Do I need to soak beet seeds before planting in open ground?

For a long time, borscht has been an integral part of a delicious lunch, which cannot be prepared without fresh beets. No one will argue that vegetables from their own garden are much more useful and safe than purchased ones. But in order to competently plant and grow your beets, before that you need to learn how to prepare the seeds for sowing. Preparing beet seeds for sowing is one of the main stages of growing this crop, because without certain procedures they simply will not germinate in the soil.

Beet seeds require proper pre-planting

Necessary conditions for growing beets

There are two ways to purchase seeds: you can buy them in the store already processed and ready to sow, or you can process them yourself. If they were collected from their land plots, they can still contain pathogenic microorganisms, because the main source of infection is seeds.

To grow a healthy crop, you need to know the following:

Seeds can only be harvested from healthy plants so that in the future vegetables are not affected by diseases and pests.
You need to calibrate the seeds, that is, sort the good from the bad.
The seeds must be full (full) and not feeble. Empty seeds are immediately visible and you have to get rid of them. Unsuitable grains can be detected using a 3 or 5% salt solution, into which all the seeds are immersed. Those that float after mixing the liquid are considered unsuitable for planting in the soil.
An event such as hardening is carried out, which is necessary to make the seeds more resistant to adverse conditions. This is especially important in areas of risky farming, where there are early frosts or sudden changes in daily temperature. Hardening is as follows: the seeds are soaked until they swell, and sometimes before the first shoots appear. After that, they are wrapped with gauze and placed in a refrigerator (but not in a freezer) for 1-2 days.
From fungal and viral diseases there is such a method as heating the seeds. Usually it is performed in factories, but it is quite possible to carry out this method of processing at home. They do it this way: you need to warm up the seeds in hot water (temperature 50-60 degrees) for 2-3 hours. Under the influence of hot water, the structure of fungal spores and viral cells is destroyed and exfoliated from the seeds. The procedure time depends on the type of plant.

If the conditions for growing beets are normal, or there are greenhouses, hardening can not be carried out, but immediately start processing.

Beet seeds should be inspected and removed empty

How to soak seeds properly

Before planting, it is imperative to soak the seeds so that they are saturated with moisture and subsequently germinate well. There are many options for locking seeds, but usually the simplest methods are the most effective.

Soaking option No. 1

To process the seeds, you will need a deep bowl or a small bucket (for example, from under mayonnaise), where you pour a teaspoon of baking soda per liter of warm water. Then beet seeds are poured there, covered with a lid and left in this form for an hour or an hour and a half. Then the solution is poured out, and the grains are washed with clean water and placed in a cloth.

Soaking option No. 2

Before the procedure, find a wide container and put filter paper or napkins on its bottom, which are pre-moistened with clean water. After that, take beet seeds and pour them into a sieve, where they are thoroughly washed under warm running water for 3-5 minutes. Clean seeds are placed in a jar on wet wipes and tightly closed with a lid, and the jar is placed in a warm place. A greenhouse or windowsill, well warmed up by the spring sun, is perfect for this.

You need to wait so long until the beets hatch, that is, they will sprout. Only then will the beet seeds be ready for planting.

Beet seeds that have hatched can be planted in the ground

Treatment and disinfection of seeds

After soaking, you can proceed to disinfection. In order for the sprouts and seedling to be healthy, additional processing is indispensable. In order to correctly disinfect the seeds, you will need a weak 1% solution of potassium permanganate, in which the crystals have completely dissolved. The calculation should be as follows - 1 gram of potassium permanganate per 100 ml of water.

Then cut a square of gauze (one layer) about 10 by 10 cm in size. Beet seeds are poured into the middle of the gauze and wrapped in a kind of bag, which is tightened with a thread on top. It should not be tight. The finished bag is placed in a container with a potassium permanganate solution for 20 minutes. In this solution, the seeds are left until the morning, after which they are taken out and washed well under running water until the water is clean when the bag is squeezed out. Then the seeds are placed in a glass jar with ash, in which they must stay for 6 or 12 hours (depending on the concentration of the solution).

