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Beets are garden vegetables that are also known as red beets or blood turnips. It provides a nourishing source of vitamins A and B. Beet grains can be prepared or freshly served while the roots may be preserved.
In this article, I listed the problems with growing beetroot and the possible solutions.
Beets are not hard vegetables to grow if you have the right knowledge. Sometimes, problems surface and arbitrate the peculiarity and size of them.
Most beetroot problems can be mitigated by suitable planting. Beetroot problems are numerous but can be alleviated by experienced gardeners.
As much as beet plants are easy to nurture, taking care of them is always really challenging. Some are very easy to deal with, while others are not, because the difficult problems affect the whole crop.
But with the application of the method of nurturing beet plants, there is a high possibility of getting your beet plants to the harvesting stage.
Unsweetened Beets
A regular dissatisfaction that we often hear from beet farmers is that the beet grown has little or no taste. In essence, after planting and nurturing till the harvesting stage, the beet has no pleasurable taste as it ought to have.
At first, it was very difficult to believe, but truly, it is one of the beetroot problems many beet farmers experience.
While the beet looks flourishing in its size, it lacks the flavour that is usually associated with beets. Many farmers believe that it depends on the variety of beets because some species are more enjoyable than others.
Another reason might be that the soil lacks some nutrients or the beets are not watered properly.
Solution: The best way to ensure that your beets are sweet is to avoid overwatering or the application of too many fertilizers. If you are one of those people who love sweet beets, then it is advisable to select a variety of them.
Examples of popular sweet beet varieties are Merlin, Dark Red Detroit, Chioggia, and so many others.
Since beets flourish vigorously in rich and healthy soil, it is expected of beet farmers to feed them well throughout their growing stages.
Note that there is no similarity between side dressing your beet plants with organic material and using chemical fertilizers.
The secrets behind sweet beets are the application of homemade fertilizers, organic compost, and aged manure.
Chemical fertilizers should be avoided, while organic compost should be adopted.
Beet Bolting
Many beet plants are expected to be harvested young, whether you nurture them for their toothsome roots or their appetizing roots.
The last thing that comes to your mind is to wait until they grow, because once the roots begin to bolt, they lose all their flavour and taste.
The beetroots concentrate their resources on the flowers and the developing seeds to the detriment of their fattening roots. This is the exact reason why it is a problem and needs to be avoided.
Beet farmers encounter beet bolting problems due to high temperatures and planting of the beets at the wrong time.
As a moderate beet plant, you must try your best to plant your beetroots early so that they become mature before the temperature gets high.
Solutions: Make sure your timer is set correctly to avoid bolting problems in your beetroot plant. Once your soil temperature reaches about 60 degrees Fahrenheit, it means it is ready to be transplanted, but if the temperature rises to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, it may actuate the bolts in the beets.
Over stressing the plants also causes bolting sometimes. Do not forget to use custom fertilizers of 10-5-10 that are high in nitrogen and low in phosphorus.
Curly Top Beet Plants
Many people do not know that the green leaves of beet plants are edible. But if you feel they are not edible enough, it still shows they are healthy enough. As beetroot farmers, you must be aware when your beetroots look yellowish, stunted, or deformed.
These are signs of curly top disease, which is a lethal disease and one of the most common beetroot problems.
Solutions: Plant beets in a shady area. Uproot infected beets and use disease-resistant beets.
Conclusion
As stated in this article, I have explained in detail the problems that growers encounter and the possible solutions. I’m convinced that the information in this article will help you solve the problems you may be having in growing beetroot.
Reference
- The Effect Of Nitrogen Source And Dosage On Growth, Result And Quality Of Red Beetroot (Beta Vulgaris L.)
- Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) growth and response to N supply – a case study
- Agronomic Performance of Different Open-Pollinated Beetroot Genotypes Grown Under Organic Farming Conditions
