Beetroot planting and care in the open field: from variety selection to harvest. The Importance of Proper Timing: When is the Best Time to Plant Beets? Preparing beet seeds for planting in the ground
Planting beets with seeds on ridges in open ground- the main way to grow this popular and very useful garden crop. Sowing and growing beets should be carried out in accordance with the rules of agricultural technology, which will allow you to get not only a high, but also a high-quality crop.
Beets in home gardening can be grown from seedlings and from seeds. seedling cultivation carried out in regions with a short and cold summer period, as well as in areas of risky farming.
The seeds of this garden crop are able to germinate at a temperature of 4-5 ° C, and seedlings can quite easily tolerate a decrease temperature regime within -2°С. However, when calculating the timing of sowing or planting, it must be remembered that for the full formation of root crops, the optimal temperature should be at least 16-23 ° C. The result is unjustified early sowing on unheated beds, the formation of flower stalks often occurs to the detriment of the formation of root crops.
How to plant beets in open ground (video)
It is very important to plant garden culture until the moisture from the melt water has evaporated from the soil. standard rate expense seed material when sowing in spring period is about one and a half grams for each square meter. At winter sowing consumption should be approximately doubled.
For cultivation seedling way about a month before planting in a permanent place, past preliminary training seeds should be planted according to the 4x4 cm pattern. Beetroot seedlings dive before planting in a permanent place. The depth of placement of seed material with a vein is 2-3 cm, and during winter sowing, seeds should be sown to a depth of 3-4 cm. The distance between rows should be about 20 cm.
The best varieties
It is not difficult to grow beets - it is enough to competently approach the issue of choosing a variety. Usually, the best varieties beets combine high productivity, unpretentiousness, keeping quality, no tendency to shoot and excellent taste.
| Variety name | Aging period | Root crop | pulp | Advantages |
| "Borscheva" | 80-128 days | Round shape, weighing within 300-526 g | Leveled root crops and good keeping quality of the crop | |
| "Betina" | 130-140 days | Dark maroon, rounded, weighing 200-250 g | Dark red color, sweetish taste, without rings and coarse fibers | Disease-resistant variety suitable for long-term storage. |
| "Bull Blood" | 110-120 days | Red, rounded, weighing up to 100-240 g | Dark red color with good sugar content | The variety is characterized by stable yield, good keeping quality and cold resistance. |
| "Detroit" | 82-97 days | Red, rounded, weighing up to 215 g with a thin, very short axial spine | Dark red color, sweet taste, juicy | Not prone to blooming, cold hardy and high yielding |
| "Red Ball" | 65-100 days | Red, rounded, weighing 200-500 g | Dark red, with purple tint juicy, tender and sweet | Not prone to stalking, cold hardy |
| "Libero" | 70-100 days | Burgundy, rounded, half buried in the ground, weighing up to 230 g | Dark red coloring, juicy and tender, sugary | Not prone to blooming, cold-resistant, maturing and high-yielding |
| "Mulatto" | 125-130 days | Dark maroon, rounded, weighing up to 370 g, with a purple spine | Red color, without cylindrical rings, tasty and tender | Productive, has a high marketability and keeping quality of root crops |
| "Single-growth" | 80-130 days | Round-oval, red or dark cherry, weighing up to 610 g | Maroon coloring, juicy and tender, dense | Flower resistant, relatively resistant to cercosporosis |
| "Rival" | 125-130 days | Dark red, cylindrical, weighing up to 300 g | Tender and juicy, very good taste | High yield and excellent taste |
| "Cylinder" | 80-130 days | Dark red, cylindrical, weighing up to 600 g | Dark red, tender and very juicy, with pronounced white-pink rings | Fast brewing variety with excellent taste. |
Seed preparation
Properly carried out preparation for sowing seed material allows you to get the earliest possible and high-quality seedlings. Seeds must be pure-grade, with high germination rates, free from impurities. Before sowing, the seeds should be subjected to the following treatment:
- check germination rates by germinating a test batch of seeds on a damp cloth at a temperature of 18-25°C;
- soaking beet seeds in clean water, having a temperature in the range of 15-20 ° C for 48 hours with multiple changes of water;
- seed treatment in solution wood ash or growth stimulants.
