeds fine, until about 3-4in tall then they completely stoped growing, and the kale leaves turn to the old yellow-ish color exactly like in your 2nd picture. My vertical-planter soil bed is about 3in deep - wondering if my soil is too shallow for the roots to grow??...See More- 15 years ago
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