After exposure to ash, the seeds will be well treated with trace elements and ready for germination, but before that they need to be warmed up. For this, the seeds in the bag are placed on a warm heating pad for warming up.

The temperature should be at least 23 degrees, but it is not recommended to steam them on a hot battery, because the seeds will inevitably overheat. You can use ceramic dishes in which all the seeds are placed and wrapped in a plastic bag on top. For greater insulation on top of a thin bag, put on a denser, larger bag, and wrap the dishes with it. The plate can be placed on a windowsill or other warm place in the house.

Wood ash disinfects beet seeds

Planting seeds in the ground

You should never rush to plant beets, as this vegetable does not like cold ground very much. It is better to wait until mid-May, when the ground has warmed up enough and frosts are no longer expected. Also, beets do not tolerate acidic soil well, therefore, before planting a plant, you should dig up the ground along with lime with fluff and, if required, add humus. This vegetable does not tolerate waterlogging, but loves loose and well-structured soil. The place where the beets are planted should be well lit by the sun's rays, so darkening should not be allowed in the areas.

What else is important to pay attention to when planting beets? The beds in which the seeds are planted should be in a north-south direction. This is done so that the sun shines through the soil and plant sprouts well.

It is best to apply humus as an organic fertilizer. Salinity of the soil is tolerated by beets relatively easily. The land is usually fertilized in the fall, but on fertile soils well fertilized with organic substances, mineral fertilizers are not needed at all.

It often happens that after the beets have successfully sprouted, leaves are found that are not green in some places, but with red veins - this means that the plant does not have enough sodium. In order to make up for the lack of this mineral, it is necessary to water the beds with ordinary saline before harvesting. The recipe is as follows: a glass of table salt is diluted in a bucket of water (10 liters). Then the liquid is poured into a watering can and thoroughly watered each bed with beets.

If sodium is enough for beets, they will delight with their taste. Thanks to the salt, a very juicy and tasty beet is obtained, and the sugar content in this vegetable increases.

Record Soaking Beet Seeds Before Planting SeloMoe first appeared.

16 June 2016

ditim

After figuring out where and after what crops it is better to plant beets, it's time to start landing... And she, in turn, begins with soil and seed preparation... In the form of a question-answer, we tried to provide basic information about how how to plant beet seeds.

When to plant beets outdoors?

It is recommended to plant carrots when the soil warms up to 6-8 degrees. The timing largely depends on the characteristics of the climate of a particular region, as well as on the variety. In Central Russia, the approximate date for planting beets is mid and late May. In case of recurrent frosts, the crops are covered with a film for the night (during the day it is removed).

Are beet seeds soaked?

Beet seeds are slow germinating. If you want to sprout faster, use pelleted seeds. They are enclosed in a special shell with nutrients, so they germinate faster. Such seeds do not require additional processing. Regular beet seeds better before boarding soak.

What can you soak beet seeds for planting?Several ways:

Soaking in a solution of wood ash: dissolve 1 tbsp in 1 liter of warm water. spoon of wood ash. The seeds are soaked in such a solution for exactly one day.
Soaking in a superphosphate solution: dilute 1 teaspoon of superphosphate in 1 liter of warm water. The seeds are soaked in such a solution for exactly one day.
Processing in a solution of growth stimulants: the product is diluted in warm water according to the instructions on the package. The seeds are soaked in such a solution for exactly one day or, again, according to the instructions.
Seed treatment for disease prevention. If there is such a problem on the site, special solutions are used. For example, against the root root, the seeds are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Sparging: soaking with oxygen enrichment of seeds. A separate article is devoted to this topic.

For soaking, choose one of the solutions. After processing, the seeds are washed in warm clean water. Then they are laid on a damp cotton cloth and covered with it. You can store such seeds before planting for 2-3 days at a temperature of 22 degrees. Moisten the dried fabric.

Soil preparation for beets

Soils favorable for growing beets were discussed earlier. We found out that beets do not like:

cold, waterlogged soils,
acidic soils,
heavy soils,
low content of potassium and nitrogen in the soil,
shaded areas,
fresh organic matter.

Beets like:

neutral ph = 6-7,
sandy loam or loamy soils with a rich humus content, chernozems,
light.

