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How and when to plant beets for seedlings and in open ground, caring for and harvesting beets. The Importance of Proper Timing: When is the Best Time to Plant Beets? Planting beets for planting

Beetroot was brought to Russia from Byzantium in the 10th century. In ancient times, this plant was highly valued for its healing properties, so, for example, Hippocrates used it to treat infectious and skin diseases. Currently, beets have firmly entered our diet, in addition, there are many recipes traditional medicine in which this useful root crop has found application.

It is difficult to find a summer resident who does not grow table beets on his site, and there is a simple explanation for this. Not only is it very healthy vegetable, as mentioned above, so, in addition, it is easy to grow, since it is an extremely unpretentious plant. But, despite this, in order to get an excellent harvest, some rules should be followed. Let's figure out how to plant beets (sowing, seedlings, features, care), we will try to talk about all this in this article.

Sowing dates

To begin with, let's decide when to sow beets in open ground. This healthy vegetable can be sown in the spring, or before winter.

To obtain an early harvest, sowing is carried out in the fall, at the beginning of November, or under a film at the end of April, and those beets that are intended for long-term storage are sown in May, after the 10th, but no later than May 20th. If the seeds are sown too early, in cold soil, root crops may not grow, instead flower stalks form. After the first sprouts appear, the film can be removed (beet seedlings tolerate frosts down to -2 ° C).

Choice of landing site

A bed for planting is best prepared in the fall. First of all, it should be dug up on a spade bayonet, and loosened well. It is advisable to add half a bucket per m 2 of rotted compost or humus to the soil (fresh manure is not recommended). If it is large, it is recommended to add lime or chalk when digging at the rate of 1 cup per m 2 (you can’t add it in the spring, this can cause root diseases such as scab). Before sowing, the soil should be fertilized, such a mixture will do: 10-12 teaspoons of boric acid, 1 teaspoon of magnesium sulfate, about 2 cups of ash and a tablet of microelements (all this per m 2). Chlorine-containing fertilizers should not be applied for planting, but magnesium loves very much. Growing beets in open ground on sandy soil requires the introduction of peat on the site, sod land and humus (1 bucket per m 2). A full bucket of peat and coarse river sand are added to the clay soil with the addition of two liters of stale sawdust, which should be treated with a solution of urea beforehand.

Seed preparation

How to plant beets with seeds in open ground, you ask? So, before sowing, the seeds should first be prepared for planting. To do this, it is desirable to soak them in a solution drinking soda or ash (half a teaspoon per 0.5 liter of water) for a day, then rinse, wrap in a damp cloth and keep in this form at a temperature of at least 25 0 C for two days. This technique allows you to get friendly shoots a week after sowing.

Sowing

How and when to plant beets? Landing is carried out, as mentioned above, in spring or autumn. So, if you plant beets in the fall, then the seeding rate will be 3 g per m 2, the seeds are laid to a depth of about 4 cm, they are covered with mulch on top.

How to plant beets with seeds in the ground and seedlings in the spring? Seeds are sown in rows at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other, in grooves to a depth of 2.5-3 cm. hot water, lay out the seeds in them at a distance of 2-3 cm from one another, then they are slightly pressed into the ground and mulched. Most beet seeds are multi-sprouted, that is, 2-4 sprouts appear from one seed, therefore, 5-6 days after the shoots have appeared, the first thinning is carried out, in which the plants are left at a distance of 3-4 cm from one another. The second thinning is done after the formation of 5-6 leaves, leaving a distance between root crops of 8-10 cm.

We looked at how to plant beets with seeds in open ground, but in the spring some gardeners prefer to plant this vegetable with seedlings, so let's talk about how to do it right.

A month before planting beets in a permanent place, seedlings are sown in a specially prepared substrate according to a 4 x 4 cm scheme. This method of cultivation allows you to get a crop 3 weeks earlier than usual. It is not necessary to dive seedlings before planting in the ground. The required temperature for growing is 15-20 o C. Seedlings are best grown beets with oval root crops. Transplanting it to a permanent place begins when the plant forms 3-4 leaves. Before this, the container with seedlings is properly spilled with water, after which the plant is dug up with a special spatula. In order for the beets to take root better, before planting, the root of the sprout is shortened by about 1/4 part. After that, the seedlings are well watered. Plants are planted at a distance of 8-10 cm from one another.

