What to do when beet leaves turn yellow and it doesn’t grow?
Errors in the care and process of growing root crops are reflected primarily in the greenery of the plant. The tops turn yellow, dry out, become stained, and die. Beets are no exception.
Yellowing of beet leaves is a sign of disease or improper care of the plant. In this article we will tell you what to do when the beet leaves turn yellow and it does not grow.
The main reasons for leaf color changes
The condition of the greenery is an indicator of the proper development of the root crop.. A healthy vegetable has rich, bright green leaves. Why do beet leaves turn yellow in the garden? It is natural to observe the drying and dying of the lower leaves of beets in August, when the vegetable is almost ripe and ready to be removed from the garden.
If the lower leaves turn yellow in July, this means that the beets need help.
The main reasons for yellowing and drying of beet tops:
- insufficient watering;
- lack of nutrients in the soil;
- pest invasion;
- infection with diseases.
Lack of moisture and nutrients, in particular nitrogen, are the main causes of problems with beet tops. But other negative factors deserve separate consideration.
Lack of moisture in the soil
Beetroot is not a moisture-loving crop. However, for root crops to grow and develop, they need regular soil moisture. The frequency of watering beet beds depends on weather conditions and the growth phase of the plants.
The irrigation regime is observed from the moment the seeds are sowed.. Sow beets in well-moistened soil. Before mass shoots appear, make sure that the soil is constantly moist. Since young shoots are still weak and the root system is not developed, deep moistening is not required.
Important! Beets experience the greatest need for water during the period when root crops begin to form.
During the formation and intensive development of the root crop water abundantly - up to 20 liters per 1 sq. m. Watering is stopped 2-3 weeks before harvesting.
In hot, dry summers, water abundantly and regularly.oh, about once a week. Poor daily irrigation is a mistake. This way, only the top layer of soil will be moistened, and the root crop will receive little water. If summer does not indulge in warm weather, then humidification at the rate of 10 liters per 1 sq.m. is sufficient. beds.
Advice. Avoid watering during the daytime, otherwise the sun will burn the wet foliage.
It's important not to overdo it. Excess moisture is just as bad for the plant as its lack.. Overmoistening leads to a decrease in oxygen content in the soil, causes rotting of the root system and provokes the development of pathogenic microbes.
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Lack of nutrients and microelements
Another common cause of yellowing leaves is a lack of nutrients in the soil.
Beet tops react differently to a lack of a certain substancey: turns yellow, red, covered in spots.
Yellowing of foliage signals a lack of nitrogen. It is this substance that is responsible for the formation of tops of root crops.
With nitrogen starvation the leaves grow small and limp and then change color.The first to turn yellow, thicken and coarse are the veins, and then the entire leaf.
Reddening of foliage indicates a lack of magnesium. Spots on leaves and dying tips are a sign of iron deficiency.
Besides, the crop is sensitive to insufficient boron and manganese content in the soil. This problem is typical for sandy and calcareous soils.
Infection with diseases
Coloring the tops yellow-green often indicates the development of the disease. This symptom is characteristic of downy mildew, brown rot, cercospora, black leg, rust, and jaundice.
Downy mildew
Downy mildew - it is a fungus transmitted through contaminated plant debris, as well as with wind and water. Infection is indicated by deformation of the leaves, the appearance of a gray-violet coating, yellowing and wilting.
Brown rot
Brown rot - this is a disease that affects the root crop itself. The infection is recognized by underdeveloped tops, their yellowing and dying, and rotting of beets during winter storage.
Rust
Disease manifested by the appearance of round orange spots on the leaves. After some time, they also appear on petioles and stems. In affected plants, photosynthesis is disrupted, the foliage turns yellow and dies.
Blackleg or root beetle
Corneater - root disease caused by a complex of soil fungi and bacteria. Symptoms of the disease: yellow, limp leaves. The development of infection is provoked by excess moisture.
Cercospora
Cercospora – this is a fungus that appears as light spots with a brown border. After some time, the leaves dry out, turn black and wither.
Jaundice
The disease is characterized by yellowing of the lower and middle leaves. The disease begins at the tops of the leaves, then spreads along the edges and between the main veins of the leaf. This disease is transmitted by aphids. Weeds can also become a source of infection.
Insect pest infestation
Invasion of parasites is another reason why beet tops change color and fall off.
Parasites pose the greatest danger to immature young plants.. There are few insects that can cause damage to the beet crop. Let's talk about each of them in more detail.
It can be useful:
Beet aphid
This is a wingless black insect. with a greenish or brown tint. The larvae are light, dark green. Aphids lay black, shiny eggs.
The pest is common where euonymus, viburnum, and jasmine grow. In autumn, aphids lay eggs on these shrubs. In the spring, larvae develop from the eggs. When the leaves of the bushes become hard, the aphids move to the beet beds, where they reproduce until autumn. With the arrival of cold weather, the aphids again move to euonymus and viburnum and lay eggs there.
The parasite is dangerous because it sucks the juices from the plant. The leaves dry out, the tops become deformed and curl. Damaged leaves turn yellow, the edges and tops curl down, wither and dry out. Vegetable growth slows down, root crops grow small and unsightly.
