How to properly grow a beet in the open field?

A gardener's dream come true that grows in all weather conditions? This is beet, the most useful and vitamin-rich vegetable in the country. Everything is edible in beets, including the leaves. It goes into salad, side dish, and borscht. This popular root vegetable is good because it can be eaten both raw and boiled. And what is important - it is tasty and appetizing of any size, not to mention a cocktail of a colossal amount of useful components. Even a novice summer resident can grow a wonderful plant in his area without much hassle, especially if he listens to our advice and recommendations on the choice of beet varieties, on the intricacies of planting seeds in open ground and on the correct cultivation technique.

Beet variety selection

In terms of ripening, beets can be divided into the following varieties (from the first shoots to the moment of harvest):

• early maturing-medium early (80-110 days);
• mid-season (110-130);
• late ripening (130-145).

The most popular varieties of early or early ripening beets include: Early Wodan, Carillon, Red Ball, Mona, Egyptian and Gribovskaya flat, Action, Nastenka.

Mid-season varieties are represented by the following: Bordeaux-237, Sonata, Crimson ball, Valya, Detroit and Cold-resistant 19.

Among the late ripening, the following are common: Saladnaya, Matrona and Cylinder.

Beet varieties are often distinguished by the fact that some grow on the surface, while others "sit" exclusively in the ground. So, the former are better suited for clay soils.

When and how to plant beets outdoors

Landing dates

Beets are considered to be a relatively thermophilic vegetable, so it is worth planting when the temperature of the earth warms up to + 6-10 degrees. In other words, the timing of sowing beets varies depending on the climatic characteristics of your place of residence. For example, in the South (in Krasnodar, in the Kuban), the root crop can be sown around the second half of March-April. But in the Middle Lane (Moscow region), the suitable dates for planting beets in open ground are in early-mid-May, and in Siberia and the Urals - in the second half of May.

Variety also affects planting time. For example, the early ones are usually planted earlier, and the later ones - later. The bottom line is that if you plant late varieties early, the root crop will grow too rough.

By the way! A popular guideline for sowing beets is the moment when small leaves the size of a penny appear on the birch.

If you want to choose a specific date for planting a root crop, then the lunar calendar will always come to your aid.So, the most favorable days for sowing beets for seedlings or in open ground according to the lunar calendar in 2018 are:

• February - 20-25 (if only you live in the South and want to plant seedlings first);
• March - 8-10, 19-23, 27;
• April - 5, 7, 9-11, 19-23;
• May - 9-11, 21-23.

Important! If we turn to the lunar calendar, then it is worth knowing that it is even more important not to plant a vegetable on unfavorable days. And this is in 2018: in February - 14-16; in March - 1-3, 16, 30; in April - 15, 17, 29-30; in May - 14-16, 28-30 and in June - 12-14, 29.

Preparing seeds for planting

You can always plant beets with dry seeds, but to improve germination, it is advisable to pre-soak and germinate them.

There are several ways to germinate beet seeds before planting:

When using any method of seed germination, the essence is approximately the following: the seeds are placed on a damp surface, the container with which is placed in a warm place, where the temperature fluctuates around + 20-22 degrees and make sure that the seeds do not dry out, periodically adding water to the container ...

Benefits of sprouting beet seeds:

• It is immediately clear which seeds have sprouted and which have not. This will achieve better germination in the open field.
• When planted with germinated seeds, seedlings appear much faster, usually by 4-6 days.

Garden bed and soil

Beets grow well in lighted beds, so it is worth planting where there is often sun.

You can even plant a root vegetable near the trees on the south side, where the sun will saturate the vegetable for at least half a day.

Advice! If your summer cottage is located in a lowland and the places are relatively swampy, then it is better to plant beets (and not only them) to high beds. Many gardeners, in principle, love and successfully grow vegetables in such beds.

Excellent precursors for planting beets are legumes, onions, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers.

It is advisable to prepare the soil for growing root crops in advance, you can even in autumn, although it's okay if you start preparing it right in the spring shortly before planting.

Beets, like all other root crops, need very good and loose soil, and it is simply difficult for them to grow in clay. Digging up the soil is about the bayonet of a shovel.

