Why beets grow small and not sweet | Website about growing plants

Beets grow small and not sweet if they grow in soils that do not suit them. And she loves humus-rich, air- and moisture-permeable soils. Therefore, it is better to place it in areas where organic matter was added last year.

We planted large beets, but they grew small

Root crops grow small when sowing is too dense.

Beetroot seeds, although not small, are multi-sprouting; several root crops can grow from one seed. Therefore, even the most diligent summer residents always end up with thickened crops.

Conclusion: to prevent beets from becoming small, they must not only be planted rarely, but after the emergence of seedlings, be sure to pull out the excess shoots. There should be at least 15-20 cm between plants in a row.

Beetroot tolerates a temporary lack of moisture better than other root crops, and yet you should not test its strength: a gap in watering, especially during the period of root crop growth, leads to the fact that they do not reach the standards of the variety and turn out small.

Its development is also hampered by too frequent watering: the soil becomes compacted, the roots begin to lack air.

How to grow sweet beets

Most of all, timely fertilizing contributes to improving the taste and the appearance of sweetness in root crops.

The first time beets are fed at the stage of 3-4 true leaves (1.5 cups of mullein infusion, a tablespoon of complex fertilizer per bucket of water, consumption per sq. m).

Separately, you can fertilize with a solution of boric acid (1 g), table salt (a teaspoon per bucket of water).

As a second feeding, which is carried out three weeks after the first, before loosening and watering, sprinkle the rows with wood ash or give the beets potassium magnesium (a teaspoon per bucket of water).

Advice from experienced gardeners:

During the growing season, beets are fed “for sweetness” with a solution of table salt: tbsp. spoon on a bucket of water.

As you can see, it's all about agricultural technology. If beets are properly cared for, they will be both large and sweet.