Distance when planting beets. Planting beets with seeds in open ground in spring: terms and rules for sowing. Seed pretreatment

Plant beet (lat. Beta) belongs to the genus of one-, two- and perennial herbaceous plants of the Amaranth family, although not so long ago, beets, which in Ukraine are called beetroot, and in Belarus beetroot, were classified as belonging to the Marev family. The main representative of the genus is the common beet, which has three varieties: table beet, fodder beet and sugar beet. The beetroot vegetable grows on all continents except Antarctica. The progenitor of cultivated plant species, wild beets were used both for food and as a medicinal plant in ancient Babylon. The most interesting thing is that at first only leaves were eaten, and beet roots were used for medicinal purposes.

The ancient Greeks sacrificed beets to Apollo as one of their most valuable plants. Cultural forms of root beets appeared only at the beginning of our era, and in the X-XI centuries they were already cultivated in Kievan Rus. Fodder beets were bred by the 16th century in Germany, and sugar beet breeding began in 1747, when it turned out that sugar contained in cane was also found in beets. Today, beet sugar is used more frequently than cane sugar in many countries. beetroot (Beta vulgaris) has become an essential crop known to be rich in essential antioxidants, potassium and folic acid.

Planting and caring for beets

Landing: sowing seeds in the ground is carried out before winter or in spring, when the air warms up to 8-10 ˚C. Early varieties are sown for seedlings in April, and seedlings are transplanted into the ground three months later - in early or mid-May.
Lighting: bright sunlight.
The soil: peat bogs, loams, medium loamy chernozems of neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. Do not grow carrots in soil that has been made with fresh manure or compost.
Predecessors: Undesirable: Carrots, beets, chard, potatoes, all types of cabbage and other cruciferous crops. Good: grains and legumes, eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers.
Watering: regular (3-4 times per season), as soon as the topsoil dries out, in dry weather - plentiful. The best way is sprinkling. Water consumption per 1 m² of land - 20-30 liters. Stop watering three weeks before harvest.
Top dressing: after the first thinning - with a solution of bird droppings (1:12) or mullein (1:18), spending 12 liters of fertilizer for every 10 m² of land. When the beet tops close, ash is scattered over the beds at the rate of 1 glass per 1.5 m², after which the site must be watered.
Reproduction: seed.
Pests: mining and beet flies, aphids, scoops, flea beetles and shield-beetles.
Diseases: red rot (or felt disease), fusarium (or brown rot), root beetle, peronosporosis, cercosporosis, phomosis.

Beet plant - description

Beet root, the so-called root crop, is juicy, thick and fleshy. In most varieties, when growing in the ground, it is not completely immersed in the ground, but slightly protrudes above the surface. In the first year of growth, beets, like carrots, develop only a rosette of large, bare, ovoid, basal leaves on long petioles, as well as a root crop.

Sometimes by the end of the first year, but usually on the second, an upright, strongly branched, faceted stem appears from the middle of the rosette, reaching from half a meter to a meter in height, with small alternate, almost sessile leaves, in the axils of which bunches of small, dim, also sessile flowers appear, composed in complex spikes. The beet fruit is a compressed one-seeded plant.

The beneficial properties of beets are diverse, due to the presence of organic acids, iron and fiber in root crops. Because of this, beets are often used in diets to treat hypertension, kidney stones, diabetes, scurvy, and other conditions. Fresh beet juice has great healing power.

Growing beets from seeds

Sowing beet seeds

Growing beets in open ground involves sowing seeds both in seedlings and in seedlings. Despite the fact that the beet culture is cold-resistant, it should be sown in open ground no earlier than the air warms up to 6-8 ºC, however, the full development of the plant begins only when the temperature rises to 16 ºC. In addition, if early sown seedlings fall under frost, they will shoot themselves instead of growing root crops. To stimulate germination, beet seeds are soaked for a day in cold water or for half an hour in warm water (35 ºC).

The seeds are planted in the ground to a depth of 2-3 cm, and the distance between the rows is observed depending on the variety - from 7 cm if you grow small beets for canning, and up to 30-35 cm if you need large root crops. The distance between specimens in a row in the first case is 5-6 cm, and in the second - up to 10 cm.