If you have excessively sandy soil, then you can improve it by introducing high-quality humus or compost, adding a couple of tablespoons of superphosphate to it, and then carefully digging and moving everything.

If your soil is too heavy (clayey), then in addition to humus or compost and superphosphate, you should add peat and very little sand to the soil.

Beets do not like acidic soils, so if you have high acidity of the soil, then you should deoxidize it by adding lime or dolomite flour. If you have clay soil, use more. If sandy, then a little less.

If you add wood ash to the soil in advance, it will have a very good effect on the vegetable. You can also do this during planting and subsequent feeding.

Note! You cannot add fresh manure to the soil for the beet bed, even in autumn, especially in spring. This root vegetable is very fond of accumulating nitrates, which is absolutely not necessary for us.

Video: the subtleties of planting beets in open ground

Sowing in the garden

Many experienced vegetable growers recommend making grooves.along the edge of the garden. With this planting, the roots will grow large, and the garden itself will be beautiful. Good neighbors for beets can be onions, dill, tomatoes, cabbage, and lettuce.

By the way! There is even such a saying: "Beets love to rub against the hem of the hostess."

Step-by-step instructions for planting beet seeds in open ground:

1. Prepare the seeds: soak and germinate.
2. Choose a place for the garden and make grooves.
3. It is good to spill the grooves with water.
4. Spread out the seeds. Seed should be planted at a distance of about 3-4 centimeters from each other. In the aisle - at a distance of 20-30 centimeters.
5. This root vegetable is very fond of wood ash, so it is recommended to pour in a little immediately after sowing.
6. Then cover the grooves with earth and sprinkle with ashes again.
7. Mulch with sawdust (lightly, a thick layer does not need to be done).
8. Cover with foil against returnable frost and for a greenhouse effect. As soon as shoots appear, the film can be removed.

Video: sowing beets with sprouted seeds

Sowing beet seeds for seedlings

If you want to get an earlier harvest, then you can plant beet seeds for seedlings. The main specificity of sowing is that the planting capacity must be high enough, because we are planting a root crop.

By the way! Beets grown through seedlings will not require thinning in the future, for obvious reasons.

The agrotechnology of growing beets through seedlings is quite simple: watering is necessary as the soil dries up, as well as a bright place. When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, then a small root crop can be planted in open ground.

On a note! If you want to get a little confused and try to get an earlier harvest, then sow beets for seedlings. If not, then it grows beautifully and in a reckless way.

Caring for beets after planting in open ground: cultivation agrotechnology

If the planting of beets was carried out correctly, then friendly shoots will appear already on the 4th-6th day.

Further basic care for beets consists in loosening, timely thinning (most importantly), watering and feeding.

Almost immediately after germination, you need to start loosen the garden (even more so if it rains) so that the air flows faster to the roots. Otherwise, it may start to hurt (if flooded with water).

Thinning

On a note! Need for thinning is explained by the fact that 2-4 sprouts most often appear from one beet seed (therefore, its seeds are also called glomeruli). If you do not thin it out, then it simply will not have room for normal development, and the root crops will grow small.

Thin out beets are necessary only after watering (or rain) and preferably in cloudy weather. It is recommended to water the tops so that the foliage also receives moisture.

Beets need several thinning per season, usually two:

Video: caring for beets at the beginning of growth (first thinning)

Video: Mid-Growth Care (Second Thinning)

Watering

The first plentiful watering of beets is usually done after the first thinning. Then you need to water about 1 time a week.

As you know, beets are very fond of water, especially since they need to be watered often and abundantly during dry periods of summer, for example, in July. The optimal water consumption is 10-15 liters per 1 sq. meter of the garden.

It is worth increasing the frequency and number of watering as the root crop grows. If he lacks moisture, then the fruits will grow small, rough and tasteless.

Watering beets should be stopped about 1-2 weeks before harvest.

Top dressing

If you have not filled the soil with a sufficient amount of organic matter and mineral fertilizers, then for the successful cultivation of beets you will need to feed it several times.