It should be taken into account the fact that beet seeds are able to remain viable for five years.
How to grow large beets (video)
Preparing beds for sowing
It is possible to return the planting of beets to the previous ridges only after three to four years. It is also not recommended to grow beets on ridges after harvesting carrots, onions or garlic. The best predecessors for beets, tomatoes and cucumbers, as well as legumes, cabbage and potatoes, will serve. The stages of preplant preparation of open ground ridges for growing table beet are as follows:
- in early spring it is required to carry out a deep digging of the soil with the simultaneous removal of all weeds;
- in the process of digging the soil, it is necessary to add 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate or 25 g of ammonium sulphate, as well as 35 g of superphosphate and approximately 10-15 g of potassium chloride for each square meter;
- if there is infertile soil on the site for planting and growing beets, additional autumn application of organic fertilizers in the form of fresh cow manure is carried out at the rate of 4-5 kg per square meter;
- with excessive acidity of the soil, it is necessary to make fluffy lime at the rate of 800 g per square meter.
When sowing table beet in autumn period, the crop can be harvested already in the last decade of the first summer month. Autumn crops need to be fertilized with peat or humus.
Feeding rules
In general, table beet farming is quite simple. Caring for beet crops consists in the implementation of such simple activities as thinning the crops, loosening the soil between rows, removing weeds, watering, and top dressing. When feeding beets, it is recommended to be guided by the following rules:
- the first top dressing with a solution of wood ash is carried out on the second day after sowing the seed material into the soil. To this end, you need to dilute one and a half glasses of ash in a bucket of warm water and insist for a couple of hours;
- the second feeding of root crops is carried out after the appearance of a pair of true leaves and thinning. For top dressing, mullein diluted in warm water is used;
- the third top dressing with a solution based on boric acid, diluted at the rate of half a teaspoon per bucket of water;
- It should be noted that top dressing with a 1% solution based on table salt contributes to the increase in the sugar content of root crops.
Most often, beet plantings are affected by diseases and pests such as false powdery mildew, phomosis, root aphid, beet flea beetle, root beetle, leaf spot, smooth dead beetle, beet fly, beet nematode, beet aphid and rust, therefore preventive actions should be timely and as competent as possible.
Root crops should be dug up before the onset of frosty weather, using blunt forks for this purpose. The dug out beets must be carefully cleaned of the soil, dried and cut off the tops at a height of one centimeter. Before laying for storage, root crops must be sorted and put into boxes, pouring sand or sawdust. For long-term storage of beets, cellars or basements equipped with ventilation are best suited.
Due to the simple cultivation technique and the possibility of long-term storage, beets are among the five popular vegetables that any gardener grows on his plot. In addition, this vegetable has not only a unique color and taste, but is also very useful. The root crop contains vitamins B, B2, C, P, PP, mineral salts, sugar and organic acids. It is not difficult to sow and grow beets, but there are some nuances that will be useful to both a beginner and an experienced gardener.
Beets are so widely used in preparations and in the manufacture of culinary dishes that they have received truly popular recognition. In the south of Russia, as well as in Ukraine, she has another name - beetroot. In addition to table varieties common among gardeners, there are also varieties such as sugar and fodder beets.
Root crops of fodder beets can grow to huge sizes, weighing 2-3 kg each, and it is beneficial to sow it for those gardeners who keep domestic animals on their plots. Fodder beet will be an excellent addition to the diet of goats, cows, horses, as well as chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys.
Sugar beet is known as a raw material for the production of sugar in industrial scale. But some amateur gardeners are happy to sow it in the plots.
The most popular and productive varieties of table beets with tasty pulp are:
- Crimson;
- Bordeaux 237;
- Mona;
- The incomparable A-46;
- single-growth;
- Pablo.