Since in many beet varieties the seeds are collected in seedlings of 2-3 pieces, the sprouts appear in a heap and require thinning at an early stage of development, in the phase of formation of the first pair of true leaves. As a result of the procedure, the distance between shoots should be 3-4 cm. Removed shoots are transplanted to another place: at this stage of development, they easily take root.

Simultaneously with the first thinning, the site is weeded, and then mulched with fine organic matter - sawdust, for example.

The second thinning is carried out when the seedlings acquire two pairs of leaves, and the root crop reaches a diameter of 1.5 cm - the interval between seedlings after the second thinning should be 6-10 cm. Thinning with simultaneous weeding is carried out after watering or rain in cloudy weather.

Growing beet seedlings

Seedlings grow early varieties of beets, which are rich in vitamin C and carotene, as well as betanin, calcium, iron, phosphorus and other biologically active substances. Young beets are the same valuable early vegetable as radishes, lettuce, green onions. Choose flowering-resistant beet varieties for growing seedlings - K-249, Polar flat, Cold-resistant 19.

The cultivation of beet seedlings begins three weeks before its planting in open ground with pre-sowing seed treatment. The seed for disinfection is soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then the seeds are kept for 2-3 days in a humid environment for pecking, and finally they are laid out in a box on a damp, light soil, pickled with Phytosporin to avoid black leg disease, lightly sprinkled with the same substrate and placed in greenhouse.

Caring for beetroot seedlings is no different from caring for any other seedlings - it needs slightly moist soil, a constant temperature and daily airing.

Picking beet seedlings

How to dive beet seedlings, and when to do it? Picking is carried out according to the same principle, with the same signs and with the same interval as when thinning seedlings in open ground. Seedlings dive only once, but if you sowed the seeds not in a box, but in cups, then you can not dive seedlings, but plant them in open ground right in cups.

Planting beets in open ground

When to plant beets in the ground

Planting beets in the ground is carried out from mid-May at the stage of development of seedlings 4-5 leaves. A prerequisite is soil warmed up to 8-10 ºC at a depth of 8-10 cm, which is possible only if the place under the beets is well lit by the sun.

Soil for beets

Before planting beets, you need to choose a site for it and prepare the soil on it. Most of all, beets love fertile loose soils - peat bogs, medium loamy chernozems of slightly alkaline or neutral reaction - the pH should be at least 5 and not higher than 8 units. In acidic or too alkaline soil, beets get sick. Do not plant beets on soils that have been covered with fresh manure or compost: at least 3 years must pass before beets can be grown in such areas.

You can plant beets in areas where onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, cereals, eggplants, peppers and legumes grew before it, chard, carrots, all types of beets, potatoes, rapeseed and any cabbage are undesirable for beets.

In early spring, for digging, 20-30 g of ammonium sulphate, 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate, 10-15 g of potassium chloride and 30-40 g of superphosphate per 1 m² are added to the site. If the soil on the site is not fertile, then add 2-3 kg of humus per unit area, and to neutralize acidic soil, add half a kilo-kilogram of fluffy lime per 1 m².

How to plant beets in open ground

The size of the beet root depends on the planting density: the larger the gap between the seedlings, the larger the beet root will be. But too large root vegetables are inconvenient to use, in addition, they accumulate more nitrates in themselves and are not as tasty as medium-sized root vegetables. To get juicy, sweet root crops, seedlings are planted on a cloudy day in rows at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other, the row spacing should be about 25 cm. When transplanting, the central root of the seedling is shortened by a third of the length.

After transplanting into open ground, seedlings are watered with a solution of humate for early rooting and protected from the sun with non-woven material, erected over the beds along the entire length of the arc, so that the shelter laid on them does not damage fragile seedlings. After the young beet is accepted, gets stronger, and its root crop acquires a diameter of one and a half centimeters, it will be possible to thin out the seedlings to an interval of 8-10 cm between them, and by July, when the leaves of the tops almost close, the shelter is removed, and the site is mulched for protection. beets from weeds and conservation of moisture in the soil.