As a rule, for the first time, the beets should be fed the next day after the first thinning, for example, with herbal infusion. The root crop responds to this fertilizer just fine.

If you want the beets to be sweet, then about a month before harvesting (this often coincides with the second thinning), you can 1 time sprinkle with brine (at the rate of 15-20 grams of salt (1 tablespoon) per 10 liters of water) or you can use a solution of sodium nitrate.

Beets also need boron fertilization, for example, with the fertilizer "Mag-Bor" (1 tablespoon per bucket of water) or with the help of boric acid (1/2 tsp for 1 bucket of water). Top dressing consumption 10 liters per 1 sq. meter. Without a sufficient amount of boron, the root vegetable may grow a hollow center, or the core will become dark.

You can also feed beets during the season according to the following scheme:

• The first feeding, as a rule, is carried out exclusively with the help of organic matter. A solution of mullein or chicken droppings is being prepared (1 kg is taken per 1 bucket of water). Then it is infused for several days (usually 4-5 days is enough). Now 1 liter of the infused solution is diluted in a bucket of water and poured onto the garden with the help of a watering can, and then watering is performed with plain water in order to wash the leaves. Alternatively, you can use an ash solution (1-1.5 cups of ash should be thoroughly mixed in a bucket of water).
• The second feeding should be done after about 12-15 days using phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
• The third feeding is at the time of 2 thinning. You need to re-apply the phosphorus-potassium fertilizer of your choice to the garden bed.

Video: the intricacies of growing beets to improve their taste and keeping quality

Beet harvesting and storage

Naturally, you need to have time to harvest the beets before the onset of frost. Moreover, delaying the timing will lead to the accumulation of an excessive amount of nitrates in the root crop, which should not be allowed.

So that the beets do not wither during storage, when harvesting, the leaves must be shortened to 2 centimeters, they do not need to be ripped out at all, subsequently they will dry out themselves. It is also important to leave the root (tail) at the end of the root crop.

Important! You can find detailed information on how to store beets after harvest. in this article.

If you care about your future health and are "addicted" to beets, then rest assured that you are quite capable of growing a harvest of juicy and large root crops, which is perfectly stored until the New Year and later. To do this, it is necessary to follow all the rules of sowing and proper care: regular loosening of the soil, removal of weeds and timely watering.

Video: how to grow large beets

To grow sweet and healthy table beets, suitable for long-term storage, you need to know the intricacies of the agricultural technology of this vegetable. Anyone who masters this science is guaranteed a varied vitamin menu for the whole winter.

Selection of varieties and seeds

Beets are unpretentious and ready to grow in all latitudes, with the exception of permafrost. You can opt for localized varieties or experiment with new hybrids with increased endurance.

The ripening period for beets depends on the variety and ranges from 80 to 130 days. You can adjust the ripening time by planting beets under a greenhouse or seedlings, pre-germinating seeds.

The most popular varieties suitable for growing in all climates:

Valenta - early ripening variety with sweet, dark red pulp, cold-resistant, dormant, disease-resistant.

Ataman - medium late variety, cylindrical fruits weighing 300 g, burgundy, sweet with uniform pulp, very well stored.

Cylinder - a mid-late variety with an elongated bright red fruit weighing up to 500 g, strong immunity and good keeping quality.

Winter - medium early cold-resistant variety, resistant to most diseases, round fruits weighing 200 - 400 g with burgundy pulp.

Red hero - mid-early high-yielding variety, cylindrical dark red fruits with thin skin and uniform pulp weighing 200-550 g.

Red ice - mid-early variety, bright red fruits, with structural pulp, low weight - 200-300 g, well stored.

Bikores - mid-season high-yielding variety, bright red fruits weighing 200-350 g, lax.

If you plan to eat all-season beets from your garden, then you need to plant both early and late varieties of beets.

Landing dates

Most often, beets are planted in the spring, when the air warms up to 15-18 C. You can do this a little earlier, in April, planting non-germinated seeds under a greenhouse.

If the spring is too cold, you can shift the planting date to a later time by choosing early ripening beets.

Winter beets are sown with dry seeds before the onset of frost. For this, only specially oriented varieties are chosen. Sowing sites are covered. They start growing in early spring and provide a summer beet crop. Roots ripened in summer are not subject to long-term storage.

