Sometimes, summer residents discover to their surprise that the carrots and beets that have grown on their plot have become overgrown with a “beard,” that is, a large number of thin roots.
According to the expert of the online publication BelNovosti, scientist-agronomist, landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, this phenomenon cannot be called dangerous.
But it is still worth fighting it, if only because such root vegetables are stored much worse than their “beardless” counterparts.
The first thing to do is to figure out the reasons why carrots and beets could grow bearded.
Poor quality soil
A "beard" of roots may appear due to too dense and heavy soil. To improve its structure, add sand, peat and compost (a bucket per "square" of land). It is advisable to do this in the fall, just like sowing green manure.
Irregular watering
Plants put out new roots in search of water, so in the first month of life of seedlings, you should take care that the soil is always slightly damp. During the period of formation of root crops, it is worth watering the beds once every 7-10 days, and after ripening, watering should be stopped so that the vegetables do not crack.
Untimely harvest
If you delay harvesting, the plants begin to prepare for winter by growing roots. By the way, sometimes late harvesting can cause the taste of vegetables to deteriorate, and sometimes they become bitter.
Excess nitrogen
Do not try to add as much urea, ammonium sulfate or fresh manure to the soil as possible - such actions, especially before planting vegetables, lead to the appearance of "bearded" root crops.
For reference
A root crop is a part of a plant that stores nutrients, most often associated with the root system, hence the first part of the name.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