Planting beets before winter

Winter beets are planted in late October or early November. On a pre-dug and fertilized site, grooves are made at a distance of 15-20 cm, into which seeds are scattered at the rate of 2-3 g per m², or as described in the section on sowing beet seeds in open ground. The seeds are closed up to a depth of 3-4 cm. Planting beets in the fall involves mandatory mulching of the site for the winter with humus or peat.

Beet care

How to grow beets

Caring for growing beets requires removal of weeds from the site, regular watering and loosening of row spacing. If you have mulched the beds, then you will have to weed, loosen the soil and water the beets much less often. Loosening of row spacing to a depth of 4-6 cm is necessary for the destruction of the soil crust, which makes it difficult to aerate root crops. The bark is especially harmful to plants during the development of the first two pairs of leaves, since it is at this time that the root molt occurs, which retards the growth of the plant and makes it more demanding on growing conditions.

Beet processing

Weeds can drown out young plants, which grow very slowly until 4-5 leaves appear, so their timely removal is a very important condition for caring for beets. Before germination, weed control is carried out by spraying the area with tractor kerosene at the rate of 35-50 g of kerosene per m². And when the seedlings have 2-3 pairs of leaves, the plot is treated from weeds with a solution of sodium nitrate. Then, when the beet comes into force, the weeds will not be able to harm it.

Watering the beets

Beetroot normally tolerates a short drought, but if you need a high-quality and rich harvest, watering the beds with beets should be regular, and this is especially important just in hot, dry weather. You need to water the beets as soon as the topsoil dries out, it is advisable to do this in the evening, and the best way to water is sprinkling, because with this method the leaves of the plant are refreshed and washed. If there is no mulch on the site, the next day after watering, it is necessary to loosen the row-spacing to a depth of 4 cm.

To increase the sugar content of root crops, before watering the beets, dissolve a tablespoon of kitchen salt in a bucket of water for watering. Too frequent and abundant watering is just as harmful to beets as insufficient moisture, as it is the cause of fungal diseases. On average, beets are watered 3-4 times per season, the water rate per 1 m² is 2-3 buckets. Two to three weeks before harvesting, watering is completely stopped - this measure also helps to increase the amount of sugar in root crops, and also improves their keeping quality.

Beet top dressing

Beets love organics very much, and cracks and voids can form in root crops from mineral fertilizers. How to fertilize beets in this case? At the beginning of growth, after the first thinning, it needs nitrogen fertilizers, which can be used as a solution of bird droppings in a consistency of 1:12 or mullein (1:8) at the rate of 12 liters of liquid fertilizer per 10 m². It is most convenient to make grooves at a distance of 5 cm from the seedlings and spill them with a fertilizer solution. When the tops of the rows close, it's time to apply potash fertilizers, which can be sprinkled on the beds with wood ash at the rate of 1 cup per 1.5 m², followed by watering the site.

A number of advantages has foliar top dressing of beets:

firstly, the nutrients applied to the leaves are absorbed faster than with root dressing;
secondly, the assimilation of nutrition is more complete, since, once in the soil, some substances sometimes take on a form that is inaccessible to plants;
thirdly, foliar fertilization of beets can be carried out even when it is no longer possible to fertilize the soil without the risk of harming root crops;
Fourth, the foliar application method allows fertilizers to be distributed evenly, which reduces the risk of overdose or accumulation of substances.

So that the beets do not lack molybdenum, boron and copper, these elements are fed precisely by top dressing on the leaves, just like milk of lime (200 g of lime per bucket of water), which nourishes root crops with potassium. Spraying the tops with a saline solution at the rate of 60 g of non-iodized salt per 10 liters of water nourishes the root crops with sodium and protects against the white butterfly and summer fly.

Pests and diseases of beets

Of the diseases, beets are most often affected by phomosis, cercosporosis, peronosporosis, root beetle and rot. To find out what the beets are sick with, you need to know the symptoms of possible diseases, and only a correctly diagnosed diagnosis will help you decide how and how to process the beets in order to save the crop.

fomoz arises, as a rule, from a lack of boron in the soil - this is why foliar top dressing of beets with microelements is so important. This fungal disease manifests itself in brown or yellowish concentric spots on the lower leaves of the rosette, then black dots appear on them. As a result, dry rot of the heart develops - inside the root tissue becomes dark brown. Contribute to the development of the disease frequent prolonged rains, fogs, high humidity. If you find phomosis on plants, immediately apply root dressing with borax at the rate of 3 g per m² and spray the leaves with a solution of boric acid (half a spoonful per 10 liters of water). Next year, add boric acid to the soil at the rate of 3 g per m².