Preparing the soil for beets

The soil is dug up in the fall after a thorough harvest of the previous harvest. Organic components (compost or manure) are applied as deeply as possible - by 30-35 centimeters. You can organize some semblance of a warm bed, but with a thin layer of organic matter, so that it has time to decompose by the time the beet root grows to it.

The acidity of the earth is reduced by scattering dolomite flour, grated eggshells or wood ash.

Mineral additives - superphosphate and potassium sulfate - are best applied in the fall so that they have time to dissolve in the soil. They are scattered dry over the garden bed before digging at the rate of no more than 0.3 kg. one square meter of land.

The root crop develops better in loose soil. In the spring, it is good to re-dig the garden bed and mulch it with peat or rotted sawdust.

Site selection, crop rotation

The rules for choosing a place for beets:

1. beets love space, the less often the root crops are planted from each other, the more space they have for building rounded barrels;
2. if there is no need for large plantations of this root crop, beets can be planted by the border method on potatoes, cucumbers, beans, next to herbs or onions;
3. beets need frequent irrigation, but stagnant water will lead to decay, which means that the bed must be broken up next to the irrigation source in a well-drained area;
4. beets are not planted twice in a row in one place, the crop rotation is observed very carefully;
5. the preceding plants for this vegetable are onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, carrots, zucchini;
6. it is undesirable to plant beets after cabbage and for the second year in a row in one place.

If you have to squeeze any crops in the garden by planting them on poor soil, then this can be safely done with beets. You can ensure its growth by good loosening of the soil, timely watering and fertilization.

Seed preparation

Beet seeds before planting:

• check for germination - pour it into a glass of salt water, mix and remove the floating ones;
• quenched by alternating hot water and cold, keeping in each temperature regime for several hours;
• disinfected by keeping for 12 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• stimulated by soaking in a growth promoter.
• germinate if the seeds are prepared for growing beet seedlings.

For podzimny planting, you need to limit yourself only to testing for germination and disinfection - excessively swollen seeds can germinate in the winter and die.

Planting beets in open ground

Beet seeds are large compared to most horticultural crops. Sowing will not be difficult.

Beets are sown into grooves 3-5 centimeters deep with a distance of 5 centimeters from each other and 20 centimeters between rows.

Winter crops are buried 10 centimeters so that the seeds do not die.

When planting beets in open ground with seedlings, the interval is set at least 20 centimeters.

Beet care

The process of growing beets includes watering, feeding, loosening and mandatory thinning.

Beets do not require close attention at all if they grow in good soil and with proper watering. But if the plant lacks nutrition, this will adversely affect the taste or lead to diseases.

1. Phomosis of fruits and leaves of beets develops with a lack of boron and is expressed in the appearance of lightened spots on the foliage, it is also fraught with curvature and the appearance of cavities in the root crop.
2. Cercosporosis is threatened by excessive moisture in the beds.
3. Excess nitrogen in the soil will result in the bitter earthy taste of beets.

Watering and feeding

After germination, you need to water the beets often - once every two to three days, alternating watering with shallow loosening so as not to damage the roots. You do not need to huddle this root crop. But it is good to form a boletus between the rows of beets, through which water will flow. In case of soil erosion, a thin layer of humus is poured on top.

Loosening can be replaced by mulching. A layer of chopped dried grass between the rows will help to retain moisture.

A one-time application of mineral fertilizers before planting is sufficient for beets. It makes sense to carry out additional feeding only if the plants noticeably lag behind in growth.

As a preventive dressing, periodic watering of beets with diluted herbal infusions or yeast fertilizers is suitable.

Two or three times per season, you can water the beets with salted water at the rate of one tablespoon per 10 liters of water. Or use complex fertilizers according to the instructions, for example, Macbor.

Root crops accumulate nitrates more actively than other crops. When growing beets, it is better to opt for natural fertilizers.

Optimal planting density

An important point in caring for beets is thinning. It is carried out in several stages so that the owner has the opportunity to evaluate the growing roots and choose the best ones. Before each thinning, it is necessary to pour the beets well.

