What and how to feed beets for root growth and a good harvest using folk remedies

Any vegetable crop needs fertilizers. They are necessary for normal growth, adaptation to environmental conditions and crop formation.

Beets are no exception. Lack of nutrients negatively affects the quality and quantity of crop yield. To get large, red and sweet root vegetables, you need to know how to feed beets, as well as how and when to do it correctly.

Preparing a site for beets and applying fertilizers

Soil for successful cultivation beet planting should be loose, light and fertile. Cultivated peat bogs, chernozems, and loamy soils—neutral or slightly alkaline—will pass. In the fall, after harvesting the predecessor, organic fertilizers are added to the soil under deep autumn plowing: humus, compost.

Per 1 m², add 4-5 kg ​​of rotted mullein or 3 kg of compost. Do not use fresh manure or bird droppings for beets. To alkalize the soil, add quicklime at the rate of 0.5-1 kg per 1 m².

In the spring, before cultivation or digging, the soil is additionally fertilized with mineral fertilizers. For 1 m² add:

• 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate or 30 g of ammonium sulfate;
• 40 g superphosphate;
• 15 g potassium chloride.

Additionally, you can add humus at the rate of 2-3 kg per 1 m².

Feeding beets in open ground occurs according to the following scheme:

1. In the phase of formation of the second pair of permanent leaves, when the plant needs nitrogen to grow green mass, beets are fed with a solution of mullein or chicken manure. Fertilizer is applied into special grooves between rows.
2. In May, at the stage of 6-8 leaves, mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are applied.
3. At the stage of root crop formation (late July - early August), after the leaves of neighboring seedlings close, the plant is fed with phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen is no longer added. An excess of this element leads to the growth of tops to the detriment of root crops.

What do beets need and how to recognize starvation?

First of all, beets need basic elements: phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.Their deficiency affects the crop yield. Beets use nutrients unevenly during the growing season.

Most of them are absorbed a month after germination, when the root system of the plant is already sufficiently developed. At the beginning of growth, the need for nitrogen is higher, towards the end of cultivation - for potassium and phosphorus. Even on fertile soil, feeding beets during the growing process is necessary.

Beetroot requires sodium to store carbohydrates and impart flavor. For this purpose, table salt or sodium nitrate is added to the soil.

Nutritional deficiency in beets can be determined by the condition of the leaves and other organs. With a lack of potassium, yellow spots appear on the foliage. If there is not enough sodium in the soil, the tops turn red. With a lack of nitrogen, the leaves are underdeveloped. They are small and weak. If there is a lack of boron, the core of the root crop rots.

To compensate for the deficiency of minerals, industrially produced fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, potassium sulfate and others) or organic origin (mullein, compost, bird droppings, infusion of nettle or other weeds with yeast) are used.

Root feeding for beets

For the full development of the root crop, the first feeding of the plants with wood ash is carried out the next day after sowing. To do this, dilute 2 glasses of the product in 15 liters of water, leave for 2 hours and use for watering beet beds.

After 2-3 leaves appear, organic fertilizers are added to the soil. In order to increase the sugar content, table salt or other sodium fertilizers are used as root feeding during the formation of root crops.

For the development of root crops, potassium and phosphate fertilizers. The first time is when 3-4 pairs of leaves are formed.The second is when the top of the root crop appears from the soil.

In addition, boric acid, infusions of weeds, and lime are used as root feeding. The latter is applied once a season along with the first mineral supplement.

Foliar feeding of beets

Sometimes fertilizers are not applied at the root, but rather the foliage and soil around the bush are irrigated. Foliar feeding of beets has its advantages:

1. Nutrients are absorbed by the foliage faster than by the root system.
2. Elements that are not introduced at the root are absorbed more fully. The losses in this case are lower.
3. Foliar feeding can be done at any stage of the plant's growing season.
4. Foliar application of fertilizers occurs more evenly with minimal risk of overdose.

For irrigation, an infusion of urea is used, for which 20 g of the substance is mixed with 10 liters of water. Manganese is used to prevent putrefactive foot. It is used as irrigation with a weak pink solution of potassium permanganate 5 times per season.

You can use a solution of boric acid, table salt and other means. Irrigation is carried out in the evening or on a cloudy day to prevent leaf burns.

Watering beets with salt water

External changes indicate what fertilizers are needed. So, redness of beet tops indicates that it lacks sodium. To protect the foliage from yellowing and premature wilting, as well as the sweetness of the root crops, the crop is watered with a solution of table salt.

Enriching the soil with sodium is harmful to most plants except beets. Table salt has a positive effect on its vegetation. In addition, salt water protects the crop from certain pests.

To obtain sweet beets, they are watered with a solution of rock salt, since the intake of sodium promotes the accumulation of carbohydrates in the tissues of root crops. Prepare a solution at the rate for 1 m² - 1 tbsp. l. salt per 10 liters of water. The salt is first completely dissolved in a small amount of hot water, and then the concentrate is diluted to the required volume.

Saline solution can also be used for foliar feeding. For this purpose, it is sprayed on beet leaves on both sides and the soil around the bed. This method of fertilization additionally protects against summer flies, caterpillars and slugs, but in this case a more concentrated solution is used - 1 tbsp. salt per 10 liters of water.

Fertilizing the crop with salt water is done three times:

1. After the appearance of 6-8 leaves.
2. At the stage of root crop formation or after the top of the vegetable emerges from the ground.
3. 2-3 weeks after the second feeding or a month before harvest.

Feeding beets with boric acid

Boron normalizes the synthesis of nitrogen-containing substances in plant tissues, participates in metabolism, and is necessary for the synthesis of chlorophyll. The amount of microelement in the soil affects the yield, keeping quality of root crops and their sugar content, and the overall resistance of plants to unfavorable environmental conditions.