For conservation, the best varieties are:
- Detroit;
- Egyptian flat;
- cylinder.
How to prepare seeds before planting
Beet seeds seem large, but this is a misleading representation. The fact is that they are interconnected in small lumps of several pieces and covered with a dry hard shell. Therefore, if you sow them, then several plants sprout from a lump. That's why, thinning - necessary procedure in the care of culture.
However, to make life easier for gardeners, special varieties have long appeared that were created specifically so as not to thin out seedlings. As an example, we can cite varieties - Single-growth, Bordeaux one-seeded.
Beet seeds are poorly germinating and germinate rather slowly. To speed up this process, before sowing, it is recommended to soak them for a day in warm water with any growth stimulator: Zircon, Epin, HB-101, Energen. If growth stimulants were not at hand, you can simply dilute a tablespoon of wood ash in a liter warm water and use the prepared solution for soaking the seeds.
It is also good to pour the seeds moderately hot water temperature +50 - +55°C and leave for half an hour to cool. This procedure will help the seeds wake up faster, and at the same time disinfect and free from infections. Disinfection is also carried out using a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
After soaking, you can wrap the seeds in wet wipe soaked in nutrient solution and leave in plastic bag in a damp warm place for three days until completely swollen.
In the northern regions of Russia, it is not uncommon to obtain early harvests the seedling method of cultivation is used and the protection of young plants from possible frosts with the help of covering material.
Beet sowing dates
Beets are cold-resistant vegetables and seed germination is possible already at a temperature of +5 degrees. But still, it is more demanding on heat than, for example, carrots or cabbage. If sown at such temperatures, the appearance of the first shoots can be delayed up to three weeks.
If you sow seeds in too cold ground, then instead of root crops you can get a large percentage of flower stalks in the first year of cultivation. Therefore, before sowing beets, make sure that minimum temperature heating of the earth at a depth of 10 cm is +8 - + 10 ° С. The optimum conditions for growth are temperatures of +10 - +15°C.
Under such conditions, the waiting period for seedlings is reduced to 5-6 days. But keep in mind that the higher the temperature of the air and soil, the more important it is to provide the seeds with sufficient moisture for germination.
When can you sow beets in open ground?
By folk omens you can start sowing this crop from the moment the daffodils or muscari blossom. In general, the timing of sowing beet seeds in open ground is highly dependent on weather conditions specific region and can vary from mid-April (for southern regions) to mid-late May (for middle and northern latitudes).
Traditionally, beets are sown in open ground when warm weather sets in about one to two weeks after carrots are sown.
In addition, it is important to understand for what purposes you want to use the planted beets. If you want to cook a variety of dishes from it during the summer and early autumn, then the seeds are sown in the spring, as soon as the weather permits. To make preparations for the winter and use root crops for storage, it is better to sow it closer to summer or even throughout June, but preferably no later than July. Because, vegetables may not have time to fully ripen before the onset of frost.
Optimal soil composition and preparation
Not every place is suitable for sowing and successfully growing this crop. All varieties of beets love sunlight and can't stand shadows. In extreme cases, you can sow in the beds, where there is partial shade in the afternoon, but half of the day the sowing place should be lit by the sun.
Good predecessors for beets are tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, onions and members of the legume family. You should not sow seeds in the same beds as last year, as well as where carrots, cabbage and radishes grew last season, because these crops common diseases and pests, and instead of fighting them, it is better to use crop rotation.
The soil itself for sowing should be breathable, fertile, have a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. Usually, beds for sowing this vegetable have been prepared since autumn. For 1 sq. m of soil contribute:
- 40 g of superphosphate;
- 20 g of ammonium nitrate;
- 15 g of potassium chloride.
If the soil seems not fertile enough, then in the spring an additional 2-3 kg of humus or compost is added. But it is strictly forbidden to use fresh manure when planting beets. He needs to lie down for at least 3 years so that he can be used for feeding.
At hyperacidity fluff lime is used, which is applied at the rate of approximately 0.5 kg per square meter of land. In the spring, a week before sowing, the ground is additionally loosened to a depth of 5-8 cm, while destroying the weeds that have had time to sprout.
