Very useful and common in our gardens and vegetable gardens root vegetable - beets. For her to give good harvest In the spring it needs to be sown, taking into account certain conditions.
How to grow beets: infographics
See the infographic below ⇓ for important points about growing beets in your dacha.
How to plant beets correctly: preparing the land
This stage begins in the fall. At this time, all parts of any plants must be removed from the beds. Add organic matter to the soil. Then dig to a depth equal to the height of the shovel. If the soil is depleted, then it is worth adding mineral fertilizers. If the soil is highly acidic, you need to add lime.
It is good if beets are planted in the spring where potatoes, peas or cucumbers grew last year.
The bed with beets should not be shaded. Otherwise, the root vegetables will not have an intense shade. Because it only forms in bright sunlight.
Before planting beets in the spring, the soil must be loosened with a rake. Then you can add dolomite flour.
Now the soil is ready and you can wait to plant beets in the spring. You need to let the soil warm up to 5°C. If this is not done, the seeds will go to waste and root crops will not form.
Beetroot: planting and care
There are two ways to grow beets. The first of them is planting beets with seeds. In order for the shoots to appear faster, they need to be soaked. This is done in a solution of a growth stimulator or ordinary ash for a day. Then the seeds need to be washed in warm water and wrap in a dry cloth.
Before planting beets, the soil needs to be moistened. To do this, draw lines about 4 cm deep in the garden bed. The distance between them should be approximately 20 cm. Then the grooves watered. After the water has been absorbed, it is possible to plant beets in open ground. Since its seeds are large, they can be placed in the ground individually. There is no need to be afraid that there will be no shoots. Several plants always grow from one such fruit. Therefore, the seedlings will still have to be thinned out. Therefore, it is better to plant beets with seeds less often, so that later they have room to grow. Thinned shoots can be used to firm up other beds. And then the dacha will bring maximum benefit. We can say that when beets are planted, the planting pattern looks like a lattice, at the intersection of which the future plants are located.
If you immediately plant beets in open ground, then the planting scheme can also be:
- single-line - seeds are placed in a groove to a depth of 3 - 4 cm, and then sprinkled with earth, 40 - 45 cm are left between the grooves;
- two-line - make two grooves with a distance of 25 cm between them, then a space of 50 cm and again two grooves (lines) into which the seeds are sown.
The time for sowing seeds should be chosen so that the soil still retains moisture from winter snow. Typically, beets are planted in the first ten days of May. If spring is late, then this time is shifted by a week.
Caring for them involves weeding and rare loosening. During its growth, it is necessary to perform a couple of feedings. At first organic fertilizer, just a little bit. And then ash or mineral mixtures without nitrates.
Planting beets with seedlings
This method is suitable if you don’t want to deal with thinning. For those who have not delved into the question of how to plant beets with seeds, you can grow them as seedlings in a greenhouse. The distance between the grooves is made 5-6 cm, and the seeds are sown 3 cm apart. Seedlings are planted 1 month before they are planned to be moved to permanent place.
When 4 leaves appear on the plant, this serves as a signal that it can be replanted. This means that the sprouts need to be hardened by arranging ventilation of the greenhouse.
Before planting in open ground, water it well. I dip each sprout with its roots into a clay solution. And they are seated according to the scheme on the site.
When to plant beets
Beets can be planted 2 times a season:
- in the spring, when the soil warms up well at a depth of 10 cm, in terms of timing this is approximately the beginning of May;
- in autumn, before winter at the end of October - beginning of November.
The advantage of planting beets in winter is to obtain an earlier harvest; they can ripen as early as the end of July.
What can you plant after beets and what can you combine planting beets with?
Based on their plant compatibility, you can figure out what to plant after the beets. For example, you can choose color or white cabbage. Also, the answer to the question of what to plant after beets will be a list that contains:
- cucumbers and peppers;
- tomatoes and eggplant;
- potato.
