At what distance to plant beets? Growing beets: secrets of experienced gardeners. How to plant beets correctly: preparing the land

You can’t do without beets when preparing borscht, “shuba” and “vinaigrette” salads. That’s why there are beds with this not the most popular, but necessary crop on almost every farm. If you don't have years of experience growing this root vegetable, but are planning to do so, you've come to the right place. Today we'll talk about how to plant beets with seeds in open ground.

Preparing an area of ​​open ground for planting beets

If you don’t 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. The place for beets must meet two basic requirements:

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

2. Good drainage. You should not plant beets in places where moisture stagnates. If there is no other place, try to correct poor drainage by adding sand, sawdust or compost to the soil. If the site is in a lowland, correct the situation by pouring earth onto it at higher elevations.

The next thing to consider when selecting a site for planting beets is crop rotation. It can only be planted in its original place after 4 years. It also doesn't grow well after cabbage. Cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, potatoes and greens are considered good predecessors of beets. Feel free to plant this crop in the spring in the place where green manure grew.

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

Planting beets in open ground on time and correctly

Beets for quick consumption are planted in April or May, when the ground warms up to 10ºC, and for winter storage - in the first half of June. Beets can be planted in open ground in the fall, but only before 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. A solution prepared from 1 liter of warm water and 1 tbsp is suitable for this purpose. l. wood ash. The seeds should be kept in it for 24 hours.

The next stage is seed swelling. They should be placed between layers of wet cloth, cotton wool or napkins for three days. Maintain the same humidity all this time. During this time, the planting material will activate its internal forces and become fully suitable for planting.

If you want the rows of beets to be even, stick sticks at the two extreme points of each row and stretch 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.

Keep a distance of 40-45 cm between adjacent rows. The places where the beet seed will fall must be thoroughly watered. The beet seeds are quite large, so you can easily place them in 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.

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

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

Not every summer resident knows the answer to the question of how to plant beets. The plant is biennial, but is grown for one season, since its roots ripen in the first year, and in the second year the bush produces shoots with flowers and seeds. To reap a significant harvest of this vegetable, rich in useful elements, you need to know certain cultivation rules.

Planting beets with seeds in open ground

The vegetable is grown by seeds or seedlings. Before you start planting beets, you need to prepare a site for them. The culture is more likely to develop in sunny and generously lit places; in the shade, the root crops will not have a rich red-brown hue. The plant likes fertile, fluffy, non-acidic soils - loams, peat bogs, chernozems with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction; groundwater should not be high on the site.

In the fall, the ground is dug up and cleared of weeds. In areas that were fertilized with manure or (especially after root crops), it is recommended to sow vegetables no earlier than after 3 years. Before planting beets with seeds in open ground, in the spring, when loosening, add 20-30 g of ammonium sulphate, 10-15 g of potassium chloride, 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate and 30-40 g of superphosphate per 1 m2 into the ground. . To neutralize the acidic environment, half a kilogram of lime is added per 1 m2.

Treatment of beet seeds before planting

Experienced gardeners recommend soaking the seeds the day before sowing to allow them to swell. The procedure will speed up the germination of the seedlings. For soaking, prepare a nutrient solution - take 1 teaspoon each of ordinary baking soda, wood ash and superphosphate, dilute in 1 liter of water. The seeds are kept in the composition for a day and washed well. For soaking, you can use purchased “Agricola Vegeta” - 1 tsp of the drug per liter of water. Afterwards, the grains are wrapped in moistened gauze for another couple of days for germination and placed in a warm place.

Beet seed planting depth

Before planting beets, you need to make furrows, moisten them and wait for the water to be absorbed. The soil should be fluffy and loose. You cannot plant seeds deep into the soil - due to lack of oxygen, they may not hatch. Sowing too small also does not bode well - the grains will be blown away by the wind or they will dry out in the heat. How to plant beets with seeds - ideal depth parameters:

• the seed is planted 2 cm deep during spring planting;
• Before winter, the seeds are buried 3-4 cm and the area must be covered with peat or humus.

How many days does it take for beets to sprout after sowing?

Food beets are not afraid of the cold, but the warmer it is outside in the spring, the faster the seedlings will hatch. Seed germination occurs already at +5°C, but with such an early start, sprouts will appear only after 3 weeks. Planting beets in open ground at a later time, when the ground has warmed up to +10-15°C, will reduce the waiting time for buds to 5-6 days. If it is more than +20°C outside, the seedlings will hatch on the third day.