Further care for the beets consists in timely loosening, weeding, fertilizing and watering.

Care

So, when to sow beets in open ground, we figured out, now let's talk about how to care for it.

Beet seeds, as mentioned above, sprout slowly, therefore, approximately 3-4 days after sowing, it is recommended to slightly loosen the soil on the ridge with a spring rake, this will ensure friendly shoots. Real deep loosening is carried out for the first time 4 days after friendly shoots have appeared. In general, beets are very responsive to loosening, so do not forget to loosen the soil after rain or watering, but after the leaves have closed, loosening should be stopped.

This vegetable does not like darkening, so do not forget to weed weeds in time, this is especially true in the phase of root crops. By the way, in August, beets require another thinning, when weeding, remove excess root crops, the distance between plants should be 15-20 cm. After weeding and thinning, be sure to spud the plants and mulch the soil.

Many summer residents pick leaves on beets to make summer soups and salads. It is strictly forbidden to do this, the yield will be much lower. Do not forget to water the beets in a timely manner, with a lack of moisture, the roots become woody. For better maturation, watering is stopped 4-5 weeks before

Beet diseases

An excess of nitrogen in the soil can lead to the formation of voids inside the root crops; with a lack of boron, core rot can develop. The appearance of yellow spots on the leaves indicates a lack of potassium, reddening of the tops indicates a lack of sodium and increased acidity of the soil.

Beets are affected by diseases such as false rust, phomosis, leaf spot. The pests of this root crop are root beetle, beet aphid, nematode, flea, fly, root aphid, smooth dead beetle. With these diseases and pests, folk, proven for centuries, remedies will help to cope.

Cleaning and storage of beets

Beets are harvested before the onset of frost, that is, no later than mid-September, in general, the growing season of the root crop (depending on the variety) ranges from 50 to 80 days. Before storage, cut the leaves at a distance of about 3 cm from the root crop. Beets are stored in boxes, sprinkled with sand, at a temperature of 1-3 0 C.

"Bordeaux 237", "Pablo", "Podzimnaya A-474", "Cold-resistant", "Renova", "Griboedovskaya flat A-473", "Egyptian flat", "Pushkinskaya flat K-18", "Incomparable A-46 ", "Single-growth".

Well, that's all, you now know when to sow beets in open ground, which seeds to prefer, how to care for them and how to store them.

Have a good harvest!

Beetroot is a widely known and healthy vegetable. It is easy to grow and has a long shelf life. In rather harsh conditions of our country, it provides us with the necessary vitamins during the harsh winter and during the period of spring beriberi. Subject to the conditions, if you care for and love the plant, planting this vegetable with seeds in open ground is not difficult.

Beets are planted different ways. It can be planted from seeds or seedlings. Do it in spring or autumn, it is important to observe the correct timing. spring planting seeds in open ground in the 1st-2nd decade of May after the soil has completely warmed up.

If the seeds are placed in insufficiently warmed soil, the seedlings will begin to shoot and good harvest you can not wait.

You can plant beet seeds in the fall, late October or November, it depends on your region. Landing is carried out when the air temperature drops to -4 degrees. You should not rush into planting, if the planted seeds wake up under the influence of heat, they will die.

Sometimes beets are planted with seedlings. With this method, the seeds are planted at home in special boxes. You can plant seeds in the country in a greenhouse or greenhouse.

Seeds for seedlings need to be sown in early April, a month before they can be placed in open ground. Planting beet seedlings allows you to get an early harvest and save seeds, since you can also plant sprouts that remain after thinning on the beds.

The most popular varieties for growing in the country or garden

Beets may be sugar, fodder or table. Sugar and forage varieties are usually grown in industrial scale and do not sow in the dachas. On the garden beds more accustomed to seeing table beets.

