How to properly double feed carrots and beets in August: tips from agronomists

August is the last opportunity to feed vegetables before the harvest season. This is especially true for root crops that ripen later than other plants.

The publication "Our own agronomist" told us what to feed carrots and beets with in August. This will help them grow larger and become sweeter by the fall. To do this, they will need double feeding.

Double feeding is carried out by pouring under the root, as well as spraying the leaves. The mixture contains two substances that root crops need in the late stages of ripening - phosphorus and potassium.

An important clarification: before the beginning of autumn, there is no need to apply fertilizers containing nitrogen. If root crops are fed with this element, they will begin to accumulate nitrates. This will make them taste bitter and less suitable for storage.

To prepare a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer for root crops, wood ash is suitable. It contains both of these elements in sufficient quantities, as well as other substances necessary for ripening.

Dry ash can be applied directly to the beds. To do this, it is scattered between the rows of plants, at the rate of one glass per square meter. After that, the garden bed is watered to allow the fertilizer to penetrate the soil and begin to release nutrients.

You can also prepare an infusion of ash. One glass of dry matter is poured into a bucket of water, stirred well, and left for a day. The finished liquid is poured over the plants at the root.

Another substance that will benefit carrots and beets at the end of summer is boric acid. The advantage is that it can be used simultaneously with ash, but applied foliarly. Boron helps root crops to gain weight faster and accumulate sugars and vitamins, and to be better stored in winter.

To prepare a solution for spraying, you need to take pharmacy boric acid. A teaspoon of liquid product or 10 grams of powder is diluted in a bucket of water. A higher concentration can be harmful to plants. The leaves are treated with the resulting mixture. It is better to fertilize in the early morning or evening. This way, the leaves will have time to absorb the liquid, and the sun's rays will not leave burns, as is the case with drops on their surface.

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