Planting beets with seedlings

To obtain an early harvest, it is advisable to grow beet seedlings. This method is considered more reliable, and the harvest is harvested 2-3 weeks earlier than the typical time. The seed material undergoes the same advance processing as in the case of sowing in an open area - soaking and germination. How to plant beets with seedlings:

1. The substrate in the box is irrigated with Fitosporin in advance, in order to avoid diseases of future crops, it is watered.
2. Then furrows are made along it every 5 cm, and seeds are distributed into them. Holes are formed at intervals of 3 cm, 3-4 grains are placed in one hole, and in the future the seedlings will be thinned out. The seedlings are sprinkled with the same substrate on top and the box is placed in the greenhouse.
3. For normal growth, seedlings need a moist environment and daily ventilation.
4. Planting beet seedlings in the ground is carried out when four true leaves have formed on the buds and they have grown to 8-9 cm. The seedlings are hardened off within a week in advance - the box should be taken out into fresh air for a couple of hours a day.
5. When planting in open ground, there is no need to deepen the shoots; it is better to dip the shoots in a clay solution before rooting.
6. At first, it is better to protect the seedlings with covering material by constructing arcs of iron rods in the garden bed. By July, when the foliage of the plants closes and the fruits reach a size of 1.5 cm, the film is removed.

Timing for planting beets in open ground

Food beets can be planted twice per season:

1. In the spring, when the earth warms up to 8-10°C to a depth of 10 cm. As a rule, the period falls in April-early May. At this time, the soil still retains moisture after the snow has melted.
2. Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out a month before it is planned to plant beets in a permanent place.
3. Autumn sowing is also practiced at the end of October; the deadline for planting beets is the beginning of November. The pre-winter reserve allows you to collect an early harvest for the next season in early June.

Scheme for planting beets in open ground

The size of the beetroot depends on the density of sowing - the wider the interval between seedlings, the larger the vegetable will grow. How to plant beets - planting scheme:

1. The seeds are distributed in rows with further breaking through the seedlings. The sowing pattern is often single-line (40 cm between rows) or two-line (25 cm between ridges and 50 cm between tapes).
2. Beet seeds are large in size; several rudiments grow from one grain, since the seeds are grouped into inflorescences of 2-3 pieces. Therefore, it is important to know at what distance to plant beets, so that in the future you will have to thin them less. It is better to lay out the seeds individually with a distance of 5-6 cm between copies.
3. Seedlings are placed at intervals of 10-15 cm between sprouts with an interval between rows of 25 cm to collect high-quality medium-sized root crops.

What to plant beets with in the same bed?

After what can you plant beets?

When growing vegetables, it is important to maintain crop rotation to protect them from diseases and pests and improve productivity. Excellent predecessors of beets when planting are zucchini, cucumbers, legumes, onions, peppers or tomatoes. It is better not to grow root vegetables in the ground where spinach, chard, carrots, and cabbage grew. It is recommended to sow the same area for cultivating beets no more often than once every three years.

Caring for beets after planting

It is important to know how to care for beets after planting in order to obtain juicy vegetables. To do this, you need to take the following steps:

1. Pull out weeds from the site, which, before the shoots have 4-5 leaves, will certainly interfere with the development of the crop. Before the seedlings peck, the area can be sprayed with tractor kerosene - 35-50 g per m2. When the first pair of leaves appears on the seedlings, the area is irrigated from weeds with a solution of sodium nitrate. Afterwards, when the beets begin to grow, the weeds will no longer be able to interfere with them.
2. Loosen the row spacing 4-5 cm deep to destroy the soil crust that prevents oxygen from reaching the roots.
3. The most important care for beets is thinning, which will help avoid deformation of the fruits, because the crop is characterized by dense seedlings. During the procedure, the soil is simultaneously loosened and all weeds are removed. In the phase of 2 full leaves at an early stage of development, the first thinning is carried out, leaving 3-5 cm between copies. Removed rudiments can be moved to another place - they take root well.
4. Repeated thinning is carried out at the stage of 4 leaves, creating a distance between specimens of 10-12 cm. The procedure is carried out after watering or rain, so as not to accidentally injure the vegetables remaining in the ground.

In late autumn, without waiting for frost (late September - October), they begin to collect ripened root crops. They are carefully dug up or pulled out, cleared of soil, the tops are cut off and dried. In a cool room with good ventilation, the fruits are placed in boxes, sprinkled with dry material (sand, sawdust, peat), where they can be stored until spring.

Feeding beets after planting in the ground

The plant needs a fertile substrate; it needs two mandatory feedings per season. How to fertilize beets after planting:

1. The initial feeding with mineral compounds is planned after the initial thinning. It consists of nitrogen fertilizers - 10 g of urea per 1 m2. You can add a solution of bird droppings in a consistency of 1:12 or mullein in a ratio of 1:8 at the rate of 12 liters of liquid composition per 10 m2 of area.
2. The second feeding is given after the leaves of the tops of two rows of beets are closed. It requires potassium-phosphorus compounds - 8 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium chloride per m 2.
3. With a lack of sodium, beet tops turn red. It is required to sprinkle the bed with ash - 1 tbsp per 1.5 m2 area.
4. When yellow clearings are formed on the foliage, the area is watered with lime milk, which feeds the roots with potassium - 200 grams of lime per bucket of water.