How to sow beets
To properly sow beet seeds, you need to mark grooves on the future bed, 3-4 cm deep, spaced from each other at a distance of 20-35 cm. The grooves are spilled with water, seeds are placed in them every 6-8 cm. light land mixture are spilled again with water.
After the emergence of seedlings, if necessary, they are thinned out, leaving seedlings after 3-4 cm. Removed seedlings can be transplanted to another bed, so they can be used to increase the yield. The second time the plantings are thinned out when the leaves close. This time, the removed root crops have already reached such sizes that they can be used for food.
Landing Care
In addition to thinning, the main points of planting care are watering and fertilizing. Water the beds with beets as the soil dries up. Waterlogging the soil is not recommended, as this can impair the taste and cause plant diseases.
The first top dressing of plants is applied after the first thinning - mainly nitrogen-containing organic fertilizers are used. Second top dressing potash fertilizers(possibly wood ash) is carried out at the moment of closing the leaves during the formation of root crops.
Thinning is best done after the next watering, while loosening the ground and removing weeds.
Beet harvesting begins without waiting for the first frost. In favorable cool conditions, root crops can be stored until spring.
In this article we will discuss how to plant beets, as well as analyze basic requirements to get a good harvest.
Varieties of beets for growing in open ground
The choice of variety depends on the intended use. Everyone chooses the type he needs. For culinary use, the table variety is excellent. You can also plant a sugar group for eating. If the root crop is planted for further feeding of livestock, then fodder beets are suitable for this purpose.
The following mid-season varieties of table root have the best culinary properties:
- "Bordeaux 237";
- "Bordeaux single-seeded";
- "Single-growth";
- "Gribovskaya";
- "Incomparable A-46";
- "Pablo";
- "Podzimnaya A-474";
- Renova.
Did you know? Afteryears of researchscientists have done interesting discovery: the most stale (high-quality) vegetables are obtained from those varieties of beets, the growing season of which is less than 150 days.
Landing dates
When to plant beets in open ground with seeds, soil temperature will tell. Too premature sowing of seeds in unheated soil is fraught with the formation of flower stalks, which causes significant damage to root crops. 
The required soil temperature for growing this crop is it is 8–12 °С. Sweet root seeds germinate at 4–5 °С. It is customary to start sowing work in mid-May.
Choosing a place in the garden
When choosing a sowing site, start from two important conditions: Shade free and draft proof. The presence of these negative factors leads to root rot.
Lighting
The most important condition for growing a sweet root is to ensure maximum lighting. The place under the root crop should be well illuminated by the sun. 
Otherwise root crop stops developing. In addition, the light contributes to a more intense coloring of the sweet root.
The best place for sowing is an open area, protected from the wind. Eliminate places under trees, in holes or on high ground.
What kind of soil does beets like
Beets require fertile soil enriched with mineral or organic nutrients. The soil for sugar beet usually consists of medium loamy chernozems and peat bogs.
Soil acidity should be neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 5–8). If the acidity level does not match the above indicators, root crops will be vulnerable to various. 
To help the young root system take root, the soil should be light, loose and deep.
Important! The use of fresh manure as fertilizer for beets is unacceptable.
Sowing a root crop in open ground
Let's move on to a direct consideration of the features of growing table beets.
Soil preparation
The soil for the root crop is prepared in the spring (in early May). Before sowing, the soil is moistened, enriched with mineral and organic fertilizers (humus, compost). Then the soil is loosened at a depth of 5 cm. On the day of sowing, funnels 3-4 cm deep are made on the beds. The distance between the funnels should be about 20 cm, and between the rows - 40 cm.
Seed preparation
Beet seeds are sown both dry and after the soaking procedure. Thanks to moisture, sprouts will appear much faster. For soaking, solutions from growth stimulants are used.
The procedure should last no more than a day. The seeds are then rinsed warm water, transferred to the fabric and gently dried. It is also acceptable to use ordinary ash.