When the first pair of leaves appears, the weakest plants are removed. Later, when thinning, diseased specimens are removed, too thickened good roots can be transplanted to a new place or used as food as greenery.

From the initial distance between plants of 5 centimeters, as a result, it is necessary to go to an interval of 15-20 centimeters.

Harvesting and storage

Beets are harvested in the fall before the onset of cold weather, when the leaves on the plant wilted. When harvesting, it is necessary to act carefully, prying large layers of earth with a shovel and taking out root crops one by one.

The earth is carefully shaken off the fruit, and it is better not to cut off the remaining corolla of leaves - just remove the wilted stems.

Medium-sized root vegetables with intact skin are stored in a dry room at a temperature of 2 to 5 C.

Diseases and pests of beets

The main pests of any root crops are moles, bear and rodents. Beet fleas, wireworms and slugs are also dangerous. In addition, plants are affected by various rot, nematodes.

These troubles should be dealt with, first of all, by observing the hygiene of the personal plot - high-quality cleaning, thorough deep digging and preventive treatment of plantings with natural disinfectants - wood ash, tobacco dust, hot pepper powder.

These root crops are famous for their unpretentiousness and constancy. They are well stored in basements and vegetable pits, preserving nutrients until spring. Be sure to find a spot on your site for beets.

Beetroot (beetroot) is one of the most popular root crops grown in household plots. There are two ways to plant beets: seeds and seedlings. There is no fundamental difference between them. The yield mainly depends on the structure and fertility of the soil, and many varieties of beets are quite loyal to weather conditions. If you correctly make a ridge, then you can get high-quality fruits both in a drought and in a rainy summer.

Soil and bed preparation

When choosing a place for beets, you should pay attention to what crops occupied the planned area last season. Planting this root vegetable is categorically not recommended after cabbage, but after potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin and greens, the beet will grow well. Carrots, peas and onions are neutral precursors. When grown on an industrial scale, beets are planted after winter wheat and rye.

The beets are planted in a well-illuminated place for a long time. There should be no dense bushes, spreading trees, fence, walls nearby. It is advisable to choose a high part of the site that is not flooded by torrential rains.

It is worth considering the basic requirements for the soil for beets.

• Acidity in the range of 6.2-7.5. If there is a lot of colza, wild sorrel and horsetail on the site, then the soil is acidic. Root vegetables will be small, ugly in shape. Lime or dolomite flour must be added. When preparing a ridge for beets, moderate liming is possible in the year of planting.
• The optimal soil is loose, rich in organic matter (loamy, sandy loam, black soil). Growing beets in too clayey soil without special preparation and sanding is a waste of time and effort. The fruit will be fibrous, tough, and bitter.
• The depth of the arable soil layer is from 25 to 30 cm.

Under favorable conditions, root crops develop quickly, and an accelerated accumulation of sugar occurs.

Advice

Excessive lime content in the soil leads to a decrease in the ability of beets to assimilate micro- and macroelements. It is important to respect the dosage.

Fertilization

Beets are demanding on the content of micro and macro elements in the soil. For reference: 1 ton of root crops extracts from the ground up to 7 kg of nitrogen, about 3 kg of phosphorus and up to 9 kg of potassium. While the root system is still weak, the plant especially needs phosphorus, then intensive absorption of other nutrients begins.

It is optimal to prepare a ridge for beets in the fall, adding rotted manure, compost (about 15-20 kg per 1 m2) and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to the soil. Mineral dressings can be embedded in the soil before planting. Of the complex additives, NPK 13-12-19 or CAS are usually used.

For winter sowing of beets, the following complex of fertilizers (per 1 m2) is applied to the soil:

• half a bucket of manure, humus or compost;
• 30 g of potassium chloride (chlorine ions prevent the accumulation of nitrates);
• 30 g superphosphate.

Advice

Beets are very fond of organic matter, but the introduction of fresh or semi-rotted manure before planting will lead to a deterioration in the taste and presentation of the fruit.