cercosporosis, or spotting, can destroy up to 70% of the beet crop by infecting the leaves of the plant, because of which they die off, and, consequently, the quality and keeping quality of root crops deteriorate. If you find small light spots outlined by a reddish border on the upper side of the leaves, and a light gray coating on the lower side, add potassium chloride to the soil as a top dressing. As a preventive measure, treat the seeds before sowing with Agat-25 in accordance with the instructions, and spray the soil with a fungicide before planting.

After this article, they usually read

In the preparation of borscht, “fur coat” and “vinaigrette” salads, one cannot do without beets. Therefore, the beds flaunt with this not the most popular, but necessary culture in the economy on almost every one. If you do not have many years of experience in growing this root crop, but you plan to do it, you have come to the right place. Today we'll talk about how to plant beet seeds in open ground.

We prepare a plot of open ground for planting beets

If you do not want to bother with growing beet seedlings, you can safely plant the seeds directly in open ground. By the way, this is exactly what most gardeners do. However, it would be wrong to arrange beds on any free piece of land. A place for beets must meet two basic requirements:

1. Free access to sunlight. Do not plant beets near trees, bushes, sunflowers, corn - anything that can cast a shadow on them.

2. good drainage. Do not plant beets in places where moisture stagnation occurs. If there is no other place to go, try fixing poor drainage by adding sand, sawdust, or compost to the soil. If the site is in a lowland, correct the situation by pouring earth on it in the uplands.

Choose a well-lit and well-drained area of open ground

The next thing to consider when choosing a site for planting beets is crop rotation. It can be planted in its original place only after 4 years. It also grows poorly after cabbage. Cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, potatoes and greens are considered good predecessors of beets. Feel free to plant this crop in the spring at the place where green manure grew.

The area of open ground selected for planting beets must be properly prepared. In autumn, dig it up with the addition of organic fertilizer (except for fresh manure). In the spring, loosen the soil and add mineral fertilizers to it. Suitable ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium chloride.

Beets love fertilized soil

We plant beets in open ground on time and correctly

Beets for quick consumption are planted in April or May, when the earth warms up to 10ºС, and for winter storage - in the first half of June. Beets can be planted in open ground in autumn, but only until the first frost - in October.

If you want to improve seed germination, do not skip the preparatory activities. Soak them in a growth stimulator solution, strictly following the instructions. Suitable for this purpose is a solution that is prepared from 1 liter of warm water and 1 tbsp. l. wood ash. Seeds must be kept in it for a day.

The next stage is the swelling of the seeds. They should be placed between layers of wet cloth, cotton wool or napkins for three days. During this time, maintain the same humidity. During this time, the planting material activates its internal forces and becomes fully suitable for planting.

Swollen seeds germinate better

If you want the rows of beets to be even, stick sticks at the two extreme points of each of them and pull a thread between them. It will serve as a ruler under which you will make even furrows. Deepen them by 2-3 cm. Suitable furrows can be made using a long board.

Depth of furrows - 3-4 cm

Keep a distance of 40-45 cm between adjacent rows. The places where the beet seed will fall must be carefully watered. Beet seeds are large enough that you can easily lower them into the groove at a distance of 10 cm from each other. By planting them more often, you will create the need for subsequent thinning of young shoots.

Frequently sown seeds will need to be thinned out

Now you know exactly how to plant beets with seeds in the open field. You will definitely cope with this simple task. You will easily find information on how to care for your beets from planting to harvest. Even those who have been farming for the first year can grow this culture.

Watch a useful video: rules for planting beets in open ground

Beetroot is a vegetable that contains many useful substances. With its cultivation and subsequent storage, there are no special difficulties. If you follow all the recommendations regarding planting this crop in open soil, you can get a generous harvest and stock up on a source of vitamins for the winter.