The simplest, cheapest and most accessible boron compound is boric acid, which is why it is added to many complex fertilizers. The substance is colorless crystals, easily soluble in water. With a lack of boron, beets develop mycosis - phomosis, in which the core of the root crop rots. On a cut, the affected root crop is dark brown or black, and brown spots with black dots form on the leaves.

The use of the substance is most successful on sod-podzolic, gray, brown forest soil and on light chernozems.It is necessary to introduce boric acid into soils enriched with carbonates, as well as dark-colored soils that are swampy and limed.

Beetroot needs boron throughout the entire growing season. The crop belongs to the category of plants with a high need for this element. At the same time, if there is an excess of boron, the lower leaves may turn yellow and dry out.

The substance is used at different stages of the growing season. To stimulate seed germination, 200 mg of boric acid is dissolved in 1 liter of hot water. The seeds are soaked in the prepared solution for 12 hours. This solution can be used to water the rows before sowing at the rate of 1 liter per 1 m². Then the row is loosened and sown. You can spray the seeds with a dry mixture of acid and talc mixed in a 1:1 ratio.

Root feeding of beets with boric acid is used when there is a confirmed lack of boron in the soil, on sod-podzolic and peaty and sandy soils. In this case, the plants are first watered with clean water so as not to burn the roots, and then with a 0.02% solution of boric acid.

At the stage of appearance of 4-5 leaves and during the formation of root crops, the crop is fertilized outside the roots. It is sprayed with a 0.05-0.06% acid solution together with other microelements.

How to feed beets with chicken droppings

After the formation of 2-3 leaves, it becomes necessary to apply organic fertilizers. For this purpose, use a solution of mullein, rabbit feces or rotted chicken droppings.

For this purpose, 2 parts of selected organic fertilizers are diluted with 8 parts of water, infused for 2 hours, filtered so that organic particles do not burn the roots and leaves of the plant, and water the bed. After this, the beets need to be watered with clean water and mulched. This fertilizing is carried out only once during the growing season of the crop.

Chicken manure is considered the most effective and concentrated of all organic fertilizers. In addition to organic matter, it contains 2% phosphorus, 2.5% nitrogen and 1% potassium. You should not use fresh droppings for feeding. The high concentration of urea and uric acid in it can cause burns of leaves and roots.

Chicken manure can be applied to the soil in the fall, during autumn plowing or digging up the site. To prepare liquid fertilizer from fresh droppings, it is diluted in water at the rate of 1.5 kg per 10 liters of water and left to ferment for 7-10 days. The mixture is then used as a mother liquor.

Fertilizing beets with potassium

One of the necessary elements for normal growth and development of beets is potassium. If there is not enough of it in the soil, the foliage of the plant becomes covered with yellow spots. Beets receive different amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus from the soil: 4, 6.5 and 1.6 kg, respectively. From this we can conclude that in potash fertilizers the plant needs it most.

Potassium promotes the active growth of the crop, increases its resistance to diseases, drought and temperature changes, accelerates the formation, ripening and preservation of root crops, and is involved in the process of photosynthesis.

Entering the necessary elements when growing beets produced according to schedule. Thus, the first application of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus is carried out at the stage of 4-6 pairs of leaves, when the plant begins to actively grow green mass. Often the first feeding occurs in May. The second time they fertilize only with phosphorus and potassium. The second feeding is applied when the growth and formation of root crops begins.

If there is a confirmed deficiency of potassium in the soil, the crop is fertilized with it every 10-15 days at the rate of 70 g of potassium chloride per 10 liters of water. 300 ml of solution is poured under each plant. You can additionally add 1 cup of lime to the mixture. In August, if the tops begin to turn yellow too early, you can add potassium chloride to the soil at the rate of 30-40 g/m².

Fertilize beets with nettles

Fertilizing can be replaced by watering with a nettle solution. This plant is a storehouse of useful substances: phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamins, organic acids and many others necessary for the full development of beets. Vitamin K, which is contained in nettles, is actively involved in the process of photosynthesis.

Crops fertilized with nettle infusion are characterized by active growth and rapid ripening of fruits, and good resistance to adverse environmental conditions. The advantage of beneficial substances of organic origin is that they are easily absorbed by plants.

In addition, nettle preparations repel pests. It is most effective to apply fertilizers of plant origin during the phase of active growth and the growth of green mass by the crop.

A nutritious infusion is prepared from nettle. To do this, the green mass is collected before the seeds appear. Only healthy plants are used. Fill two-thirds of the container with nettles, add water and leave for 2 weeks, stirring regularly.

To speed up fermentation, yeast can be added to the infusion. Fermentation accelerates in open sun. Additional addition of other weeds (comfrey, burdock and others) will further increase the concentration of nutrients in the solution. The finished product will darken and stop foaming. The solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.An infusion diluted 1:20 can be used to spray beets as a foliar feeding once a month.

The culture is watered with infusion once a week at the rate of 0.5 liters for each plant. After which the vegetables are additionally irrigated with clean water. It is best to apply nettle-based fertilizing on a cloudy day, after rain, or combined with regular watering.

Root fertilizer for beets using folk remedies

To grow organic, environmentally friendly products, folk remedies are used to feed beets. They, like industrial fertilizers, are applied twice a season. The first time is after the appearance of permanent leaves, and the second time is after the leaves of neighboring seedlings close.

To make the root crop large, red and juicy, beets need alkaline soils rich in calcium. To do this, in the fall, proven folk remedies such as ash, dolomite, fish and bone meal or ground eggshells are added to the soil at the rate of 2-3 cups per 1 m². Ash is natural phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. To compensate for calcium deficiency, ground chalk can be added to the soil.