How often to water beets after planting?

Watering beets is carried out only as the soil dries. At the same time, it is not recommended to over-moisten the soil - this will worsen the taste characteristics of root crops and fungal diseases may occur. Water the area in the evening to a depth of 20 cm. On average, during the beet growing season, 5-6 moistenings of 5-8 liters per square meter are carried out, followed by the necessary fluffing of the rows and mulching. The beet planting is watered for the first time when young, well-developed seedlings are visible. Moistening is stopped 15-20 days before harvest, this improves the preservation of vegetables.

From this article you will learn many useful tips for planting beets in the spring, namely: sowing seeds in the ground, seedlings of beets from seeds, both in open ground, etc.

Beetroot is a root vegetable that grows in the ground and has a fleshy root. Sometimes it peeks out slightly from the soil. It is of great benefit to humans, as it contains organic acids, especially fiber. Diabetics, hypertensive patients, people with kidney stones and other abnormalities also add beets to their menu. Freshly squeezed beet juice is especially beneficial.

Which beets to choose for planting

The beet variety should be selected depending on its further use. So, for example, fodder beets are planted for domestic animals, if any. Fodder beet seeds are initially treated and then added to soil enriched with fertilizers. It is important to understand that these beets grow large, so they are planted at a distance of 25 cm from each other, and up to half a meter between rows.

Table beets are used for human consumption. All varieties need good lighting. The Bordeaux 237 variety, approved for cultivation throughout Russia since 1943, has been adopted as the standard in domestic selection for this crop.
But sugar beets are much more finicky than others; soil with the correct structure, constantly enriched with fertilizers, is suitable for it.

Sowing seeds in the ground

Before planting seeds in the ground, you need to stimulate their germination by first soaking them in cold water for 24 hours, or pouring them with warm water no more than 40 degrees for just half an hour. After this procedure, you can now proceed to planting seeds. In spring, beets are planted in late April - early May.

Seeds are sown in the soil to a depth of no more than 3 cm, and a distance of 8 cm is maintained between rows for small fruits; large root crops will need a distance between rows of up to 35 cm. Despite the cold resistance of this crop, spring sowing should begin no earlier than the air temperature warms up to 8 ºC, and its further development will occur only at temperatures from 15 ºC.

Due to the fact that beet seeds are connected into several fruit clusters, timely thinning is required. This should be done as soon as the first leaves grow. After this event, the distance between the seedlings should be approximately equal to the length of a matchbox.

Thinned sprouts can be planted in another row. After thinning, weed and sprinkle the soil with organic fertilizers. The second time the rows are thinned out when the diameter of the fruit reaches 2 cm, after which an interval of up to 10 cm is left from each other. This procedure is best done after watering.

Beet seedlings from seeds

Almost all varieties of beets can be grown using seedlings. Seedling boxes are best suited for this; they can be installed both at home and in greenhouses.

They contain a high content of vitamin C and carotene, and many other bioactive substances. Early beets are on a par with early vegetables such as lettuce, for example. First, you need to soak the seeds for three days to hatch, then place them in boxes on prepared moist soil, sprinkle soil on top and keep them in greenhouses.

Seedlings germinate three weeks after sowing in open ground. For a good harvest and optimal size of beets, seedlings should be planted at a distance of 5 cm from each other, and row spacing should be up to 27 cm. When the transplanting is completed, you can water it with a humate solution.

When caring for seedlings, you need to maintain soil moisture and periodically ventilate. For early ripening of beets, areas under film are sown, usually at the end of April.

1. Before sowing beets in open ground, you need to select a suitable area and loosen the soil.

2. The soil should be warmed to 10 ºC.

4. It is good to plant beets in the place where tomatoes, cucumbers, and all legumes previously grew. Places where beets or cabbage previously grew are not suitable, as they take all the nutrients from the soil.

5. To reduce acidity, you can enrich the soil with wood ash. The site needs to be prepared and fertilized in the fall.

6. The size of the final fruit depends on the planting density. Large root vegetables require space. But you need to take into account that fruits that are too huge are impractical to use and are not so sweet.

Decide on the variety you want to plant, do not forget about the importance of properly prepared soil. Plant beets with both seeds and seedlings, depending on your region of residence, following the growing recommendations. Then the beets will delight you with good, tasty harvests.

We invite you to watch a video on how to properly plant beets in the spring:

Beets cannot be considered a capricious plant, and yet some gardeners often fail. A lot has been said about growing beets, but today we invite you to consider the most common mistakes and questions that arise when growing beets - about planting beets, proper watering and fertilizing of beets, thinning and soil for beets.