In addition, it is possible to create a mixed bed, where beets will grow on the edge and cauliflower inside:
Which beets should I plant?
You can choose one of the following types:
- dining room;
- stern;
- sugar.
sugar beet 
red beets Selecting a type and beet varieties depends on the purpose of its use.
If the dacha is equipped with a room in which livestock is kept, then planting fodder beets will be required. For it you need to prepare the ground in advance. Add mineral fertilizers and compost to it. Then dig up. The seeds need to be sorted and pickled. If you wish, you can keep it in a stimulant solution. But it is permissible to sow without preliminary preparation seeds The pattern by which it is sown differs from that described above. Because root vegetables grow very large. The distance between the grooves should be more than 50 cm. Adjacent sprouts in the same row should be placed every 25 cm.
Those who need it only for food will need to plant table beets. This variety is especially sensitive to lack of light. Therefore, it is not advisable to place a bed with it in the garden so that it is not shaded by trees. This also explains the increased demands on weeding and thinning.
For amateurs, it is possible to plant sugar beets. However, it requires a special soil structure: it is desirable that the area is not peaty and sandy. It is advisable to fertilize this type of beet from sowing to the formation of the root crop. During intensive growth of tops, sugar beets are fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizer. When the time comes for fetal development, she needs potassium chloride and superphosphate.
What is the secret of delicious borscht or vinaigrette?
That's right, in good table beets grown in your own beds. It also makes excellent salads, caviar, kvass and much more.
I grow different varieties of beets: Bordeaux 237, Deli, Red ball, Top hat. They attracted me with their taste and bright dark red color, which is important for various dishes. My experience confirms that when forming beds, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of this crop: it is drought-resistant, does not tolerate waterlogging, is light-loving, and loves space. Optimal temperature for seed germination 10°.
5 basic rules for growing beets
At the beginning of my sowing battles, I hit a lot of bumps. The first time I planted this vegetable crop not in separate rows, but in a whole plantation of eight rows, with a distance between rows the width of a hoe.
On the outer rows the beets developed normally, but on domestic plants were dense and very shaded, they did not have enough space, the root crops grew small and poorly developed. Having analyzed the mistakes made, I now adhere to the following rules:
I grow beets in the same place, but I take into account that they love being next to cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and cabbage. And he can’t stand beans – I don’t know why.
Isolation of crops different varieties to avoid cross-pollination.
Once I planted Bordeaux and Nosovsky nearby, but when harvesting there was very little of Nosovsky (it is easy to identify by its flattened shape).
I sow beets in two or three rows with row spacing of at least 30 cm to ensure sufficient lighting and conditions for the high-quality development of root crops.
Along the edges garden plot I make holes, the distance between them is about 10 cm. I plant seeds in them, 2-3 pieces each. to a depth of 3 cm. Such sowing makes it easier to care for seedlings, and there is no need for thinning.
I follow the timing of planting seeds: end of April - first ten days of May, depending on the weather and temperature regime, since the vegetable is heat-loving.
Early planting (at temperatures up to 4-5°) delays seed germination time. Even worse, the plants bolt and bloom quite quickly, completing the process of root crop growth.
Removing weeds.
Fertilize with ash during the growth of rhizomes (1 glass per bucket of water, or after rain, dust the rows with further loosening of the soil).
Evening sprinkling of plants, especially during hot periods.
During the season I do not add organic matter, since manure is periodically applied for autumn plowing. You should not feed and mineral fertilizers: they provoke the aging process and the appearance of hard fibers in the juicy beet pulp.
Do not leave a large distance between plants in a row so that the fruits do not grow large. In this case, they will have to be subjected to longer heat treatment, which reduces the beneficial properties of beets.
To repel pests, I sprinkle the top of the beds with wood ash.