There are a lot of popular varieties, they differ in growth rate and storage time. All table varieties are distinguished by high palatability and color brightness. Here are just a few:

  1. . An early variety, specimens are not very large with excellent taste. Root crops of bright burgundy color without rings on the cut, weighing about 200 g. The variety provides high yields.
  2. . Mid-season productive root crop. Fully justifies its name. red beet, cylindrical shape up to 16 cm in length. Disease resistant, long shelf life.
  3. . Mid-season variety with excellent yield. Delicious, does not lose color when cooked. Weight 300-350g. Has good keeping quality.

Some varieties are great for the middle lane, others for the Urals and Siberia. When choosing seeds for planting, be sure to consider the weather conditions of your region.

Varieties to plant in Siberia and the Urals

In Leningrad and other cold regions are especially popular Merchant, Coldproof 19, Ordinary Miracle. These varieties are distinguished by excellent resistance to diseases and cold, high yields. The cylinder also took root well in these regions.


To plant in the suburbs

In the Moscow region and the western regions, many varieties are grown. Some gardeners prefer juicy early varieties, which will not be able to lie until spring, but are very tasty and provide vitamins in autumn and winter. Others plant late varieties, less juicy, but stored for a very long time.

The early varieties are Red ball, Detroit, Mulatto. All of them give high yields, differ in intensity of coloring and good taste.

Bordeaux, Cylinder and Mona, also liked the Muscovites. These are later varieties, with high yields and wonderful taste, they are stored for almost a whole year.

Instructions for planting beets with seeds in open ground

Soil preparation

Before planting a vegetable according to step by step instructions, you need to prepare a bed for beets, do it autumn. Any sunny, open, well-drained place is chosen, on which cucumbers, tomatoes or onions grew before. The vegetable does not grow well in places where carrots or cabbage used to live. Does not tolerate neighborhood with celery and garlic.

You can plant a vegetable in the same place after 3-4 years. It does not tolerate waterlogging, it is better not to place beds on clay soils. Sunny, well-drained areas for planting, what this vegetable needs for good growth.

The selected area is completely cleared of any parts of plants (roots, seeds, leaves). Humus is introduced into the soil, a complex of mineral fertilizers and the earth is dug up to the depth of a shovel. To make the soil less dense for beets, the soil is mixed with sand or sawdust. An excellent top dressing for a vegetable is wood ash.

Beets do not tolerate fresh manure at all.

If the soil in the selected area is acidic, add a little lime, changing the pH to neutral or alkaline. The optimal value for beets is 6-7.

In the spring, the soil in the garden is loosened with a rake and brought complex mineral fertilizer. The culture needs nitrogen and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, as well as pest control.

Planting seeds in spring


Seeds are sorted out and they need to be kept in solution for a day growth promoter or wood ash. For the preparation of which 2 tbsp. l of ash is poured in a liter warm water, mix well.

After 2 days, the solution is drained, it is possible to soak not only beets, but also seed material of other vegetables in it. Ash provides the seeds with a complex of essential minerals. After a day, they are washed and placed in a damp cloth, before planting.

On the bed, even grooves are carried out with a depth of 2-3 cm. These grooves are shed with water, some gardeners prefer warm water. When the water has been absorbed, large beet seeds are placed one at a time at a distance of 10 cm from each other and sprinkled with earth.

Beet seeds are multigerm, one beet seed gives 2 to 6 sprouts. Sprouted seeds are thinned out after the appearance of 2 leaves. The second time the procedure is carried out when the 4th sheet appears.

Autumn landing

Often, beet seeds are sown in open ground in the fall, when the air temperature drops. up to -4 degrees. In this case, the soil is prepared in the same way, but the bed is made high, 20-25 cm, so as not to wash away melt waters. Grooves at autumn planting deeper 4 cm.

Seed material during autumn planting does not need to be soaked and the bed is not watered.

When planting in autumn, dry seeds are planted in dry ground.