The correct timing of planting beets in open ground

Planting beets can be carried out in different ways: seed and seedlings. These works fall in the spring or autumn, the main thing is to strictly observe the deadlines. If we are talking about spring planting in open soil, you need to deal with it in the 1-2 decade of May, when it warms up completely. When sowing in unheated soil, there is a risk that the sprouts will shoot and you will have to forget about a generous harvest.

When planting seeds for seedlings, boxes are stored at home or in a greenhouse

As for the autumn sowing, it should be carried out at the end of October or in November. The exact timing depends on the climatic conditions of the area. Planting material should be sown after the air temperature reaches -4 degrees. Experienced gardeners do not recommend rushing to plant, otherwise the seeds will wake up under the influence of heat, and this, in turn, will lead to their death.

If the seeds are planted for seedlings, the boxes are kept at home or placed in a greenhouse. Sowing seeds for seedlings can be carried out in early April, 30 days before the time comes to transfer them to the garden.

The seedling method of growing beets allows you to get an early harvest and save a lot on seeds, since even sprouts collected after thinning can be planted in open soil.

The most popular varieties for growing in the country or garden

Beets can be represented by various varieties. It can be sugar, fodder, table. The first two varieties are usually grown for industrial purposes. For sowing in the country, table beets are used. There are a lot of varieties of beets. Each of them has a different growth rate and storage time. All table varieties of beets are characterized by excellent taste and bright color. The most popular include:

Detroid. Early ripe beets. The fruits are small and bright burgundy in color. There are no cut rings. The weight of 1 piece is approximately 200 g. Gives high yields.
cylinder. Mid-season root crop. Instances are cylindrical in shape and bright red in color. Reach about 16 cm in length. Resistant to diseases, have a long shelf life.
Darkie. Mid-season root crop with excellent taste. Does not lose its bright color even during heat treatment. The weight of one root crop is about 300-350 g. It is characterized by excellent keeping quality. Some varieties are appropriate for growing in the middle lane, while others are suitable for the climatic conditions of the Urals and Siberia. When choosing planting material, it is important to take into account the weather conditions of your area.

Varieties to plant in Siberia and the Urals

In Leningrad and other cold regions, the following varieties are in great demand: Merchant, Cold-resistant 19, Ordinary miracle. These varieties of beets are resistant to disease and cold. They give a good harvest. In these regions, the Cylinder variety also took root well.

Cold resistant 19

In the Moscow region and in the western regions, different varieties of beets are grown. Some summer residents prefer juicy early varieties that taste great, but are not able to be stored until spring. Not so juicy varieties with a long shelf life are no less in demand.

Early ripe varieties include: Red Ball, Detroit, Mulatto. All of them give a high yield. Root crops have a bright color and excellent taste.

Among Muscovites, late varieties (Bordeaux, Cylinder, Mona) are in great demand, which give a high yield and can be stored until the next season.

Instructions for planting beets with seeds in open ground

Before you start planting beets, you must definitely find a suitable place for it. First of all, it should be well lit. As for the predecessors, it is best that onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers grow on the site of beet sowing. This culture does not develop well in the beds, which were previously occupied by carrots or cabbage. She does not tolerate neighborhood with celery and garlic.

It is permissible to sow a vegetable in the same place after 3-4 years. Beetroot does not tolerate waterlogging, so it is not recommended to grow it on clay soils. It is best to identify the vegetable in a well-drained area. After the site is selected, you need to start cleaning it. Any parts of the plant (roots, leaves, seeds) should be removed from the garden. Without fail, the soil must be fed with humus, a complex of mineral fertilizers, after which it should be dug up to the depth of a shovel. To compact the soil, it should be mixed with sand or sawdust. Wood ash is considered a good top dressing for this crop.

Planting seeds in spring

Seeds must be sorted out and soaked for a day in a growth activator or in an infusion of wood ash. To prepare it, you need to pour 2 tbsp. l. 1 liter of warm water and mix thoroughly. The agent is infused for two days, after which the solution is drained and used to soak beet seeds or any other vegetable crop. Ash saturates the seeds with all valuable minerals. After 24 hours, they are washed, wrapped in a damp cloth and left in it until planting.