Soil for beets: sour - yes, heavy - not

Soil acidity for beets varies between 6.2...7 pH - neutral or slightly acidic. What happens to beets planted in too acidic soil? Micro- and macroelements are poorly absorbed, and gas-retaining soil bacteria die, which is why beets begin to suffer from nitrogen deficiency. Therefore, the acidity of the soil for beets must be controlled - either with litmus paper (sold in garden stores) or with improvised means. If the acidity is too high, be sure to deoxidize the soil with lime, chalk, ash, and dolomite flour. Otherwise, don't be surprised why beets grow poorly: An acidic environment interferes with the absorption of minerals.

The second important indicator is how light the soil is. In dense soils, it is difficult for root vegetables to develop: carrots grow clumsy, beets grow small. Therefore, either sand is added to it, but better - compost or rotted sawdust. Thanks to this, the soil becomes air and moisture permeable.

Owners of dense soils can go another way: plant beet varieties that protrude greatly above the surface of the earth. Beets are not potatoes, the sun does not harm them. On the contrary, varieties with only the tail hidden in the ground are usually sweeter. As a rule, manufacturers note this varietal feature on seed packaging.

The ideal soil for beets is loam, fertilized with organic matter and humus. In addition, the soil in the beet bed is regularly loosened so that a crust does not form on the ground, which impedes gas exchange. And to make your work easier, you can cover the soil with mulch - grass, sawdust, pine needles and any other available materials.

When to plant beets? Better - later

Although beets and carrots are considered the main root vegetables in the garden, they cannot be called sisters. Carrots are more cold-resistant: they can be planted before winter, and in the spring before planting potatoes. Beets, with the exception of specialized winter varieties, are not planted in the fall, and not in early spring either. You need to wait until the soil warms up to 8-10 degrees (immediately after planting potatoes, or when the leaves on the birch tree are as big as marigolds). That is, not earlier than the beginning of May, but for the northern regions and the beginning of June.

What happens if beets are planted very early? ? Firstly, it can easily go into bloom without setting a root crop. Secondly, when exposed to frost, and even just low temperatures (+4 degrees and below), beets are threatened by root beetles. This is not a pest, as the name might suggest, but a disease comparable to “black leg” in seedlings. Seedlings weakened by cold are immediately attacked by the fungus. As a result, the sprout darkens, rots and dies. Even if a root crop that has suffered from a root beetle manages to survive, it lags behind in development and will not please you with the harvest. Therefore, with planting beets in open ground There's no need to rush.

But residents of the northern regions can start planting beet seeds for seedlings in early May. Compared to carrots, beets tolerate transplantation well. Seeds are sown either in a greenhouse, covered with lutrasil, or in boxes, wrapped with the same lutrasil in several layers. The box is placed on a stool (it’s warmer) and placed either on the veranda, balcony, or in the open air (for example, under the southern wall of the house).

How thick should I plant beets? If through seedlings, then according to the 15x15 cm pattern. And if you like small beet heads (for one borscht), then it is better to reduce the feeding area and plant according to the 10x10 cm pattern, or plant two plants in one hole at once.

If carried out sowing beets in open ground, then it is better to initially sow thicker than necessary to be on the safe side: then remove the excess seedlings, but you will not be left with a “bald” bed. But they remove excess sprouts not in one go, but in two or three. As soon as the cotyledons unfold, carry out the first thinning, leaving 1-2 cm between plants. Do this on damp soil so that the seedlings are easier to remove from the ground. And if your garden bed is small, you can cut off excess seedlings with scissors so as not to accidentally pull out strong neighbors. Since beets tolerate replanting well, thickening plants can be transplanted to another bed in the phase of 2-3 true leaves. The second or third thinning is carried out when the plants reach a maximum of 8-10 cm. 10-15 cm are left between the beets - if the soils are good, fertile, and 20-25 cm - if the soils are heavy, poor.

Fertilizing and feeding beets: you don’t need a lot of nitrogen and sodium

Traditionally beet bed prepared in the fall: add compost, humus or other organic matter, as well as a tablespoon of complex fertilizer per linear meter of the bed. In principle, you can do without adding mineral fertilizers, but you need to understand: the same compost, in addition to organic matter, contains quite a lot of macro- and microelements, but not all of them necessary for the development of the plant. Especially Beetroot suffers from a lack of boron and sodium.

That's why, fertilizing the beet bed Beginning in the fall with compost, in the phase of four to five true leaves, when the root crop begins to set, the beets are fed with a solution of table salt (sodium chloride) and boric acid. To do this, dissolve a glass of salt in 10 liters of water, and add boric acid dissolved in hot water (2 g per glass). Beets love to be irrigated by sprinkling, so the fertilizer is poured directly over the leaves at the rate of 1 liter per 1 linear meter. You don’t have to worry about the chlorine contained in salt - beets are resistant to it in such concentrations.