Watch the temperature in the room where the seeds are. Temperature should not be too low otherwise your seeds will not germinate.
Planting process
The planting pattern of the root crop resembles a lattice. Seeds are sown in rows with subsequent thinning of the sprouts. Pre-prepared funnels are filled with water. 
You should wait a little while the water is absorbed. Sowing beet seeds is carried out piece by piece. To facilitate the future thinning process, it is recommended to plant seeds less frequently. After sowing, the grooves are sprinkled with earth. Then the soil must be weeded and loosened.
Did you know?Worried that the seedlings may not appear, many often put several seeds in one funnel at once. But since beet seeds are quite large, more than one plant sprouts from one seed. That is why gardeners recommend placing seeds in funnels only one by one.
Care rules
Beet- unpretentious frost-resistant culture. Care consists in moderate feeding, regular, timely loosening and competent thinning.
top dressing
The soil begins to be fed when the first shoots appear. It is important not to overdo it with the amount of fertilizer.
This vegetable crop prefers organic matter, and cracks and voids can form from minerals in the pulp of vegetables.
It must be remembered that the application chemical substances harms, first of all, a person.
On distance 5 cm make grooves from the sprouts and fill them with a solution of nitrogen fertilizers. When the tops on the rows come together - this indicates that the time has come for making potassium supplement.
Proper watering
Beets are a moisture-loving crop. On average, per season, the irrigation rate per 1 m² is 15–20 liters (2–3 buckets). Watering time comes at the moment when it dries out upper layer soil. 
The need for moisture is especially high in young plant, as well as during the period of thickening of root crops. The best way irrigation - sprinkling. This method helps to wash and refresh the leaves of the plant. It is desirable to carry out work in the evening.
Excessively abundant and frequent irrigation of the soil leads to fungal diseases, and a month before harvesting worsens the taste of vegetables. Irrigation should be completely stopped 2-3 weeks before harvest.
Planting beet seeds in open ground can be done different ways spring or autumn. The vegetable is easy to grow, it is only necessary to observe certain conditions when planting and caring for it. In this case, the harvested crop will be stored for a long time, and the root crops will retain all the nutrients.
Varieties differ in terms of crop maturation, duration of storage of harvested root crops, color, shape, designated purpose. IN last case a vegetable can be sugar, fodder or table.
Popular varieties of beets for growing include the following:
- Beet table Detroit is characterized by high yield and excellent taste. It takes 100 days from sowing to harvest. The variety shows resistance to frost and diseases, shoots appear evenly and show unpretentiousness during cultivation. The shape of the root crop is round, the flesh is burgundy without rings and veins. The average weight of the root crop is 200 g.
- Mid-season table variety Cylinder refers to mid-season, high-yielding varieties. Harvest begins after 120 days. The shape of the roots is cylindrical, the flesh is dark red. The average beet weight is 30 g. The harvested crop is well stored for more than 4 months.
- The fruitful, mid-season variety Smuglyanka begins to ripen after 105 days. The plant tolerates cold well, shows resistance to cold and diseases. The root crop is flat-round, its weight is 300 g. Juicy flesh is bright red.
- Table varieties include Bordeaux beets. The shape of the root crop is rounded, slightly flattened. Vegetable weight 350 g. The pulp is juicy, rich burgundy. The yield depends on the weather. The vegetable develops poorly in cold and rainy summers.
To others popular varieties beets include: Merchant, Red ball, Boyarynya, Red ruby, Bohemia, Red ice, Pablo.
Landing dates
Planting seeds in open ground in spring is done in early May, when the soil warms up to +10 degrees. Deadlines beet plantings are considered no later than May 10.
In autumn, the last days of October or the first days of November are chosen for planting seed material in open ground. It is better to wait until the air temperature drops below -4 degrees. In warmer weather, this should not be done, as the seeds will stick out and die.
During autumn planting seed beds are made high, raised by 25 cm, so as not to blur melt waters. The depth of the furrows is 4 cm, they do not need to be watered before planting. To protect the seeds from frost, it is recommended to cover the beds with straw until spring.