In preparation for planting, the soil is carefully dug to a depth of about 30 cm, all clods are broken, the surface is leveled and slightly compacted. Many gardeners plant beets along the ridges - long, high ridges like potato ones. Thus, the root crop is better ventilated, receives more sun, and is protected from rot and souring. This is especially true for heavy soils. If the soil is fertile and loose, then carpet can be planted.

Landing dates

Beet seeds can also germinate at temperatures of 3-4 ° C, but the process will take about 25 days. At 6-7 ° C, seedlings will appear already on the 10-15th day, and when the temperature stabilizes to 11-18 ° C, the period will be only a week. There is no point in sowing beets until the soil at a depth of 6 cm warms up at least to 7-8 ° C, since there is a high probability of death of seedlings from frost (the sprouts will not tolerate -1 ° C).

Planting of beets in spring in different regions is carried out at their own time:

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

Long-term storage late beets are sown in the second decade of May, you can plant them until June 10. Such varieties will have enough time before frost to fully mature, and they are stored much better than early and mid-season ones.

The terms are given roughly, for each year they may vary depending on weather conditions.

You can sow beets in a greenhouse or in boxes about a month and a half before planting in open ground. The scheme of embedding into the substrate: 4 x 4 cm. This method is suitable for regions with unstable weather. The ripening period of root crops with the seedling method of cultivation will accelerate by 2-3 weeks.

You can plant beets with seeds in the fall.There are special varieties for this, since ordinary species will begin to shoot and will not produce a crop. Sowing beets in autumn is beneficial for regions with cool, short summers. The sowing date comes when stable frosts begin, the soil is covered with a crust. In the Urals or Siberia, the right time is November. There are no general recommendations on how long to sow beets in the winter. It is important not to miss the last period before the earth "grabs" (3-4 ° C below zero). According to popular observations, the optimal time is the moment when the leaves are completely shed by the cherries.

It should be noted that autumn planting beets are not suitable for long-term storage.

Seed preparation

Beet seeds are fruit lumps, in which several seeds are collected (from 2 to 6 pieces). For this reason, many novice gardeners are surprised when, with a neat schematic sowing of seed-egg capsules, heap shoots suddenly appear from the garden bed.

Beet seeds planted in spring will hatch faster if prepared. The easiest way is to soak for a day in a solution of one of the following products (for 1 liter of warm water):

• a quarter teaspoon of boric acid and half a teaspoon of nitrophoska or nitroammophoska;
• 1 teaspoon superphosphate;
• a teaspoon of baking soda;
• a tablespoon of wood ash.

A day later, the seeds are washed, wrapped in a damp cloth and kept at room temperature for 3-4 days, not allowing the bundle to dry out.

When planting in autumn, you do not need to soak the seeds.

Sowing technique

Immediately before the spring planting of the beets, the ridge is loosened about 5 cm deep and leveled. Sowing or planting seedlings is necessary either in cloudy weather, or in the evening, so that the soil does not wind up and the seedlings do not die from the hot sun.

Planting beets in open ground with seeds is carried out according to the following rules:

• rows are made at a distance of at least 30 cm;
• on loam, beet seedlings are embedded in grooves 2-3 cm deep;
• on sandy and sandy loam soils - 3-4 cm.

In dry weather, the ridge is spilled with water in advance (in an hour or two), in rainy weather it is enough to moisten the grooves. After 3-4 days, it is recommended to loosen the soil with a spring or wire rake. After such a procedure, the beets grow more amicably.

When shoots appear, they must be carefully thinned out. This procedure is carried out twice: in the phase of two true leaves, leaving a distance of 3-4 cm between the seedlings, then in the phase of 3-4 leaves. The average gap between beet sprouts as a result should be 10-20 cm. How much to leave depends on the variety, usually the step is indicated on the seed package.

Advice

If you leave too large gaps between the plants, then the roots will grow large, difficult to heat treatment.

Excess beet sprouts should not be thrown away. If before the procedure it is good to shed the earth, and pry the seedlings with a special spatula (you can use a spoon handle), then the roots will not be damaged. The seedlings will quickly take root in another place, and the shape of the fruit will not suffer in the future, as is the case with carrots.