From organic fertilizer for beets Herbal infusion, mullein or ammonia are excellent. But such fertilizing for beets is applied exclusively before the plant begins to “work for the turnip,” that is, until July. This is an excellent impetus for the formation of good leaf apparatus, which will henceforth collect food for the root crop. But organic matter is rich in nitrogen, and beets are prone to the accumulation of nitrogen in the form of nitrates when they enter the soil in excess. This will be indicated by light concentric rings on the beet cut. Naturally, there will be little benefit from such a vegetable. Therefore, on good soils, a single application of nitrogen-containing organic fertilizers in the phase of 4-6 leaves is sufficient, and on poor soils - twice, two weeks after the first fertilizing (per linear meter - 1-1.5 liters of solution).

How often should you water beets?

Beets need to be watered only during the first period of growth - before it begins to set roots. In the future (unnecessarily), the beets are not watered. The fact is that the central sucking root of the root crop is capable of penetrating several meters into the ground, independently obtaining moisture for itself.

Young plants, immediately after emergence, are watered at the rate of 10 liters of water per “square” of bed; grown ones - at the rate of 15-20 liters of water per “square” of bed. Soil moisture is controlled at a depth of about 10 cm: when the soil is squeezed in a fist, it remains in a lump - which means you don’t have to water it. It happens that beets need to be watered twice a week, and in humid weather you can do without watering - that is, act adequately to the circumstances. Beets are watered during filling only during drought, and a couple of weeks before harvesting root crops, watering is stopped. And don’t forget about mulching the soil - this simple agricultural technique will preserve valuable moisture in the soil, and therefore save your strength.

Increasingly, amateur gardeners complain that the beets are not sweet, the flesh is woody, and they cannot find the reasons for this change. The reasons are mainly caused by low-quality seeds, the purchase of fodder varieties instead of table varieties, violation of agricultural technology and growing conditions. Therefore, before moving on to the agricultural technology of table beets, let's get acquainted with its requirements for growing conditions.

Beetroot requirements for growing conditions

Temperature

Beetroot belongs to the group of heat-loving crops, but is quite cold-resistant. They begin to sow it in open ground by establishing a constant soil temperature in a 10-15 cm layer of at least +8..+10°C. With early sowing with the return of cold weather, the beets may go into the shoot after germination and not form a high-quality harvest. Root vegetables will be small with a dense woody tissue and tasteless or grassy. For seedlings to appear, an ambient temperature of +4..+6°C is sufficient. Early shoots can withstand short-term frosts down to -2°C, but the root crops will be small. Take your time with sowing beets or sow at several times with a break of 7-10-15 days. One of the crops will fall into optimal conditions and will form the crop you need of the expected quality.

Light mode for table beets

To obtain high-quality high yields of any crop (not just beets), you need to know its biology, including its relationship to the light regime. Beetroot is a typical long-day plant. Cultivated varieties of beets have fixed this biological feature at the level of genetic memory, and the maximum yield is formed when cultivated with a daylength of 13-16 hours. Changing the duration of daylight by 2-3 hours causes mainly the growth of the above-ground part, and the development of the root crop slows down.

Remember! The shorter the crop ripening period, the less the beets react to changes in day length.

Old, resistant beet varieties are more strongly tied to the light regime than young ones and react negatively to changes in the length of light. To obtain high-quality yields, it is more practical to buy modern zoned beet seeds, which are most adapted to the length of the photoperiod of the region and react little to the duration of illumination. In addition, breeders have now developed varieties and hybrids that practically do not respond to the longitude of illumination. Therefore, it is better to buy modern varieties and hybrids (F-1) of table beets.

Beetroot to moisture ratio

Beets are sufficiently capable of providing themselves with moisture. But with insufficient rainfall it needs watering. Irrigation rates should be moderate, since excess moisture with sparse standing conditions forms large root crops, often with cracks.

Beetroot requirements for soil conditions

Beetroot is a soil plant with a neutral reaction. On acidified soils, the yield is insignificant and the taste of the root crop is low. The crop prefers floodplain soils, light loams, and chernozems. Does not tolerate heavy clay, rocky, saline soils with high standing water.

Requirement of beets for predecessors

The best predecessors are early harvested crops, including cucumbers, zucchini, early cabbage, early potatoes, early varieties of eggplant and sweet peppers, early tomatoes. The timing of harvesting the predecessor is especially important when sowing table beets in winter. The soil must be completely prepared for sowing.