If beet planting is planned through seedlings, then special boxes are prepared. Seeds for seedlings begin to be planted in early April, a month before transplanting to a permanent place. This method of planting allows you to harvest ahead of schedule. In addition, the sprouts left over from thinning can be transplanted into a free space.
You need to plant the seeds at a distance of 4 cm, between the rows the distance should be 6 cm. After two leaves unfold on the sprouts, thinning is carried out. Leave only strong and healthy sprouts. As soon as 4 leaves appear, the sprouts will be ready for transplanting to a permanent place.
Choosing a place in the garden
It is best to choose areas for planting beets that are protected from through winds and where sunlight freely penetrates. The soil should be well-drained, the vegetable does not tolerate clay composition and waterlogging. It is advisable to change the landing site every 3-4 years.
There is a list of crops, after which it is allowed to plant beets. The best predecessors for beets in the garden are cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, potatoes. The vegetable feels bad in the garden where cabbage, chard or carrots used to grow. You should avoid the neighborhood with celery and garlic.
Lighting
Beets are photophilous vegetable crops. It develops well during long sunny days. If the length of the day when growing a vegetable is 14–16 hours, then you can harvest the richest possible harvest. In the case of a reduction in daylight hours by 3 hours or more, the formation of the root crop slows down.
For planting beets in spring in open ground, you need to choose well-lit areas, away from fences and trees, so that a shadow does not fall from them. Do not plant vegetables too densely.
Sometimes vegetable growers may encounter a problem when beets do not sprout.
Before determining what to do, you need to find out the reason why it did not rise. There may be several of them:
- infertile or acidic soil;
- little light;
- poor quality seeds;
- improper watering;
- non-compliance with sowing dates.
To ensure good germination of beets, you need to fertilize and use lamps for additional illumination. If the vegetable is grown by seedlings, then, if necessary, additional lighting is organized up to 13 hours with fluorescent lamps, which are hung at a height of 15 cm above the seedlings.
A good harvest can only be obtained if certain conditions are met. It is necessary to feed the beds in time, remove weeds, monitor lighting and watering. It is important to carry out preventive treatment from pests and diseases.
What kind of soil does beets like?
To obtain good harvest root crops, it is important to know what kind of soil beets love more? Beets love fertile, light soil. Well suited peat and loamy composition. If the acidity is too low or high, the vegetable begins to suffer from fungal diseases, and the ability to be stored for a long time is lost.
Since the vegetable loves light, well-drained soil, it is best to mix it with sand or sawdust. If the soil is acidic, then liming is carried out. Culture loves neutral or slightly alkaline soil.
Sowing a root crop in open ground
Beets can be sown with dry or germinated seeds. Germinated seeds are sown in moist soil. On flat surface the prepared area is furrowed at a distance of 20 cm.
If the soil is heavy, then sowing is done to a depth of 2 cm, if light, then to a depth of 4 cm. The distance in the row between the seeds is 2.5 cm. Later, during thinning, the distance should be increased to 7 cm.
If the summer is short, then beet seedlings are planted in open ground. You can grow seedlings at home or in a greenhouse. You can transplant a plant that does not exceed 8 cm in height. The higher the sprout, the poorer the root crop will form. Do not deepen the seedlings too much. The distance between the sprouts is 13 cm, between the rows - 30 cm.
Soil preparation
In order for beets to rise quickly, you need to properly prepare land plot. The soil for planting seeds must be prepared in the fall. From the site where it is supposed to plant beets, remove all plant debris from the last harvest (tops, leaves, roots, weeds). The earth is dug up to a depth of 25-30 cm, at the same time a complex mineral fertilizer and humus.
In the spring, before planting seeds or seedlings, the land is loosened to a depth of 10 cm and leveled with a rake.
It is recommended to add mineral components. For the whole growing season the culture requires nitrogen and potassium-phosphorus fertilization. Beetroot responds well to cultivating the land with wood ash and does not tolerate fresh manure at all.