Before sowing, beet seeds must be treated in an ash solution (1 tablespoon per 0.5 liter of water) overnight, and then placed in a damp cloth until the white roots peck. I add rotted chicken droppings with straw to the holes or grooves (we have chickens in the country) and mix them with soil.
Beets are quite unpretentious to growing conditions, compliance simple rules agricultural technology produces tasty, juicy fruits and a good harvest.
Every season I form combined beds of 2-3 crops. For example, in the cucumber rows (up to 1 m wide - 1 m 20 cm) a row of beets was sown; a section of cabbage was bordered on two sides with beets (2 rows each), and on the other two - with celery; together I sowed 3 crops in 2 rows: onions - carrots, onions - beets.
The result was positive, and the beds themselves turned out to be quite unusual.
Intensive growth of root crops occurs at the beginning of autumn. There is a balance to be struck here.
On the one hand, do not rush to clean them, and on the other hand, do not delay, do not allow the first frosts. Before storing, the tops are cut off near the very top, strong root vegetables are placed in bags (sugar bags) with sand and taken to the cellar.
Some of the beets are stored along with the potatoes. Better conditions storage - at a temperature of 3° and air humidity up to 90%. If these conditions are not met, you can place a bucket of water in the cellar.
Beets keep well until spring. In early spring I select healthy root crops of different varieties, which have good tails and which have already produced shoots in the upper part, and carefully plant them in the soil in order to obtain seeds for the new planting year.
Now every year I excellent harvest beets. I try not to make the same mistakes in cultivating it.
Since I am hypertensive, I quite often make caviar with garlic, a salad with pickled (fermented) cucumbers and onions, seasoned with corn oil, and, of course, beet kvass. It’s tasty and good for blood vessels, which means it helps with atherosclerosis and heart disease, and helps lower blood pressure.
Beet varieties photo
1. Delicatessen. 2. Bordeaux. 3. Red ball. 4. Cylinder.
In popularity, beets take an honorable third place after cabbage and carrots. Beets are rich in mineral salts of potassium, manganese, calcium, iron and organic acids. It is indispensable in borscht, vinaigrettes, salads, marinades and in diet menus.
How to properly plant beets with seeds
Beets are considered an unpretentious plant, but if you do not follow the technology for growing them, the harvest will not please you - the root crops will be ugly in shape and taste bad. Let's start with the fact that beets are a light-loving crop, but they can grow and bear fruit in slight shade. She loves loose, fertile, but by no means acidic soils. Clayey, heavy soils with stagnant water are unsuitable for cultivation. If the site has heavy waterlogged soils, it is recommended to sow beets on raised beds. Beets cannot be sown after carrots and cabbage, but onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes are considered good predecessors for them.
The area for beets is prepared in the fall, when humus and compost are added to the soil during deep digging at the rate of 15 kg per 1 sq. m. m. The soil fertilized with organic matter is filled with complete mineral fertilizer in the spring. Mineral fertilizers can be replaced with wood ash, which is applied per 1 square meter. m in the amount of 3 glasses. Thus, for growing beets, a loose, fertile layer is prepared, which will ensure good quality of sowing, friendly shoots and generous harvests.
Seeds also need to be prepared for planting. Beet seeds must be fresh and pure. All small and broken seeds are discarded. A beet seed is actually an infructescence consisting of several dry fruits. They are not separated from each other, but are soaked and sown in one fruit. That’s why 3-5 beet seedlings sprout from one hole.
How to plant beets in spring
When sowing in spring, beet seeds are soaked in a solution of microelements - boron, molybdenum - for 18-20 hours and sown only in well-moistened soil. Optimal timing spring planting The period from May 1 to May 10 is considered. The seed sowing rate is 1.5 - 2 g per 1 square meter. m. You should know that planting too deep inhibits seed germination due to lack of oxygen, and planting too shallow leads to the seeds drying out or being blown away by the wind.
