Growing Root Vegetables from Sports Equipment: A Guide on Cultivating Beets and Carrots from Footballs and Carrot-Dubins
Root Vegetable Fertilization Guide for July and August
As summer is in full swing, it's time to pay special attention to root vegetables in your garden. Here's a guide on how to fertilize them effectively during the critical growth, sweetening, and storage period.
Beetroot
From July 25 to August 10, beetroot should be fertilized to promote sweetness and storage. An ash solution should be applied from July 25 to 31, followed by a salt fertilizer from August 5 to 10. Be aware that pale beet leaves may indicate a need for manure.
Parsnips and Rutabagas
From August 1 to 10, these root vegetables start gaining storage and mass. A grass infusion fertilizer, diluted in a 1:10 ratio after 5-7 days of fermentation, is suitable for this period. From August 1 to 5, a nitrochalk solution (1 tbsp per 10 liters of water) should be sprayed on parsnips and rutabagas.
Radishes, Turnips, and Daikon
These vegetables should be fertilized from July 25 to August 5. A final fertilizer should be given on July 25 to 28, and mulching is recommended if it's hot after August 5. Hollows in radishes or turnips indicate a lack of boron and potassium, so these nutrients should be addressed.
Carrots
Carrots require potassium for their core and sweetness. They should be fertilized from July 25 to August 5. Red tips on carrots may indicate a need for potassium. A potassium sulfate and superphosphate solution should be used from July 25 to 30, and a boric acid solution should be applied on the leaves from August 1 to 5.
General Tips
- Always water the soil before fertilizing to prevent root burn from fertilizer salts.
- Use diluted liquid fertilizers according to instructions to avoid overheating damage to roots in hot weather.
- Organic fertilizers help maintain soil health, stimulate microorganisms, and build soil structure, supporting long-term soil fertility during and after the crop growing phase.
- Fertilize root vegetables only after watering or rain, preferably in the evening or on cloudy days.
- Mulch the rows in hot weather to retain moisture and prevent cracking.
- Gardeners should apply fertilizers during the aforementioned two to three weeks to significantly increase the size of the fruits.
- Potassium-phosphorus fertilizers and boron are recommended for root vegetables.
By following this guide, you can ensure that your root vegetables grow to their full potential, providing you with a bountiful harvest this season.
Home-and-garden enthusiasts should consider expanding their lifestyle to include a focus on the proper fertilization of root vegetables in their garden during July and August, following the critical growth, sweetening, and storage period. Specifically, they can apply different fertilizers to beetroot, parsnips and rutabagas, radishes, turnips, daikon, and carrots as indicated in the guide, ensuring that their root vegetables grow to their full potential for a bountiful harvest this season.