Preparing a bed for beets held in the fall. The soil is dug up and humus is introduced. And in the spring, mineral fertilizers are applied. The soil in need of liming is lime and then phosphate rock is added in addition.

The rate of mineral fertilizers for beets before planting on 10m2:

Nitrogen: urea (urea) in the amount of 10-150 g or ammonium nitrate (150-200 g).
Phosphorus: superphosphate in granules at a dosage of 200-300 g or phosphate rock (350-550 g)
Potassium: potassium sulfate (potassium sulfate) in an amount of 200-400 g
Lime: 3-8 kg (the amount depends on the acidity level of the soil)

Before planting beets in the open ground in the spring, dig up the soil in the garden bed, carefully choosing the weeds, level them, and cultivate them to a depth of 3-4 cm.

How to plant beet seeds in open ground?

Planting beet seeds in open ground produced in a one-line or tape manner. You can sow in 3-4 lines, observing the distance between the rows of 30-35 and 20-25 cm. The distance between the rows for single-line sowing: 35-45 cm. For band sowing: 50-60 cm.

Sowing rate of seeds: 5-10 g per 1 m2.
Planting depth on heavy soils: 2.5-3 cm
Planting depth on light soils: 3-4 cm.

Planting is carried out in moist soil:

Cut grooves with a depth of 2-3 cm at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other and moisten them. You can water it with warm water or a solution of growth stimulants (it is diluted with water several times more than is required when soaking the seeds).

Beetroot seeds are special: one seed is a bag in which several tiny seeds are hidden. From each such bag, 2 to 5 seedlings hatch. Therefore, the seeds are placed in the grooves at a distance of 7-10 cm from each other, and then thinned out.

How many days do beets sprout after planting?

Seeds start to grow, as a rule, at a temperature of at least 5 degrees. In such conditions, seedlings appear 3-4 weeks after planting. At a temperature of 10-11 degrees, beets emerge in 10-14 days. Beets emerge most quickly at a temperature of 18-25 degrees. In such conditions, seedlings can be expected within 5-7 days after planting.

How susceptible are beets to frost and temperature extremes?

The plant tolerates frosts down to -3 degrees. A sharp, long cold snap at the very beginning of growth often causes diseases and bloom. Beets do not tolerate very low, as well as high temperatures.

Are beets planted with seedlings?

The seedling method of growing beets is used, but less often than planting with seeds. About the intricacies of growing beets in seedlings and in greenhouses - in a separate article.

Most gardeners grow beets on their land. It is a delicious and healthy vegetable that can be used in a wide variety of dishes. A feature of beets is the slow germination of their seeds. If they are in the soil for a long time, they may die or start to rot. All this will lead to a decrease in the yield. To avoid such a nuisance, you need to carry out some activities before landing. The preparation of beet seeds for sowing consists of several stages. Let's consider them in more detail.

Warming up

The first step in preparing for sowing beet seeds is warming up. It can be dry or hydrothermal. In the first case, the seeds are warmed up immediately before planting in the ground for 120 minutes at a temperature of 60 degrees. Also, heating can be carried out at a temperature of 25-30 degrees. To do this, the planting material should be placed in a cloth bag and hung over a warm radiator for 2 months.

Hydrothermal treatment involves heating in hot water. The water temperature should be 40-50 degrees. The processing time is 20 minutes.

After that, the seeds must be dried. Landing is carried out the next day.

Etching

This procedure is needed to protect the seeds from disease damage. It is carried out dry or wet. In the first case, the seeds are dusted with fungicides. Fundazole is best suited for this. Apply it with a paint brush.

Wet dressing involves treating beet seeds with 1% potassium permanganate solution. The planting material is kept in it for 25-30 minutes. Hydrogen peroxide is also suitable for this event. Sowing is carried out in 2-5 days.

Bubbling

Another type of preparation of beet seeds for planting. Bubbling involves placing the planting material in a vessel with water. Then one end of the tube is placed in it, and the other is connected to the aquarium compressor.The seeds are kept in water for 16-18 hours. During this time, they will be saturated with oxygen, as a result of which their germination will improve.