In the selected area, even depressions (2-3 cm) are made. The grooves are watered with warm water. As soon as it is absorbed, the seeds are laid out one by one in a hole, keeping a distance of 10 cm and sprinkled with earth. Beet seeds are considered multi-germ. From one seed, you can get up to 6 sprouts. You can thin out seedlings after the appearance of 2 leaves. Repeating the procedure is permissible after the discovery of 4 leaves.

Autumn landing

If sowing is carried out in autumn, experienced gardeners recommend waiting until the air temperature drops to -4 degrees. The preparation of the beds in this case is identical to that suitable for spring planting. But at the same time, it needs to be made a little higher (20-25 cm). This will prevent the planting material from being washed away by melt water. The depth of the grooves should be 4 cm. Soaking the seeds is not carried out. The same applies to watering the beds, seeds are planted in dry soil. The benefits of autumn planting include:

hardening of seed material for the winter period;
getting early friendly shoots;
early harvest.

Autumn planting has one drawback. The harvest of beets, which was planted in the winter way, does not differ in long-term storage. To protect the seeds from sub-zero temperatures, the bed should be covered with straw or snow. With the onset of spring, when the air warms up to + 7-10 degrees, the protective coating is eliminated. This method allows you to get an early harvest even in late spring.

Every plant needs attention. He needs to choose the right place, soil, take care of the preparation of seeds, do not forget to water and feed the plant. Beets are no exception. She, like any culture, needs care. But first you need to deal with its sowing.

When to plant beets in spring in open ground

First, we will find out when and under what temperature conditions to plant beets.

calendar dates

Beets love warmth, so there is no need to rush with its sowing. In addition, young shoots that have survived even small ones are likely to shoot themselves. Therefore, the most suitable time for planting in open soil will be the end of April or the beginning of May.

Weather

Seeds germinate even at +7 °C, but for proper development, about +16 °C is needed outside. In this case, the earth should warm up to +10 ° С.

Region features

Relatively Ukraine the situation is this: the further south the region, the earlier you can start. But it all depends on the temperature of the air and the earth.

Beets in different areas Russia planted at different times:

North Caucasus - 1st decade of April;
Central Black Earth region - 3rd decade of April;
the north of the Central Black Earth Region, the Non-Black Earth Region, the Volga Region, Bashkortostan, Altai, the Moscow Region - the 1st decade of May.

In the southern regions, due to the warm climate, landing can be done from the end of March. After all, there the earth warms up faster to the desired temperature.

By the way, beets can be planted in the fall (there are special varieties). This option is good for areas with cool short summers. Landing occurs after the onset of stable frosts, when the ground is covered with a crust. In the Urals or in the best period for this - November. There are no universal tips on how many should be engaged in such sowing. The main thing is not to hold out until the soil "seizes" (this is 3-4 ° C below zero). Farmers have noticed that the best reference point is when the cherry completely sheds its leaves.

Important! Please note: autumn planting beets are not suitable for long-term storage.

Where to plant

This culture loves lighted places with fertile, loose soil, without high standing groundwater. A soil with a neutral reaction (pH - about 6-7) is best suited.

It is not recommended to plant beets in shaded areas with waterlogged, acidic, compacted soils.
For better yields, this vegetable is recommended plant in a new place every year. It is better to return it to its original place not earlier than after 3-4 years.

plant beets do not recommend for, And . And after, she will feel great. It is also planted for winter wheat,.

For beets good neighbors become carrots, , .

Preparing the land in autumn

Land for spring planting must be prepared in the fall:

clean the site, removing all debris, weeds, branches, plant remains from it;
dig the ground 30 cm deep;
fertilize - for 1 m² you need 30-50 g and 50-70 g.

In the spring (before sowing), the earth will need to be dug up again and applied - 30-50 g per 1 m².

Video: autumn tillage

Do seeds need to be pre-soaked?

It is not necessary to soak the seeds, but if you want them to germinate faster, then it is still worth it.

To do this, take one of these tools:

1/4 tsp and 0.5 tsp. or ;
1 tsp ;
1 tsp drinking soda;
1 st. l. .

For any of the funds you need 1 liter of warm water. Soak the seeds overnight. Then rinse them, wrap them in a damp cloth and store at room temperature for 3-4 days, making sure that the bundle does not dry out.
If you plant seeds in the fall, there is no need to soak them.