Seed preparation
During the preparation of beet seeds for sowing, they are sorted out, soaked in solutions that stimulate plant growth. You can put the seeds in a solution based on wood ash. Ash allows you to saturate the seed with all the necessary mineral components.
An easy way to quickly germinate beet seeds:
- seeds are soaked in water room temperature(floating seeds should be discarded);
- the water is drained and placed in a solution of Epin or Zircon for 4 hours;
- after that, the seeds are placed in a warm place for a day.
These actions will help the seeds swell and hatch. After that, you can start planting seeds.
Planting process
There are two beet planting schemes - one-line and two-line. Landing is also allowed in a three-line way. This makes it easier to care for the plant. The beds are more convenient to water, loosen and weed.
In the case of planting in a single line method, furrows are made into which seeds are placed at a distance of 10 cm. The interval between furrows is 45 cm.
With a two-line option for planting a vegetable, two furrows are made at a distance of 25 cm, then left free space equal to 50 cm. A similar scheme is alternated several times.
Beetroot seedlings are planted in open ground with an interval of 11–14 cm. The interval between rows is 25 cm. This will allow you to collect large root crops, while maintaining the benefits and juiciness of the pulp.
Care rules
Beets begin to germinate at a soil temperature of +9 degrees and air environment+7 degrees. But active development is observed at an air temperature of +20 degrees. How many days does it take beets to germinate after sowing? The first shoots appear on the 6-8th day.
Caring for beets is to follow some rules:
- beds should be regularly weeded and prevent the growth of weeds;
- carry out regular loosening of the soil to ensure free access of oxygen and nutrients;
- it is recommended to apply fertilizers;
- important to establish correct mode glaze.
The first loosening is carried out 5 days after the appearance of the first shoots. Initially, the loosening depth is 3 cm, gradually, as the plant grows, it can be increased to 7 cm.
top dressing
Top dressing is carried out at least twice during the entire growing season of beet development. Fertilizers help increase the plant's resistance to diseases and pests.
For the normal development of the culture, the following solutions help. When planting seedlings in the ground, it is recommended to add a tablespoon of wood ash per 1 hole.
During the first feeding, you can add nitroammophoska or a mixture of sodium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium chloride. If there is a deficiency of nutrients in the soil, you can add a solution of mullein or bird droppings. Urea can be added to the solution. Top dressing with organic solutions is carried out only on early stage plant development.
The second fertilization is carried out two weeks after the previous top dressing. Use superphosphate or potassium chloride. Mineral components can be replaced with wood ash.
It is useful to carry out foliar top dressing. At the stage of formation of 4-5 leaves, it is possible to treat with a solution of boric acid or an infusion of wood ash. With a lack of phosphorus, additional spraying with superphosphate can be carried out (a teaspoon of superphosphate is taken per liter of water).
Proper watering
During cultivation, the correct watering regimen must be observed. Beets need to be watered regularly, but waterlogging of the soil should be avoided. Too much moisture causes various diseases and reduce the shelf life of the crop. With a lack of moisture, the pulp of the root crop loses its juiciness and becomes rough.
During mass shoots, care for beets involves the frequency of watering up to once a week. During the period of formation of root crops, the frequency of watering can be increased. Stop watering 3-4 weeks before harvest.
thinning
If the seedlings were planted in a common container, when two true leaves appear, the beets are picked into separate containers, while the roots of the seedling should not be shortened.
When planting a vegetable with seeds, as soon as the first shoots appear on the surface of the earth, thinning is carried out:
- The first thinning is carried out in the phase of unfolding the first two true leaves. The distance between the sprouts is 4 cm. The sprouts that have been pulled out can be planted in a new, free place.
- After 2.5 weeks, repeated thinning is carried out, leaving a distance of 7 cm between the sprouts. By this time, small root crops are formed that can be used for cooking.
Knowing the rules of how to dive beets in the garden, you can get juicy, healthy root crops. In addition, it is important to follow the beet planting pattern in your area.