Experts advise planting beets when sowing in spring to a depth of 2-3 cm at a distance of 8-10 cm. To plant beet seeds, you can make small furrows at a distance of 40 cm from each other, or you can sow them on flat surface, covering the seeds with a 2-centimeter layer of soil on top. If you are late with the sowing time, then beet seeds are planted only in furrows, which are well watered with water from a watering can and lightly sprinkled with a layer of soil on top, and then with a mixture of humus and peat.
When 3 true leaves appear on the beet seedlings, they need to be carefully thinned out and this procedure repeated in phase 5 of the true leaf. Beets need watering and loosening the soil to provide oxygen access to the roots. It is also recommended to feed the plants with mineral fertilizers twice during the growing season. The first fertilizing is applied after the first thinning - 10 g of urea per 1 square meter. m, the second - after closing the tops - 8 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium chloride per 1 sq.m. Chloride fertilizers will prevent the accumulation of nitrates in root crops.
How to properly plant beet seedlings in open ground
Beetroot can also be grown seedling method, for more early harvests. Prepared and soaked seeds are sown in containers according to a 4 by 4 cm pattern. Sowing is carried out 30-40 days before planting in the ground. Beet seedlings can be left unpicked until planting in open ground, which is recommended to be done in the second half of May. For 1 sq. m of plot, 40-45 seedlings with 3-4 true leaves are planted.
Beginning gardeners often don’t always succeed - the seeds do not germinate well or the root crops grow small. How to plant beets correctly? What do you need to know so that planting and caring for beets does not bring disappointment? After all, this is one of the first vegetable crops in terms of yield and the presence of properties beneficial to humans. Beets keep well. Practically all year round can be used for human food and has long been valued for its dietary, taste, medicinal and beneficial properties. Beets are a real source of health and vitality. Nowadays, many varieties of beets have been developed.
Features of planting beets with seeds in open ground
Of the root crops, beets (in the Kuban they are often called beetroot or beetroot) are the most demanding in terms of soil fertility. The best for it are loamy, sandy loam, rich in organic matter, chernozem soils, as well as floodplain lands and drained peatlands. Growing beets on swampy soils is difficult; prolonged excess moisture inhibits plants. On such soils it is necessary to grow it in ridges.
Soil preparation
One of the main reasons for low yields is planting beets on poor soils with high acidity. This culture does not like such soils. At pH = 5.0 and below, massive loss of seedlings occurs, growth slows down, and the leaves turn very red. Very acidic soils The root crop may not develop at all. If wild sorrel and horsetail grow on the site, then this a clear sign high soil acidity. In this case, it is necessary to add lime, chalk or ash (200-500 g per square meter).
When to plant beets in spring with seeds in open ground
When are beets sown? Beets can be sown at several times, up to the beginning of June. But the first sowing is in early April. Usually the timing is based on planting potatoes. As soon as it is planted, you can start sowing beets. When the soil warms up enough, the seeds will sprout more quickly and will be less susceptible to attacks by pathogenic fungi and bacteria.
Very early landings beetroot can die from frost. Temperatures of -4-5°C are detrimental to beet seedlings. In addition, with early sowings, many flowering plants may appear, i.e. the beets will come into color.
During beet planting it is often hot and dry, upper layer soils can become very dry. The dense, lignified beet pericarp, which contains the seed, requires a lot of moisture to swell. Therefore, it is advisable to water the entire bed or seed furrows generously. If this is not possible, then compact the bottom of the furrow. After planting the seeds, compact the soil and mulch the top with peat or humus. You can cover the bed with covering material - it also retains moisture well.
Treatment of beet seeds before planting
To speed up germination, seeds are soaked for 3-4 days in warm water (40°C) before sowing. The water is changed daily. When the first sprouts appear (no more than 3%), the beet seeds are dried and sown. Soaking followed by drying ensures the rapid appearance of healthy shoots, since the microbes that developed during soaking die when dried. You can soak the seeds in solutions of microelements.