Common beet flea beetle
The beet flea beetle is a small, bronze-metallic colored bug. with spots on the wings. The pest (pictured below) overwinters in closed places (forest belts) and becomes active in April-May. It feeds mainly on young beet shoots and weeds.Eggs are laid in the soil in late spring. The larvae, after hatching, eat the roots of plants.
Flea fleas are recognized by small holes on leaves and petioles. If there are a lot of pests, the leaves become like lace.
Beet beetleaf
Flat beetle, green or brown, 6-7 mm long. Overwinters under plant debris and fallen leaves, as well as in weed thickets. The stink bug appears in April-May and settles on weeds and beets. Females lay eggs on beet leaves, from which larvae emerge. Young individuals, like beetles, feed on leaves, gnawing holes.
Larvae cause the most damage, which completely eat up the leaves without touching the veins.
Beet leaf miner
This is a gray-brown pest, 6-7 mm in length.. The 6-8 mm larva is pale yellow with a wrinkled body surface.
Lays eggs on the underside of beet leaves. The hatched larvae gnaw through the leaf and penetrate inside, forming cavities (mines) inside. From the outside, the damaged area looks like a bubble. Damaged tops turn yellow and dry out. Damage to beets is especially dangerous at the initial stage of growth.
Beet weevil
Gray-brown beetle. Its length is 12-16 mm. The pest is capable of destroying beets over large areas. The beetle crawls out of its wintering grounds in late April – early May, when the soil warms up to +10°C.
First, the pest eats fresh leaves of quinoa, acorn and marigold, then moves to beet crops. The sprouts are still small at this time. As soon as the beetle bites the cotyledon leaves, the plant loses its ability to develop.
Weevil lays eggs in the soil. The larvae emerge after 11 days and gnaw beet roots in the soil.Because of this, root crops grow in irregular shapes.
How to deal with yellowing of the tops
How to deal with this? First, determine the source of the problem.
Lack of moisture is corrected by regularly and abundantly moistening the soil.. The watering rate for beets is approximately 15 liters per 1 sq. m. When watering, make sure that the water in the beds does not stagnate. If this happens, the norm is reduced.
As soon as the root vegetable begins to gain weight, the frequency of watering is reduced. In rainy and cool weather, water less often. In August, the amount of liquid added is reduced. 2-3 weeks before removing root crops from the garden, watering is stopped.
The lack of nutrition is compensated for by root and foliar feeding.. A quick effect is achieved by feeding with an infusion of mullein or chicken droppings (1 kg per bucket of water). Fertilizer is applied between rows (1 bucket per 10-15 linear meter). Any fertilizer that gets on the leaves is washed off with clean water. All liquid fertilizing is carried out in July. During this period, the most active consumption of all nutrients occurs.
If the problem is caused by diseases, plants are treated. For brown rot, beets are treated with boron. For black rot, get rid of high soil moisture and loosen the soil. Acidic soils are fertilized with lime.
To prevent infection with cercospora, the seeds are subjected to heat treatment. If the disease appears, the foliage is treated with chalk and the plantings are fed with boron solution.
When rust is detected crops are sprayed with fungicides. It is important to avoid applying high doses of nitrogen fertilizers and to grow disease-resistant varieties.
For pest control spraying with insecticides, tobacco infusion, and soap solution is used. Good results are obtained by using a decoction of wormwood.
Attention! Spraying is carried out as soon as the pest is detected, before the leaves curl.
Prevention measures
To avoid problems when growing beets, crops are prepared in advance for planting. Prevention of yellowing and drying of beet leaves includes ensuring adequate nutrition of crops, observing the irrigation regime, timely removal of weeds, and maintaining crop rotation.
Yellowing of tops is most often caused by nutrient deficiency. Therefore, it is important to periodically apply all necessary fertilizers. Mid-ripening and late-ripening crop varieties are fed at least twice. The first - after the appearance of the first leaves, the second - after 3 weeks.
Important! When applying fertilizers, be careful. Remember that root vegetables accumulate nitrates.
To avoid infection pests, the beds and row spacing are carefully treated, the weeds are weeded and removed from the garden. Beet leaves affected by leafminers are cut off and removed from the site. In autumn, the soil is dug up and thoroughly cleaned of plant debris and leaves. This way the parasites will be deprived of their wintering places.
A simple way to protect yourself from parasites – attracting predatory insects to the garden plot. These are faithful assistants in pest control. Ladybugs and lacewings destroy aphids. Beneficial insects are attracted by sowing plants such as calendula, cornflower, dill, geranium, and tansy.
Reference. Treatment with insecticides destroys not only pests, which quickly recover, but also beneficial insects.
Prevention of beet diseases involves disinfection of seed material, cleaning the site in the fall and burning plant residues, killing weeds, loosening the soil.For planting, select varieties that are resistant to pathogens and harmful insects.
When harvesting, root crops are protected from mechanical damage, protect from freezing. The harvested root crops are carefully sorted before storage to prevent the possible spread of diseases.
Conclusion
The emerald green of young beets is an indicator of the health of the root crop. Proper application of fertilizers, adherence to watering schedules, and control of diseases and pests help avoid yellowing and drying of beet leaves.