Podzimny sowing of beets is carried out in dry soil. The seeds are placed in grooves 4 cm deep and covered with a loose substrate (you can mix soil with sand). Then the soil is lightly compacted, the bed is mulched and covered with dry leaves or spruce branches. In the spring, the shelters are removed, the soil is spilled with nitrogen fertilizer, and a film is laid on top until the first shoots appear.

Care

The main care for young beet sprouts is to moisturize and loosen. A crust must not be allowed to form on the soil. Loosening is done carefully, while the plants are small, you can do this with an ordinary old fork. Beets are responsive to this procedure, therefore it is recommended to carry it out until the foliage closes.

Top dressing

The first feeding of beets with mineral fertilizers (nitrogen) is carried out after thinning, the second (complex) - after closing the tops.

Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are the main elements needed by beets. If there are no complex mineral fertilizers at hand, then ash, previously mixed with compost, can be added to the soil. Consumption: 3 glasses of clean ash per 1m2.

Advice

It is better to apply nitrogen fertilizers for beets in several portions and not to abuse them, since their excess contributes to the accumulation of nitrates in root crops. Fractional application reduces the negative effect by 2 times. The best form is urea (10 g per 1 m2).

The second top dressing of beets (when the fruit is about the size of a walnut) consists of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Consumption: 8 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium chloride per 1 m2. Nitrogen is no longer used.

If there is not enough boron in the soil, then the beets react by rotting the core. The deficiency of copper and molybdenum also negatively affects, which can be replenished with foliar feeding (in the 10-leaf phase). For this, liquid micronutrient fertilizers are used, which contain boron in organomineral form and manganese in chelated form.

If the beets develop slowly, rounded yellow spots appear on the tops, then there are signs of a lack of potassium and too acidic soil. In this case, watering with milk of lime will help. Recipe: 200 g of fluffy lime, 80 g of potassium chloride, diluted in 10 liters of water. The solution should be enough for 10 running meters of landings (along the line).

In case of reddening of the beet tops (sodium deficiency), it is necessary to sprinkle the ridge with ash and sprinkle with salt water (1 glass of salt per 10 liters). This procedure will also increase the sugar content of the root vegetables.

Watering

The watering regime for beets depends on the weather. In the first month and a half of plant development, the soil should not be allowed to dry out. Young beets are very fond of evening sprinkling. After this procedure, the tops freshen up and acquire a high turgor.

If the summer is not too hot, then growing beets outdoors will not be a hassle. After the tops are closed in the aisles, the moisture will erode more slowly, and the root crop is already able to get food from the deeper layers of the soil.

Watering beets stops about a month before harvesting.

Diseases

Competent agricultural technology minimizes the likelihood of beet diseases caused by soil quality. Increased acidity is the cause of root defects, such as:

• scab in the form of cracks and growths on fruits;
• phomosis (zonal spotting on the leaves) - the disease can also be the result of a lack of boron;
• blackening of the pulp;
• root-eater, "black leg" (at the seedling stage);
• voids in the root crop.

However, all of the above can also occur due to an excess of nitrogen or with unbalanced feeding, therefore, fertilizer must be applied correctly.

Fungal diseases can develop: peronosporosis, cercosporosis, manifested by drying of the tops. Only treatment with fungicides (HOM, Fundazol, Carbendazim, copper oxychloride) can help.

Pests

Growing beets in the country can be unsuccessful for years if wheatgrass grows around the garden and the soil is acidic. This is the most comfortable habitat for the larvae of the click beetle - wireworms. It is they who are able to turn any root vegetable literally into a sieve.

It is possible to reduce the number of these pests of beets only by regularly used control methods:

• select yellow worms manually when digging:
• bury potato tubers in traps;
• exterminate wheatgrass, calcify the soil;
• periodically use special equipment (for example, "Provotox" granules).

Leaf and root beet aphids can also cause damage. Regular spraying with Green Soap solution, Pyrethrum will help to destroy the pest.

Beet fleas eat away the leafy pulp. In the fight against them, ash, tobacco dust, pollination with Hexachloran is effective.