Row spacing and seed placement depth
With a good supply of fertilizers and moisture, the maximum beet yield can be obtained at optimal quantity plants per unit area. This is achieved through correct placement plants in rows and multi-line sowing, as well as when row spacing is reduced. A 2-3-line bed with a distance between lines of 15-20 cm is convenient. Between beds - 40-50 cm. Between plants in a row is 6-8 cm. Excessive thickening of plants, as well as sparseness, lead to loss of yield.
On light soils, seeds are planted to a depth of 3-4 cm, on heavy soils - 2-3 cm. It is advisable to mulch the crops or cover them with film before germination, this is especially important to do on heavy soils. Before sowing, superphosphate can be lightly sprinkled into the furrows, which will accelerate the development of the root system and promote better rooting of seedlings.
Seedling care, thinning
Directly apply under beets fresh manure it is forbidden, root crops become of poor quality and are poorly stored in winter.
Burak is very sensitive to lack of light. All weeds must be destroyed as they appear. It is also impossible to allow the seedlings to thicken, and to break through the sowing in a timely manner.
Thinning of seedlings The density of beet seedlings is inherent in the nature of its seeds. Typically, gardeners sow varieties with many seed fruits (from 3 to 6).
The first thinning is done when the first pair of true leaves appear, leaving the plants 3-4 cm apart. The second thinning is 2-3 weeks after the first, the plants are placed 6-8 cm apart. When thinning is delayed for a week, up to 45-50 g per square meter of crop per day is lost.
To save yourself from this work, you need to purchase single-seeded and double-seeded beet seeds that are now available, and sow them immediately at the required distance (taking into account the percentage of germination).
Beet nutrition
When the first true leaves appear after thinning, you can feed them with mineral fertilizers in a liquid or dry state. Approximate doses: per 10 liters of water 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 80 g of superphosphate, 35 g of potassium chloride. This volume of solution is consumed for 15 linear meters row. Superphosphate and potash fertilizers can be replaced with a triple dose of ash.
It is possible to fertilize with a solution of mullein or chicken droppings. The second feeding is usually carried out 3 weeks after the first. Fertilizing is done only in the first half of summer; later nitrogen fertilizing promotes the accumulation of nitrates.
Do you want your beets to grow sweet? For increase sugar content You can feed the beets with a one percent solution of table salt.
Watering beets
During the period of intensive growth of leaves and root crops, the weather is usually hot, dry. Watering at this time will significantly increase the yield. In general, compared to other vegetable crops, table beets are relatively drought-resistant, so they should be watered moderately. Excess moisture leads to excessive growth of leaves to the detriment of the root crop.
At the end of July - beginning of September, some gardeners stop actively caring for beets, considering it useless. This is incorrect, because this time is running increased outflow nutrients from the leaves into the root crop, its mass rapidly increases. Therefore, with sufficient moisture, deep loosening is also necessary, especially on heavy soils. A week before harvesting, if it is very hot, it is advisable to water the beets. This increases cell turgor and promotes better preservation of fruits in winter.
They remove it to winter storage earlier than other root vegetables (carrots, for example), since they cannot withstand autumn frosts.
Beneficial properties of beets
Beetroot has been used since ancient times traditional medicine for the treatment of many diseases. It is simply a storehouse of vitamins and minerals; it is ideal for various diets, including medicinal ones.
Beetroot juice is considered one of the best vegetable juices. It contains sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulfur, chlorine, iodine, iron, copper, vitamins B1, B2, C and P. This juice is rich in easily digestible carbohydrates, but its calorie content is low. Due to its high iron content, it restores and activates blood cells, provides an influx of fresh oxygen, and helps normalize the functions of vesicular respiration. Adding a teaspoon of lime juice to a glass of beet juice increases its medicinal value.
