Of all garden crops, root vegetables are the most difficult to determine the degree of ripeness. They grow in the ground, and you can only tell if the crop is ready for harvest by the signs. At the same time, untimely harvesting can have the same negative impact on such vegetables as on any other. They can freeze, and this will lead to further rotting of the fruit.

OBOZREVATEL has collected recommendations from experienced gardeners on how to determine when a beet crop is ready for harvest. Four signs will help. If all of them are present on the plants, it's time to dig up the roots and prepare them for storage.

Condition of the lower leaves

One of the first signs of beet ripeness is the condition of the lower leaves of the plant. If they turn yellow and begin to dry out, the fruit is ripe and ready to harvest.

Beetroot sticking out of the ground

When the root vegetables are large enough, their upper part begins to protrude from the ground. If you can see the top of the vegetable above the soil level, it's time to plan your harvest day.

The skin has become dense

If you still have some doubts about the beet's appearance above the soil, feel the condition of the fruit's skin. If the skin is dense and not easily damaged by scratching it with your fingernail, this is a direct sign that the fruit is ripe.

Enough time has passed

Experienced gardeners record the dates of sowing and germination of various crops in a special calendar for a reason. This data can be used to calculate whether enough time has passed for the fruit to ripen. For early beet varieties, this period ranges from 80 to 100 days, and for late varieties, it is 100-130 days from the moment the first seedlings appear.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told how to properly harvest and store ripe beets.

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