How to plant beets in spring with seeds

Seeds are buried in the ground shallowly - by 2-3 cm (if - by 3-4 cm).

If you want to get small fruits, for example, for canning, make row spacing at least 7 cm, and leave no more than 6 cm between individual plants. If you need large beets, increase the distance between rows to 30 cm, between plants - up to 10 cm

Video: spring planting beets

Features of care

Watering

In the first 1.5 months after planting, it is impossible for the soil to dry out. Also, young beets like sprinkling in the evenings.

If the summer is not very hot, beets will not cause much concern. After closing the tops, the moisture between the rows will dry out more slowly, and the vegetable itself will be able to extract it from the deep layers of the earth. Therefore, she will no longer need too frequent watering.

Watering stops completely about three weeks before harvest.

thinning

To give the sprouts enough space to develop, you need do thinning twice: in the phase of two true leaves (remember to leave a gap between shoots of 3-4 cm) and in the phase of 3-4 leaves. As a result, 10-20 cm remain between plants on average.

Important! Remote plants do not have to be thrown away, they can be transplanted to another place - they will take root without any problems and quickly catch up with their counterparts. The main thing is to shed the soil well before the procedure, where you will move the new shoots, and transplant carefully so as not to damage the roots.

soil care

The land where beets grow must not only be moistened, but also loosen, since it is impossible for a crust to form on the ground. This is especially important for young shoots.

Do loosening carefully when the plants are still small, you can use an old fork. Use this procedure until the tops are closed. Also during loosening, by all means.
Remember also about mulch. After the first thinning and weeding, it is advisable to mulch the ground next to the young growth with fine organic material. If you ignore this, you will have to weed and loosen much more often, and water it too. At the beginning, the layer of mulch should be small - 1-2 cm, but as the plants grow, it must be increased by applying coarser mulch, for example, weeds and straw cutting.

top dressing

Top dressing (nitrogen) occurs after thinning, the next (complex) - after closing the tops.

Nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus are the main components that beets need. It is allowed to replace mineral fertilizer complexes with ash mixed with a lack of boron, the beets will react with rotting of the core. Detrimental effect lack of copper and molybdenum, it is replenished with foliar top dressing (in the phase of 10 leaves). Liquid microfertilizers saturated with boron in the organomineral form and manganese in the chelated form are suitable here.

If the beets do not grow well, round yellow marks appear on the tops - these are manifestations lack of potassium and very acidic earth. Here you need special watering: 200 g of fluffy lime and 80 g of potassium chloride per 10 liters of water. Funds are enough for 10 linear meters (along the line).

If the tops turn red, this is a lack of sodium. Sprinkle the beds with ashes and sprinkle with salt water (1 tablespoon of salt per 10 liters). Plus, it will increase the sugar content of the vegetable.

Did you know? Beets are one of the natural antidepressants and anabolics. If you drink beetroot juice every day, it will significantly increase your stamina and reduce fatigue.

Harvest and storage

When its leaves turn yellow and dry. Usually this is the end of August or the first half of September (certainly in dry weather). The fruits are carefully dug up with a shovel or pitchfork, then they are taken out with their hands, shake off the ground, and cut off the tops. Petioles should remain no more than 1.5 cm.
If it is not possible to take the beets to a permanent room immediately, dig piles in the field and lay the fruits sprinkled with earth in 2-3 layers, once again filling them with soil on top. But try to move the vegetables to a permanent place as soon as possible.

The most favorable conditions are a room with a temperature of 0-2 ° C and a humidity of 90%. As a rule, cellars are used, where beets are successfully saved next to. It is kept in boxes, containers, open plastic bags or in the usual bulk.

Selected large and medium beets are treated with chalk powder (2 kg per 100 kg of fruit) and laid in layers with tops outside, sprinkled with wet sand, peat, sawdust or shavings 2-3 cm thick. With not very good ventilation, these vegetables are kept in small mounds, and covered with straw on top (to avoid condensation).

Video: storing beets in the sand

Beets are a crop that every gardener tries to plant on the site in order to diversify the assortment of vegetables. Growing a root crop in open ground has its own secrets. And one of them is beet thinning.