Most useful property Beetroot is that it contains more than 50% sodium and only 5% calcium. This promotes the dissolution of oxalic acid salts in the body, which accumulate in the blood vessels. Beet juice is an excellent solvent for inorganic calcium deposits. Therefore this useful product for the treatment of hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart disease, varicose veins.
It's important to know what's clean beet juice can lead to a lot of stress on the pancreas and stomach. Therefore, it is recommended to mix beet juice with other juices: carrots, cucumber, etc. Beetroot juice mixed with carrot and cucumber juice is one of the best cleansers for the kidneys and gallbladder.
The pectin substances that beets contain protect the body from the effects of radioactive and heavy metals, inhibit the development of harmful bacteria in the intestines, and help eliminate excess water and cholesterol.
It contains a large amount of betaine - this is a physiologically very important compound for metabolism. Another specific substance in beets, betanin, is a red pigment that restores the respiratory ability of the cell. It is believed that it has an inhibitory effect on the growth of malignant cells. The more intense the color of the root pulp, the more vitamin C, betaine and betanin it contains.
Table beets contain 8-15 percent sugar, protein, fiber, and minerals.
Useful are the leaves, which contain 2-3 times more protein and mineral salts than root vegetables. Beetroot is useful for anemia, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, obesity.
100 g of beet juice contains 42 kcal, 1.0 g protein, 0 g fat, 9.9 g carbohydrates.
Beets promote weight loss. There is a special mono-diet. It lasts two days. These two days you can only eat beets - boiled or baked. It is recommended to drink liquids these days green tea, fresh vegetable juices, mineral water without gas. It should be remembered that no more than 2 kg of beets can be eaten per day. You need to drink at least 1.5 liters of liquid per day.
Beets can help you reduce blood pressure and associated risks such as heart attacks and strokes. The daily dose is 250 ml of beet juice. But do not forget that beet juice is too concentrated; it is better to use it mixed with other juices - carrot, apple, cucumber.
Beets contain folic acid, which is necessary for normal growth of body tissues. Folic acid is important for the development of the baby's spinal cord in the first three months of pregnancy. It may help prevent spinal defects in the fetus, premature birth. Beets also contain iron, which is a fantastic tonic for expectant mothers who suffer from fatigue during pregnancy. Expectant mothers should remember, however, that boiled or baked milk has lower levels of folic acid than raw milk. For more information about the importance of folic acid during pregnancy, be sure to consult your doctor.
Beets contain the mineral silica. This helps the body better absorb calcium, which is very important for reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
If you put a few mayonnaise jars of water on the window in winter and insert small beets there (you might have thrown them away in the fall), you will soon be able to harvest fresh vitamin leaves for salads and soups.
Beet varieties
The most common varieties are:
- Bordeaux 237- productive mid-early variety with round oval root vegetables, burgundy flesh, high taste;
- Single shoot(similar to Bordeaux);
- Egyptian flat- a productive variety, earlier ripening than Bordeaux, round-flat root crops, dark red flesh with a purple tint;
- Gribovskaya flat A-473 - productive variety, By morphological characteristics close to the Egyptian flat, but earlier;
- Incomparable A-463- root crops are flat or rounded-flat, the flesh is intensely dark red, the taste is high, requires highly cultivated soils, and in poor soils it sharply reduces the yield;
- Two-seeded TSCA- a new high-yielding variety. The root vegetables are round, uniform in shape and size, the flesh is dark red, burgundy, tender, juicy, the taste is high, the rosette of leaves is small. The variety can be grown more densely than Bordeaux or others - 6 cm in a row between plants. Requires virtually no thinning. This beet variety is capable of producing high yields in most regions of the country.
For winter crops, it is better to use special varieties - Podzimnyaya A-474, Cold-resistant 19.
Beetroot has a huge nutritional value for the body. Although this plant is biennial, it is grown as an annual. The reason is that the root crop ripens in the same year, and the next year it begins to produce shoots with flowers and seeds.