If white winding passages appear on the leaves of the beet, it means that the larva of the miner moth lives in them. With a small scale of damage, the leaves break off and are destroyed. In case of mass infection, treatment with the drugs "Fufanon", "Bi-58 New" is used.

In most cases, growing beets in private plots is not a big deal. If there are few weeds, and soil cultivation in spring and autumn is done correctly, then the risk of attack by pests is minimal. Crop rotation is also an effective protection measure.

Many gardeners plant both late and early beets in the plots, providing themselves with a fresh harvest and a supply of root crops for the winter. This is an unpretentious plant, the seeds of which sprout quickly enough, the seedlings are patient to adverse weather conditions, and to get a good harvest, it is enough to competently prepare the garden bed.

Beetroot is a well-known and healthy vegetable. It is easy to grow and has a long shelf life. In the rather harsh conditions of our country, it provides us with the necessary vitamins during the harsh winter and during the 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.

The correct timing for planting beets in open ground

Beets are planted in many different ways. It can be planted with seeds or seedlings. They do it in spring or autumn, it is important to observe the correct dates. Spring planting of seeds in open ground is carried out in 1-2 decades of May, after the soil has completely warmed up.

If the seeds are placed in insufficiently heated soil, the shoots will begin to shoot and a good harvest can not be expected.

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 to planting, if the planted seeds wake up under the influence of heat, they will die.

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

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, one month before they can be placed in open ground. Planting beets with seedlings allows you to get an early harvest and save seeds, since sprouts that remain after thinning can also be planted in the beds.

The most popular varieties for growing in the country or in the garden

Beetroot can be sugar, feed or canteen... Sugar and fodder varieties are usually grown on an industrial scale and are not sown in summer cottages. In garden beds, it is more common to see beets.

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

1. Detroit... 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. Cylinder... Mid-season fruitful root crop. Fully lives up to its name. Beets are red, cylindrical in shape up to 16 cm in length. It is resistant to diseases and has a long shelf life.
3. Dark girl... Mid-season variety with excellent yield. Delicious, does not lose color when cooked. Weight 300-350g. Possesses 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 take into account the weather characteristics of your region.

Varieties to plant in Siberia and the Urals

In the Leningrad and other cold regions, they are especially popular Merchant's wife, Cold-resistant 19, Ordinary miracle... These varieties are distinguished by excellent resistance to disease and cold, high yield. The cylinder has also taken root well in these regions.

Cold resistant 19

To plant in the suburbs

Many varieties are grown in the Moscow region and the western regions. Some gardeners prefer juicy early varieties that cannot 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.

Early varieties include Red ball, Detroit, Mulatto... All of them give high yields, are distinguished by their color intensity and good taste.

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

Instructions for planting beet 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 this in the fall... A sunny, open, well-drained place is chosen, on which cucumbers, tomatoes or onions were previously grown. The vegetable does not grow well in places where carrots or cabbage used to live. Does not tolerate the neighborhood with celery and garlic.

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

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

Beets cannot 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 complex mineral fertilizer... The culture needs nitrogen and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, as well as pest control.

Planting seeds in spring

Beet seeds

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

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

In the garden, even grooves are drawn with a depth of 2-3 cm... These grooves are shed by water, some gardeners prefer warm water. When the water is absorbed, large beet seeds are placed one by one at a distance of 10 cm from each other and sprinkled with earth.

Beet seeds are multi-germ, one beet seed gives 2 to 6 shoots... The 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 be washed away by melt water. The grooves during autumn planting are deeper, 4 cm.

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

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

Benefits of autumn planting:

• seed material perfectly tempered over the winter;
• early friendly shoots are provided;
• time is freed up for other gardening matters;
• harvest ripens much earlier.

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

To protect the seeds from frost, the garden bed is covered with straw on top, you can throw 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 the spring heat.

Planting seedlings at home

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

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

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

Beet seedlings are planted in the ground, one sprout every 10 cm

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

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

With a 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 a 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 loosened in the soil in the beds.

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

It keeps well, providing us with the necessary minerals and vitamins until the next harvest. It is able to cleanse the blood and normalize digestion. All these qualities have made beets popular among different nations, and the history of their cultivation goes back many centuries.