Problems with beets
Identify what's wrong by where it appears and what you can see.
Where is the problem?
Start by selecting the part of the plant where you see the problem.
Start with the symptom
Or pick from the symptoms most often seen on beets.
Common problems with beets
The problems recorded on beets, the most common first.
12 problems
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Slugs and snails
Ragged holes in leaves and seedlings gone overnight, with silvery slime trails. -
Fungal leaf spots
Round brown or grey spots with darker rims on leaves, spreading in wet weather. -
Leaf miners
Pale, winding tunnels or blotches inside the leaves. -
Root damage
Wilting and stalled growth with nothing wrong above ground. Roots have been cut, crushed or disturbed. -
Uneven watering
Dry then soaked: the swing that splits fruit and roots and rots tomatoes at the tip. -
Birds
Torn, stripped brassica leaves, pecked fruit, and seeds or seedlings pulled from the soil. -
Bolting (running to seed)
A tall flower stalk from the centre of a leafy crop. The leaves turn bitter and tough. -
Damping off
Seedlings collapse at soil level with a thin, dark, pinched stem. -
Flea beetles
Lots of tiny round holes in young leaves, and small beetles that jump when disturbed. -
Heat stress
Afternoon wilting, dropped flowers and stalled fruit in a hot spell, even in moist soil. -
Too much nitrogen
Lush, dark leaves and few flowers or fruit. Rich feeding pushes growth, not crop. -
Underwatering
Crisp, dry leaves and flopping growth in dust-dry soil. The quickest problem to fix.