Soak

Do beet seeds need to be soaked before sowing? This question is asked by most summer residents. Since beet seeds germinate very hard before sowing, they need to be soaked. Such an event will not only contribute to the softening of the seed coat, but also ensure the dissolution of the chemicals that make up it. This is the most ancient method, which has not lost its relevance even today.

Most often, the planting material is soaked in water. For this, melt or water taken from a natural source is best suited. As a last resort, you can use non-carbonated drinking water from the store.

Tap water is not the best choice for pre-soaking beets.

In addition to water, you will need a piece of gauze and a small container. The seeds should be laid out on a piece of moistened gauze, covered with a second layer and placed in a container. Then the planting material is poured with so much warm water that it does not completely cover it. Otherwise, due to lack of air, rotting is possible. When the water is stained brown, it is drained and a new one is poured. Such actions are continued until the water becomes clear and transparent.

The soaked planting material is left in a dark place for 2-3 days. If white dots have appeared on some seeds during this time, they can be sown in the ground, if not, the container is left in a place protected from sunlight for another 1-2 days. In addition to soaking water, you can use aloe juice. In this case, it will take 1 day for the swelling and the appearance of the first shoots. To accelerate germination, the container with the planting material can be wrapped in plastic wrap.

You can also soak beet seeds before planting in biologically active solutions.

The most popular ones are:

Epin is a plant-based growth stimulator. The drug ensures good adaptation of seeds to environmental conditions and helps to survive sudden drops in temperature or lack of sunlight.
Zircon is another herbal remedy, the main component of which is chicoric acid, obtained from echinacea. Thanks to this drug, not only germination is accelerated, but also the root crop grows faster.
Humate is an environmentally friendly product, for the manufacture of which peat or brown coal is used.

These drugs are added to water in the amount indicated on the package. In such solutions, the planting material is kept for 24 hours.

Do beet seeds need to be soaked before sowing seedlings? Here, the opinions of gardeners differ slightly. Some believe that this makes no sense, since the seedlings are grown in warm conditions and the seeds will germinate so well. Other gardeners claim that even at high soil temperatures, the planting material will germinate slowly and may rot. In any case, soaking will not be superfluous. It is carried out in the same way as before sowing beets in open ground.

The preparation of beet seeds before sowing into the soil is a mandatory measure that every summer resident must carry out. This is a simple procedure that helps to improve germination and get a rich harvest.

Many annual and biennial vegetable crops gardeners prefer to grow through seedlings. However, there are crops for which the method of planting directly on the garden is more often used. This is especially true for beets and other root vegetables. How to plant beets with seeds in the open field in spring, and even so that they sprout quickly and so as not to thin out later?

There are several agrotechnical points that it is advisable to take into account when sowing. They relate to the processing of seed material, soil preparation on the site, adherence to the sowing scheme, as well as the choice of the optimal variety.With the right approach to this gardening business, it is possible to achieve friendly shoots, active plant growth and a high yield in autumn.

When and how to plant beet seeds outdoors

Most gardeners are interested in how to plant beets with seeds in the open field so as not to thin out. Correct and rational sowing can save not only planting material, but also time. The last resource is very important, since there is always a lot of work at the dacha and no one wants to spend precious hours on work.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to fulfill several conditions, the first of which is the correct choice of seeds, more precisely, the determination of their viability. After all, there is no point in sowing "dummies" - this is a waste of time and energy.

Seed germination test

Do not forget that the seed material of vegetables remains viable for two years. But it is better, of course, to take seeds collected the previous fall for sowing. If they are purchased, then you should definitely look at the production date. But even if you are growing beets yourself for seeds, germination testing will not hurt.

The first way. Pour salted water (3-5% solution) into any container and throw seeds there. In a few minutes, the "empty" ones, unsuitable for sowing, will float to the surface. The good ones will sink to the bottom.

Second way. Spread out the seeds in a thin layer and sweep over them with an electrified stick. Light pacifiers will be attracted to her, specimens with good germination will remain lying.

Third way. Beet seeds are placed on damp paper or cloth. Cover with a second layer on top. The material is moistened every day. After 8 days, evaluate the result. If 60-80% of the total germinated, then the seed is considered good.