Benefits of autumn planting:

  • seed material perfectly tempered for the winter;
  • early friendly shoots are provided;
  • frees up time for other garden chores;
  • harvest arrives much earlier.

This method has only one drawback, but it must be taken into account. Beet harvest planted before winter not stored for a long time.

To protect the seeds from frost, the bed is covered with straw on top, you can throw it with snow. In the spring, when the air warms up to + 7-10 degrees, the straw is removed. This method allows you to get an early harvest, even with a delay in spring heat.

Planting seedlings at home

Seeds are planted in special boxes or under a film in the country, a month before planting in open ground. Distance between rows 5-8 cm, between seeds 3-5 cm. When 2 leaves appear, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving the strongest sprouts, after the appearance of 4 leaves, it is watered abundantly, carefully, together with a clod of earth, transferred to open beds.

Before planting in the ground, the seedlings begin to harden off, removing the film daily and airing the sprouts at home. In order for the sprouts to get used to, they need 7-10 days.

Planted one sprout, after 10 cm. At a tender age, the sprouts take root perfectly in a new place. Such a successful method allows you to get a high, early harvest and save on seeds, because all sprouts can be planted.


At what distance and according to what scheme to plant in the ground

On narrow and long beds, the vegetable is often sown across, while the distance between the seeds 10 cm, and between rows 20-25 . This method makes it easier to care for crops. This is a one line method.

With the two-line planting method, two even furrows are made at a distance 25 cm from each other, then leave a free tape 50 cm wide. So alternate landing. A three-line scheme is also used when the vegetable is planted in 3 rows, through 20-25 cm. This is done to facilitate watering, weeding and loosening the soil.

To grow a large crop, beets need to be watered regularly and loosen the soil in the beds.

Beetroot is an unpretentious vegetable that gives excellent yields if you follow the described tips and secrets. Gardeners grow it in the southern regions, Belarus, Chelyabinsk region, middle lane and northern areas. It is good, in the usual first courses, various salads, they make preparations for the winter from it.

It is remarkably stored, providing us with the necessary minerals and vitamins until the new harvest. It is able to purify the blood and normalize digestion. All these qualities have made beets popular with different peoples, and the history of its cultivation is calculated for many centuries.

Beets are a biennial crop. After planting, large leaves grow, as well as a root crop. In the second year, flowers with seeds appear. The root crop has a different size, shape and weight. The size of the root crop depends on the variety, as well as the conditions of detention. The root crop has a rounded and conical shape. From one square meter you can harvest 3-4 kilograms of crop. Professionals collect 4-6 kilograms of crops.

Planting a crop requires compliance with certain rules. It is advisable not to plant beets next to corn. Corn is able to draw a huge amount of moisture from the ground. In such conditions, the beets will feel hungry.

Landing

The yield increases if you plant a plant next to such crops:

  • Beans.
  • Tomatoes.
  • Potato.
  • Spinach.
  • Garlic.
  • Salad.
  • Radish.

Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 5-6 degrees. Sprouts begin to sprout after 1 week. Shoots are resistant to cool climates. Withstand sprouts down to -2 degrees. mature plant can withstand temperatures down to -4 degrees. For beets optimum temperature is 18-20 degrees. When the beets form a root crop, the need for heat increases. During this period, the air temperature should be from 20 to 25 degrees.

Selection of a plot of land

It is best to plant the crop on loose and moist soil.. The right option there will be a land with a low content of alkalis and acids. On alkaline soils, the plant does not produce a crop. It is necessary to plant a plant in illuminated areas of the earth. The culture begins to stretch when it lacks sunlight. Under such conditions, there is a risk of crop failure.

Fertilizer is applied a year before planting. Organic mixtures are used as fertilizer. If fertilizer was not successful last year, apply humus before planting. Humus is introduced into the soil with the calculation of 4 kg per 1-2 meters of land. If the earth has high acidity, then lime is added. Lime is added to the ground with the calculation of 300-700 grams per 1 meter.