Features of beets

When planting beets in the ground, inexperienced gardeners are always surprised. You plant the seeds at a distance from each other, but after germination, you still have to thin out the overgrown bed. This is one of the characteristics of beets. In its fruits, which are correctly called nuts, there are from 2 to 6 seeds. These seeds, during germination, form several sprouts in one place, which have to be removed.

This is a mandatory procedure, since crowding and lack of sun will lead to the formation of ugly, deformed root crops that will never gain the desired weight and condition.

Landing

Before planting, dense beet seeds must be soaked in various biostimulants to improve the percentage of germination.

Prepare a bed for planting, fertilizing it with humus. Young plants are very sensitive to a lack of nitrogen in the soil, so up to two buckets of humus are added per square meter of soil.

The culture is considered resistant to low temperatures, but it grows and develops better at temperatures from plus 20. Therefore, seeds are planted on the site in early May, when the threat of return frosts has passed, and the soil warms up evenly day after day. Planting seedlings can be done from mid to late May. In the course of growth, beets are fed.

How to thin out beets

After the plants germinate, during the period when the first pair of true leaves appear on them, the beets are thinned in the open field for the first time.

A bed with beets is heavily watered.
The weakest and smallest are removed from the bunch of germinated plants, leaving one.
The distance between plants is left from 7 to 10 centimeters.
After thinning the beds, I rake the ground under the beets so that a small ridge forms. This will help form roots and protect the plant's exposed root collar.

After the procedure, there are many small plants that can be used as seedlings. The survival rate of such plants is up to 80%, so it is worth either preparing a bed for them in advance or planting them between companion plants.

Second procedure

It is produced when the beets have gained leaf mass up to 4-5 leaves. This is done in order to increase the distance between the root crops to the maximum, and give the opportunity to develop. Such a procedure is necessary if you need large beets or in the first thinning you left a distance of 3-4 centimeters between plants.

To properly thin out beets, follow the rule: pull out all diseased and deformed plants, as well as very large ones. Leave the same, medium size.

Plants after the second thinning are not suitable for seedlings.

Transplanting beets when thinning

After the first thinning, there are many small plants that are a pity to throw away and can be used as seedlings. This seedling is doing well. According to observations, its root crops are almost always larger than those planted with seeds in a permanent place.

The resulting seedlings need to be sorted - throw out all the smallest and stunted sprouts. The strongest plants can be planted between the rows of carrots or onions, if there is enough space, or in a previously prepared separate bed. Experienced gardeners and gardeners prepare such a bed in advance, before how to thin out beets for the first time. The survival rate of such seedlings is 80%.

For planting, humus is introduced into the ground at the rate of 2 buckets per square meter of land.

Seedlings are planted at a distance of 10 centimeters from each other, so that subsequently growing plants do not interfere with each other's development. Small depressions up to 5 centimeters deep are made in the ground, they are watered and plants are planted in them. Beets are planted in a row, the distance between rows is 20-25 centimeters. To improve the survival rate of seedlings, the procedure is carried out in the evening or on a cloudy day.

Remember: the beets left over from the first thinning are suitable for seedlings, the plants are small enough and will take root well. Plants after the second thinning are not suitable for seedlings.

How to plant beets without thinning

You can not thin out beets if you plant ready-made seedlings germinated in plastic cups on the beds. Thinning procedures can be avoided if ready-made seedlings germinated in plastic cups are planted in open ground. To do this, in plastic cups or other containers, preferably without a bottom, so as not to injure seedlings when planting beets in open ground, pour a mixture of 1 part of leafy soil and 2 parts of humus.

Beet seeds are pre-soaked in a stimulant solution for several hours or in water for a day. Then they are planted in cups with earth, after moistening it.

They are planted in open ground when the temperature becomes steadily positive, since at prolonged low temperatures during planting, beets are able to form a peduncle to the detriment of the root crop.

The second option is to grow single-seeded beet varieties. There is only one seed in her nutlet, respectively, when planted, it will give only one sprout. Shoots of such varieties are no different from ordinary ones, except that you do not have to spend time thinning.

Of the varieties, the most famous are Bordeaux one-seeded, Virovskaya one-seeded, Russian one-seeded, One-sprout, Belarusian one-seeded, Lgovskaya, North Caucasian.