Today you will learn how to plant beets. Gardeners adore this vegetable not only for its nutritional value, but also for its ease of care. Compared to other plants, beets are not very demanding, but it is still necessary to plant and care for them correctly.
What and when to plant
Let's figure out when to plant carrots and beets. You can do this in spring, autumn or summer, but it is still better to sow seeds in the spring. Root crops such as turnips, beets, radishes and carrots are usually planted when frosts have ended and the soil and air temperatures become higher (ideally +16-20 0 C).
- If you don’t know when exactly to plant beets in the spring, choose April, or at least the beginning of May. The warmer it is outside in the spring, the faster the first shoots will appear. If it is more than 20 0 C outside, shoots may appear already on the 3rd day, if it is about 10 0 C - after a week, and at 5 0 C - after 2 or even 3 weeks.
- Carrots are usually planted immediately after beets, preferably in the spring. The plot of land on which carrots will grow should be well lit by the sun and warmed up, so the most suitable period for planting orange root vegetables is the third decade of May.
What to plant for what?
It is important to consider the order of crop rotation in order to protect crop diseases and pests and maintain favorable soil. For planting beets, the soil after zucchini, squash, potatoes (early), legumes, tomatoes, cucumbers or cabbage is perfect. It is best not to grow beets in soil that has been used to grow spinach and chard.
Now let’s decide what can be planted after the beets. There is an expression: “ after the roots the tops are planted" It means that it is not advisable to grow carrots, turnips and other root vegetables after this crop (although some housewives plant carrots). All other vegetables will get along well on the plot of land where this root vegetable used to be.
It would be correct if in this area you plant legumes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, basil or parsley. If you are not going to plant vegetables, you can grow annual flowers (for example, lemongrass or balsam). The same plot of land for growing beets can be used no more than once every three years.
Preparing for sowing
What beets to plant
In order for the harvest to be plentiful and delight its owner, you need to know which beets are best to buy and plant. Correctly purchase seeds in specialized stores when choosing a product good quality. Give preference to domestic varieties.
One of the best varieties the following are considered:
- early varieties: Detroit - with smooth spherical roots, Egyptian - with large, flat-shaped roots; Bordeaux, Red Ball, Podzimnyaya.
- late-ripening beets: Torpeda, Ataman;
- varieties of medium ripeness: Incomparable, Bohemia - light and juicy, Mulatto - dark red in color, has a great taste, Bona.
Sowing
Decide on a growing method vegetable crop. There are only two of them: sowing seeds directly into the beds or seedlings.
- In the first case, the seeds are sown to a depth of 2-3 cm. The width between the rows should be 20 cm. Before this, it is advisable to soak and germinate the seeds, as is done when planting carrots.
- The seedling method involves sowing several seeds (3-4 pieces) into nests in a greenhouse, followed by thinning out the seedlings. When the seedlings grow to 6-8 cm, they are planted in the ground in a permanent place. At the same time, there is no need to deepen it too much. There should be a distance of 30 cm between the rows and 15-20 cm between the leaves.
Cultivation care
It is important to properly care for beets. Fertilizing for the first time should be done after the seedlings have rooted. It should contain nitrogen and potassium chloride. It is better to fertilize the second time in a month.
- It is correct to carry out the first watering only when the seedlings are sufficiently formed. 20 days before harvest, water the beds for the last time.
- Root crops must be watered thoroughly so that the water reaches 12 or more centimeters underground. Beets love moisture more than, for example, carrots. After watering, loosen the soil well.
- The seedlings must be thinned out regularly, and this is best done after watering the soil. During thinning between the rows, the soil is loosened to a depth of 4-5 cm. At the same time, the soil is cleared of emerging weeds.
Features of growing fodder beets
Feed grades are intended for feeding animals, as they contain an excess amount of fiber, which has a detrimental effect on the human stomach. When sowing forage varieties, you need to know how to plant table beets correctly in the spring, because the growing principles for them are almost the same.
