Secrets of growing large beets
Beetroot is an unpretentious vegetable that does not require a lot of feeding. In addition, beets are quite cold-resistant plants. It is because of these qualities that it is grown all over the world, from hot tropical countries to the cold north, where it still snows at the beginning of summer. Nevertheless, many gardeners fail to grow large beets. There is nothing difficult in this, you just need to know and use a few secrets.
Choosing the right place to plant beets
Beets, like all root crops, love loose soil. The site for its planting should be shaded, at least 2-3 hours a day. But too strong a shadow will badly affect the formation of root crops. A suitable place for planting beets may be an area on the south side of an apple tree or other low tree.
Most suitable for beets is sandy soil. If loam predominates on your site, then such soil must be loosened. Many sources advise using sand as a baking powder, and they completely forget that the best baking powder is vegetable humus.
Beet thinning
After sowing, beets produce not one, but several sprouts. Therefore, as soon as the seedlings have grown a little stronger, it is thinned out. The weakest seedlings are removed, since in the spring they will begin to take on nutrients, and in addition, there will be no room for root crops to develop.
The seedlings that you removed should not be thrown away. They can be used as seedlings. Transplant the shoots to another place, lightly shade them with a film, and then the shoots will also form root crops.
After the first thinning, the distance between the shoots of beets should be at least 7-8 cm. The second thinning is performed in mid-August. With normal planting density, the distance between the beets is left at least 20 cm. With thickened planting, 15-10 cm of free space can be left.
Watering beets
Dry weather is common in early August. Beets love moisture, so dry summers are unfavorable conditions for the development of root crops. In August, it is necessary to carefully monitor soil moisture. Many gardeners water beets superficially, and root crops are greatly delayed because of this.
Watering rate per 1 m2 the planting area in August is 10-15 liters of water. If the soil on the site is sandy, then watering can be increased to 20 liters of water in the hot season.