Features of agricultural technology for table beets

Selecting beet seeds for sowing

As a botanical plant, beets are interesting in the way they form fruits. The beet fruit is a single-seeded nut. When the seeds ripen, the fruits grow together with the perianth and form a glomerular infructescence, which also has the second name “beet seed”. Each glomerulus contains from 2 to 6 fruits with seeds. Therefore, upon germination, several independent, easily separated sprouts appear. When sowing, beet seedlings need thinning. Reception is usually carried out manually, which is accompanied by high labor time costs and a corresponding increase in the cost of products when cultivated on large specialized farms.

Bredted by breeders single-seeded(single-sprout) varieties of table beets. In terms of their economic characteristics, they do not differ from varieties that form seed fruits. Their main difference is the formation of 1 fruit, which eliminates thinning during care. At home, the fruits are ground with sand before sowing. When grinding, the infructescences are separated into individual seeds.

Of the single-sprout (single-seeded) beet varieties, the most famous and used for home cultivation are Odnosprotkovaya G-1, Bordeaux single-seeded, Virovskaya single-seeded, Russian single-seeded, Timiryazevskaya single-seeded. The above beet varieties are mid-season and high-yielding. The pulp of root vegetables is tender and juicy. They are distinguished by good keeping quality and long-term storage. Used fresh and for winter preparations.

It is more convenient to buy beet seeds for sowing in specialized stores of seed companies. In this case, there is no need to prepare seeds for sowing (dressing, barrage, pelleting, etc.). When purchasing beet seeds, be sure to read the recommendations on the package. Sometimes treated seeds do not need pre-soaking. They are directly sown in moist soil. In other cases, seeds are germinated in wet wipes, which speeds up germination.

Soil preparation

After harvesting the predecessor, the autumn shoots of weeds must be provoked by watering and their subsequent destruction. If the area is depleted of organic matter, then spread mature humus or compost evenly at 2-5 kg ​​per square meter. m. area of ​​the site. To neutralize acidified soil, add fluff lime 0.5-1.0 kg per 1 sq. m. m and mineral fertilizers - nitroammophoska 50-60 g per 1 sq. m. Instead of nitroammophoska, you can prepare a mixture of mineral fertilizers. Ammonium sulfate, superphosphate and potassium chloride, respectively 30, 40 and 15 g/sq.m. m. mixed, scattered around the site and dug up about 15-20 cm. In the spring, the soil is loosened to 7-15 cm, the surface is leveled with a rake and lightly rolled. Rolling is necessary for uniform sowing depth.

Sowing dates for table beets

Beets are sown in spring when the soil in a 10-15 cm layer warms up to +10°C. Approximately sowing in warm regions and the North Caucasus is carried out after April 15. In the Volga region, other non-chernozem and central regions, and in Kazakhstan, beets are sowed in open ground in the first half of May. In the Far East - in the last ten days of May - the first ten days of June. The above sowing dates are more suitable for early beet varieties. Middle and late beet varieties are sown in warm regions at the end of May. Part of this harvest is put into winter storage.

In the Urals and Northern regions, late beets are usually not sown in open ground. In central Russia, thanks to the temperate climate, it is possible to grow all types of table beets - from the early varieties with root crops at technical ripeness in mid-July to the latest varieties with harvesting in September and the first half of October. In these regions of Russia, including non-chernozem regions, winter sowing of beets (late October-early November, November-December) with cold-resistant varieties that are resistant to bolting is widely used. When sowing beets in winter, an early harvest of root crops is harvested at the end of June.

Technology for spring sowing of table beets with seeds

Sowing beet seeds in the spring can be done with dry and more conveniently sprouted seeds. Seeds are sown in furrows on a flat field surface. Germinated seeds are sown in moist soil. In dry soil, almost all shoots die.

Furrows are cut every 15-30 cm. Sowing on heavy soils is carried out to a depth of 2 cm, on light soils - 4 cm. Sowing cannot be buried. The distance in the row is 2-3 cm, which when thinning is increased to 7-10 cm, which ensures the production of standard (10 cm in diameter) root crops. On single-seeded beet crops, thinning is combined with harvesting the bunch crop, and when sowing with infructescences, 2 thinnings are carried out.

Technology for planting beet seedlings

Beet seedlings are usually grown in short summer conditions, combining initial development in greenhouses and greenhouses with further development in open ground. Beets can be cultivated on warm beds, covered with 1-2 layers of spandbond from early cold weather. Seeds are sown in greenhouses or greenhouses in prepared soil 10-12-15 days before planting in open ground. Sowing ordinary. To obtain a larger number of seedlings, sowing is carried out in balls. The distance in the row is 12-20 cm, depending on the variety, and between the rows is 30-40 cm. In the phase of 4-5 leaves (about 8 cm in height), a pick is made, leaving 1-2 plants in the nest. Picked plants are planted in the ground or in separate peat-humus and other containers for growing, if the weather is not stable. When transplanting beets, it is necessary to treat the central root with the utmost care. Damage to it will retard the growth of the transplanted plant. When stable warm weather sets in, young plants are planted in open ground. Peat-humus plants are immediately planted in the ground with plants. If the pots are reusable, transplantation is carried out using the transshipment method. With this method, only a small amount of non-standard root vegetables (deformed) is obtained. When transplanting, observe the following rules:

• Permanently transplant beet seedlings no more than 8 cm in height. The older the seedlings, the more non-standard root crops in the harvest,
• to prevent bolting, do not deepen the beet seedlings too deeply when transplanting,
• leave a distance in the row of at least 12-15 cm, and between rows to reduce shading, up to 25-30-40 cm.