How to plant seeds

You can start planting seeds then, when the spring temperature reaches 5-6 degrees. Before planting, the seeds are soaked in water so that the seedlings quickly sprout. Seeds are dried at a temperature of 18-20 degrees. During the drying period, single seedlings appear. Dry seeds must be sown.

Seeds can be sown in such a way that later they do not thin out. To do this, it is necessary to observe the proportions in planting, as well as properly process the seeds. In this case, the distance between the holes should be 10 centimeters. Seeds must be treated with top dressing. Top dressings that contain oxygen are especially useful. The seeds in this case will be strong, and the sprouts will be strong. Such seedlings appear quickly, and there is no need to thin them out.

It is necessary to sow in three lines. Seeds are buried in the ground to a depth of 4-5 centimeters. Heavy soil can slow down beet growth. In heavy soil, it is necessary to sow to a depth of 3 centimeters. Yield depends on weather conditions. Beets are able to freeze when the temperature drops below 5 degrees. Planting beets in 2 terms allows you to get a guaranteed harvest. The first landing takes place at the beginning of May, and the second at the end.

Culture needs to be fed so that there are no problems with the harvest. For 1 season, 3 top dressings are carried out.

You can thin the beets twice when necessary. First thinning occurs when a plant has 2 leaves. Leaves appear 10 days after germination. There should be a distance of 3-4 centimeters between the sprouts.

Second thinning occurs when 3-4 leaves appear. The distance between plants should be 8-10 centimeters. Thinning is best done after rain or watering. The plant is easy to pull out of the wet ground. But it is not necessary to pull out the beets entirely. To carry out thinning, it will be enough to pinch the greens. This method eliminates the possibility of damage to the root of the remaining plants. Do not dive varieties with an elongated root crop. When transplanting such varieties, the integrity of the roots is injured. As a result, the root crop grows defective.

It should be borne in mind that round root crops are not injured during transplantation. Varieties with such a system are not subject to injury after plucking. To make beets sweet, they are fed with fertilizers containing magnesium and boron. Nitrogen is applied when the leaves do not grow well.

Watering and tillage

Attention should be paid to soil care. Soil needed loosen regularly. Loosening eliminates the appearance of a dry crust on the soil. At first, the earth is loosened to a depth of 5 centimeters. Gradually, the depth increases to 10. A root crop should be spudded if it looks out of the ground. Beetroot loves moisture. The root crop begins to dry out as it peeks out of the ground. Cultivated beds need to be watered. The beds are moistened before planting, as well as after sowing.

Throughout the season it is necessary carry out regular watering. It is best to water with a watering can. For watering beets, special sprayers are well suited. These sprinklers automatically irrigate. Sprayers evenly distribute moisture throughout the area. Thus, water evenly moisturizes the entire area. Breaks between watering are not allowed when the root crop is actively forming. Watering stops a month before harvesting.

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 are planning 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 summer residents 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 sun rays. 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 organic fertilizer(excluding 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. Over this time planting material activates its internal forces and becomes fully fit for landing.


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

Plant beet (lat. Beta) belongs to the genus one-, two- and perennial herbaceous plants of the Amaranth family, although not so long ago, beets, which in Ukraine are called beetroot, and beetroot in Belarus, were classified as part of the Marevy 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 medicinal plant even 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 X-XI centuries they have already been cultivated Kievan Rus. fodder beets brought out by the 16th century in Germany, and the selection of sugar beets began to be engaged in 1747, when it turned out that the sugar contained in the 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.

Read more about growing beets below.

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, highly 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.

Diverse beneficial features beets, due to the presence of organic acids, iron and fiber in the roots. 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 the open field 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 (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 for early stage 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 as valuable an early vegetable as radishes, lettuce, green onion. 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 than caring for any other seedlings - it needs slightly moist soil, 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 value should not be lower than 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 filled 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. nonwoven fabric, having built over the beds along the entire length of the arc, so that the shelter laid on them does not damage the 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 watering - 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 on the rows close, it is 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 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. It manifests itself fungal disease 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 air. If you find phomosis on plants, apply immediately root dressing brown 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.

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