Read also:

How to do it right in spring plant a bunch of onions

Seed preparation for sowing

The best varieties

Before you start planting beets outdoors, it is highly advisable to prepare the seeds. Firstly, it is worthwhile to correctly determine the choice of the variety. It depends on when you get the harvest and what quality. There are three groups of varieties. The most popular and demanded among gardeners, according to reviews and comments on the forums, are:

Early - Detroit, Red Ball, Libero, Red Flat, Bohemia, Cold Resistant.
Mid-season - Bordeaux 237, Egyptian flat, Don flat, Bona, Borshchevaya, Detroit.
Late - Renova, Mulatka, Mona, One-sprout, Cylinder.

Calibration and Soaking

How to prepare beet seeds for planting? To do this, just follow a few steps. At the very first stage, it does not hurt calibration... For this purpose, only large intact specimens are selected. If there are a lot of seeds and it is difficult to manually calibrate them, then they are sifted through a colander or a coarse sieve. Small specimens are discarded.

The next step is soak... Do beet seeds need to be soaked before planting? This question often arises when growing and caring for beets in the open field. Of course, you can do without soaking. But still, this process significantly accelerates germination. Given that the seedlings of this culture do not appear very quickly, such a pre-sowing treatment will not hurt.

How to soak beet seeds before planting, more precisely in what? For this, you can use various disinfecting and stimulating solutions. The temperature of the liquid should be slightly above room temperature. The following are used as suitable:

potassium permanganate solution (1 g per 5 l of water);
boric acid solution (1 g per 5 l of water);
copper sulfate (1 g per 5 l of water);
ash solution (large spoon for 1 liter of water);
infusion of calendula and chamomile;
growth stimulants (Epin, Zircon, etc.)

First, the seed is soaked in a container with a solution for 10-12 hours. Then the cotton cloth is moistened, the seeds are poured into one layer and covered with the second half of the cloth. The top can be covered with polyethylene. They put the greenhouse on a radiator or just in a warm place.Periodically, the contents need to be ventilated so that mold does not appear. As soon as the first white "noses" of the sprouts hatch, you can start earthwork.

Pelleting

Pellet coating can also be done before sowing in the spring. Such treatment of beet seeds before planting helps to get earlier and more friendly shoots faster, since the nutrient shell substances act as stimulants. In addition, in the early stages of development, the embryo receives additional nutrition and protection from low temperatures.

Pelleting is as follows. Beet seeds are dipped in a solution of liquid mullein or paste. Then it is poured into a container, into which nutritious soil is gradually added, consisting of turf soil, humus and crushed mullein in a ratio of 3: 7: 1. Superphosphate (15 g per 1 kg) is also added to this mixture.

When adding the nutrient mixture, the container must be shaken so that it adheres to the seeds. When the granules have reached a size of 4-5 mm, the pelleting can be finished and the beet seeds can be planted in the open ground. This method of preparation will be of interest to those who are looking for an answer to how to plant beets so that they quickly sprout and grow stronger.

Seed hardening

If the sowing of a vegetable is carried out in early spring, when the soil has not yet warmed up enough, you can use the cooling or stratification method. This hardening will make the seed buds more resistant and provide early shoots. To do this, the seeds are first soaked for several hours in a small amount of water, and then placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or in the snow, wrapped in a wet cloth.

It is also possible to stratify the seeds that are slightly hatched. Cooling is carried out for 2-3 days, periodically stirring the contents. After the specified time, the beet buds are slightly dried and sown on the beds.

Preparing a site for sowing beets

Before you start planting beets, you need to prepare the soil. This vegetable does not like heavy, acidic substrate. Therefore, before sowing, it is important to add fluff lime (0.5 kg) to the soil. The soil is well dug up and loosened. If the soil on the plots is depleted, then you can additionally add humus (2-3 kg). It is better not to use manure and compost. A mineral mixture consisting of ammonium nitrate (20 g), superphosphate (30 g) and sodium chloride (15 g) is also suitable for fertilizing the soil for beets. All fertilizer doses are indicated per 1 sq. meter.