Technology for winter sowing of beets

For winter sowing, the ridge planting method is most suitable. It provides better soil warming in the spring, which means obtaining an extra-early harvest of root crops and early bunched products. Pre-winter sowing of beets is carried out in October-November, or rather, when a stable cold snap sets in, without the return of warm days. At the tops of the ridges, seed is sown in furrows to a depth of 4-6 cm to protect it from sudden frosts. The seeds in the furrows are sprinkled with 1-2 cm of humus soil, compacted slightly and additionally mulched on top by 2-3 cm for insulation.

Compacted beet crops

If the garden is small in size, but you want to have a large list of vegetable crops, then beets can be grown in compacted beds, that is, several crops can be combined in one bed. This technique is especially good in the southern regions, where during a long warm period, 2-3 harvests of different early ripening crops can be harvested from one compacted bed. Spring crops of beets can be combined in the same bed with carrots, onions, radishes, spinach, salads, including cabbage, leaf, and watercress. When harvesting early beets in the first ten days of July, you can occupy the vacated area by re-seeding onions for greens, radishes, lettuce, and dill. After harvesting the green ones, you can sow peas or other crops as green manure.

Rachael Gander

Beet care

Caring for table beets consists of:

• in keeping the area clean of weeds, especially in the initial post-emergence period (before the first 2 pairs of leaves appear). At this time, beets develop very slowly and do not tolerate weeds;
• keeping row spacing free from soil crust to ensure free gas exchange;
• carrying out timely fertilizing;
• maintaining optimal site humidity.

Beets begin to germinate at soil temperatures of +8..+10°C and +5..+7°C of the environment. However, seedlings at this temperature appear late and very unevenly. The optimal air temperature is considered to be +19..+22°C. Shoots appear on days 5-8 and by 10-12 days the crop enters the fork phase. In the next 10 days, there is a powerful development of the above-ground part of the crop (leaf apparatus), and then the development of the root crop begins.

Loosening the soil

The first loosening is carried out 4-5 days after germination. Loosening is carried out very carefully, gradually deepening the treated layer from 2-4 to 6-8 cm. The soil is loosened between the rows, in the furrows of the ridge, and the sides of the ridges after watering and rain. Timely destruction of young weeds slightly injures beet plants and provides the crop with optimal conditions for growth and development. Loosening is stopped after the leaves close.

Beet thinning

Thinning is carried out when sowing table beets with infructescences (balls). 3-5 seedlings develop from the infructescences. Single-seeded varieties, as a rule, do not need thinning, unless harvesting is planned for a bunch. Thinning is carried out in cloudy weather after preliminary watering. It is easier to pull a plant out of moist soil without damaging the neighboring one. Beets are thinned twice.

The first time the breakthrough is carried out when 1-2 leaves develop, removing the weakest and underdeveloped plants. A gap of 3-4 cm is left between plants. Beets have a negative attitude towards greater sparseness. When thinning multi-seeded crops, 1-2 seedlings are left in place. In this case, thinning is carried out in the phase of 2-3 leaves. The plucked plants are used as seedlings, planted along the edges or in the sides of high ridges.

The second thinning is performed when 4-5 leaves develop. At this stage, the beets have already formed a 3-5 cm root crop. During the second thinning, the tallest, most developed plants are removed. They reach bunch ripeness and are used for food. At the same time, the condition of the plants is monitored and diseased and twisted plants are removed along the way. The distance in the row for normal root development is 6-8-10 cm.

Beet nutrition

During the growing season, at least two fertilizings of middle and late beet varieties are carried out. Early beets, if well supplied with fertilizers in the autumn, are usually not fed. It is difficult for gardeners, especially beginners, to calculate the required amount of fertilizer. The culture is often overfed, and it has the ability to accumulate nitrites, which determine the carcinogenicity of the culture and nitrates.

The first feeding is carried out after the first thinning or rooting of seedlings. You can fertilize with nitroammophoska - 30 g sq. m or a mixture of mineral fertilizers at the rate of 5-7 g/sq. m respectively of sodium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium chloride.