For a red borscht vegetable, it is better to choose beds well-lit by the sun, which are oriented in the north-south direction. With this exposure, the sprouts will receive maximum sunlight and quickly build up phytomass.

It is necessary to take into account the rules of crop rotation. Beets are best grown after crops such as peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, grains, and legumes. But if last year beets themselves or carrots, potatoes, cabbage, corn, spinach grew on the garden bed, then it is worth looking for another place. If we neglect this point, then there is a great risk of contamination of new crops with infectious diseases.

When to sow beets outdoors

Even if you have carried out pre-sowing hardening of seeds, it is worth observing the timing of planting beets in open ground. As a rule, sowing begins after the spring weather is established with an air temperature of at least +10 degrees.

The very first dates for sowing in open ground can fall on mid-April. But in this case, the bed must be covered with polyethylene. In this case, the harvest will be early. When can you sow more beets? The optimal planting time is considered to be the beginning - mid-May. During these periods, the earth is already warming up well and the seedlings appear together.

If you missed the time when it is recommended to plant beets early in the open field in the spring, then you can do this at the end of May or even in June. In this case, the vegetable will harvest a little later, but this will not affect the quality. Moreover, such root vegetables are best suited for long-term storage.

Use two dates of sowing beets in open ground in the spring. The interval between them is about two weeks. This will be a safety net against freezing and shooting of plants.

Beet planting scheme in the open field

Planting beets in the open ground with seeds in spring is carried out based on a seeding rate of 1.5-2 g per 1 sq. meter. If you have previously checked the germination and took a batch of seed with a high percentage of germination, then you will not need to overseed. In this case, there is no need to waste time on thinning.

How to plant beets so that you do not thin out later? The most convenient way is to use paper ribbons. To do this, you need to take strips of toilet paper 3-4 cm wide and spread the seeds on the paste. The distance between individual specimens should be 7-10 cm.

You can not use paper tapes, but immediately plant the beets in the ground. In any case, the planting depth is on average 2-3 cm.The distance between the beet rows should be 25 cm.In large-scale crops, a different scheme is used - the distance between the rows is 45 cm.But in a private garden, denser cultivation is suitable.

In order not to thin out, you need to choose the right variety for planting red beets. For example, the "Odnorostkovaya" variety is suitable for solving this problem. Fruit beets of such beets give only 1-2 sprouts, so there is no thickening of the plantings.

If, nevertheless, one cannot do without thinning, then this procedure is carried out in two stages. The first is 6-12 days after the emergence of sprouts. The second time should be thinned out when 5-6 leaves appear on the sprouts.

Growing beets through seedlings

Of course, sowing beets in open ground with seeds is convenient. However, you can also use the seedling method. This culture tolerates picking and replanting well. Sow beets for seedlings a month and a half before planting in open ground. They do this at home in boxes or in heated greenhouses.

How to plant beet seedlings? The planting pattern is more dense than directly into open ground. The distance between the rows is 4-5 cm, and between individual specimens in the strip is 1-2 cm.The sowing depth is 2-3 cm.If beet seedlings are grown in a greenhouse with other vegetables, for example, with cucumbers, then the seeds are conveniently sown in the aisles as a sealant to the main crop.

About a week after the emergence of seedlings, the seedlings need to be thinned out. For this, it is more convenient to use scissors - unnecessary sprouts are simply cut off at the soil surface. The remaining beetroot sprouts should not touch each other with their cotyledonous leaves.

After the first or second true leaves have formed, you can start picking. At the stage of the third or fourth leaf, the beets are planted in a permanent place in open ground according to a 10 × 25 or 15 × 25 cm scheme. The transplant must be done very carefully so as not to damage the taproot of young plants.

For your attention, another useful video that reveals additional secrets regarding sowing beets:

These are the highlights of how to plant seed beets outdoors in the spring. Knowing and fulfilling them, you do not have to waste time to thin out the plantings or, conversely, over-sow. After all, it is no secret that a successful start of cultivation and care guarantees resource savings and a rich harvest.

Good luck in your spring work in the garden!

Date of publication:Landing in open ground