On depleted soils, it is better to apply the first fertilizing with a solution of mullein or bird droppings in a ratio of 1 part mullein to 10 parts, and bird droppings to 12 parts water. You can add 5 g of urea to the solution. Apply the solution at a distance of 6-10 cm from the beet row into a 3-4 cm furrow. Use a bucket of solution for 10 linear meters. Watering is carried out from a watering can close to the soil so as not to burn the leaves. After applying the solution, it is covered with a layer of soil, watered and mulched. Fertilizing with liquid organic matter is carried out only during the initial period of beet development. Later, without having time to process the mineral form into organic form, plants accumulate nitrates in root crops. The first sign of accumulation of nitrates and nitrites in root crops when overfeeding with nitrogen is the appearance of voids in the root crop.

The second feeding of beets is carried out after 15-20 days or after the second thinning. For feeding, superphosphate and potassium magnesium or potassium chloride are used in a dose of 8-10 g/sq. m (1 heaped teaspoon). Mineral fats can be replaced with wood ash, using 200 g per square meter. m area, followed by embedding in a 5-8 cm layer of soil.

Foliar feeding

Microfertilizers boron, copper and molybdenum are best applied in the form of foliar liquid fertilizers by spraying. Above ground mass. You can buy a ready-made mixture of microfertilizers or replace it with an infusion of ash.

In the phase of 4-5 leaves, it is good to spray the beets with a solution of boric acid. Dissolve 2 g of boric acid in hot water and dilute in 10 liters of water. This technique will protect beet roots from heart rot. The finished microfertilizer preparation is diluted according to the recommendation and the plants are treated.

If there are no ready-made microfertilizers, they can be successfully replaced by an infusion of wood ash. Infusion of ash can be used for 2 foliar feedings: in the phase of 4-5 leaves and in the phase of active growth of root crops (August). An infusion of 200 g per 10 liters of water must be filtered before spraying.

About 25-30 days before harvesting beets, it is advisable to spray the plants with a solution of potassium fertilizers, which will increase their keeping quality.

Do you want beets to be sweeter? Don't forget to salt it with regular table salt. Dilute 40 g (2 level spoons) of non-iodized salt in 10 liters of water and pour over the beets, using a bucket of solution per square meter. m of plot area. To reduce the amount of fertilizing, combine the salt solution with a solution of microelements and spray in June and early August.

Watering beets

Juicy root vegetables with tender pulp are obtained with regular watering, especially in arid regions. The first watering is carried out during mass shoots. Water the crop 3-4 times a month. During the period of intensive development of root crops, watering becomes more frequent. The first sign of delay in watering is wilting of beet leaves. Beets love to be watered by leaves. The crop does not tolerate increased soil temperatures. To prevent overheating, constant mulching is necessary until the leaves close. Watering is stopped 3-4 weeks before harvesting.

Protection of beets from diseases and pests

The most dangerous beet diseases are fungal and bacterial damage to the root system and root crop. The disease usually affects weakened plants and mechanically damaged roots and crops. The fight against rot (fusarium, brown, dry) is complicated by the fact that all plant organs are used for food - roots, petioles, leaves. This means that the use of chemical means of protection is excluded. The fight is carried out by agrotechnical measures and treatment with biological products.

• Sowing is carried out only with healthy seed treated with bioprotectants. It is more advisable to buy ready-made seed material that has been processed and prepared for sowing.
• Remove from the field all crop residues, weeds in which mushrooms, bacteria and other sources of diseases overwinter.
• The acidified soil is limed in a timely manner, ensuring normal conditions for the development of the crop.
• They constantly monitor the condition of the crop and remove diseased plants from the field.
• They provide the crop with not only macro but also microelements that protect plants well from diseases.

Of the biological products to combat rot, planriz is used for soil treatment, and for diseases of the above-ground parts of plants - phytosporin, betaprotectin, phytodoctor, agrofil.

The most common pests of table beets are leaf and root aphids, beet and leafminer flies, beet flies, beet flea beetles, etc. Among the biological products against pests, bitoxibacillin, dendrobacillin, entobacterin, lepidocide, etc. are used.

Dilution of biological products, doses and period of use are indicated on the packaging or accompanying recommendations. Biological products can be used in tank mixtures after preliminary testing for compatibility. Despite their safety, personal protection measures must be observed when treating plants with biological products. Be careful! Biological products can cause an allergic reaction (mostly dusty forms - powders).

Harvesting beets

The root crops must be harvested before the onset of frost (late September - first half of October). Begin harvesting beets when the leaves turn yellow. Frozen root crops are poorly stored and are susceptible to fungal rot and other diseases in storage. After harvesting, the root crops are sorted, separating the absolutely healthy ones. The tops are trimmed, leaving stubs up to 1 cm. Healthy root vegetables are dried and stored. Storage temperature is +2..+3°С. Storage methods are varied: in boxes with sand, sawdust, dry peat; in plastic bags, in bulk, etc.

• Part 2. Agricultural technology for growing beets