How to plant beets - a beet “alley” on a summer cottage. Growing beets in open ground Planting beet seeds on tape

Planting and caring for beets open ground- it’s not a difficult task and even novice gardeners can handle it. When planting in clay soil the yield is greatly reduced, and the shape of the fruit becomes ugly.

This vegetable is a biennial from the goosefoot family. It tolerates cold well, prefers loose soil and is extremely demanding when it comes to watering. The shape of the root vegetable can be flat, cylindrical or round; good beets will have a rich dark red color.

So, how to plant beets in open ground and when to start planting seeds?

When to plant beets in open ground in 2019

Planting time is very important for beet yield; it is best to plant it in open ground as early as possible, then the harvest will be better. Beetroot is a cold-resistant plant, so it can be planted in early April or a little earlier - at the end of March, if the weather permits and the soil is moist enough. Optimal temperature for sowing +4°C during the day and up to -2°C at night. The last date to plant beets is the beginning of June.

Favorable days for planting beets according to the lunar calendar in 2019:

• March - 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25, 26
• April - 12, 13, 21, 22, 23
• May - 20, 23, 24
• June - 15, 16, 20, 21

Tip: to get the earliest beet harvest possible by the end of July, you can plant the seedlings a month before planting in open soil.

How to prepare seeds for planting

Planting beets with seeds requires a number of preliminary steps. To speed up germination and increase productivity, 10 days before sowing the seeds, they are vernalized and disinfected in order to prevent diseases and pests. So, before planting, you need to place the seeds in water, it is best to do this in a small glass container, because 100 g of seeds will require only 100 ml of water. After this, cover the jar with a dampened cloth and leave it there for a day, then carefully mix it and add a little more water. In this state, the seeds are kept at room temperature a couple more days.

When the seeds swell, they need to be hardened so that they become accustomed to cold temperatures; to do this, they are placed in the refrigerator for a week. After this period, the seeds are scattered in a dry box.

To prevent diseases, seeds are disinfected in this way: they are filled with water at a temperature of 50°C for half an hour. To prevent the water from cooling down during all this time, it is best to carry out this heat treatment in a thermos. To cool and dry the disinfected seeds, they are placed on a dry cotton cloth.

How to prepare the soil for planting

Planting beets requires preliminary preparation not only the seeds, but also the soil itself. It is very important that the soil is sufficiently moist, especially during the period when the beets begin to sprout and form. It is also worth considering that beets do not like too much large quantity water, excess moisture has a bad effect on its growth and productivity. At the same time, excessive dryness of the soil will lead to the fact that the fruits become woody and become very hard. Acidic soils are not suitable for growing beets, high level soil acidity leads to poor growth, the seeds germinate very slowly and not all of them.

Fertilizers applied to the soil where the vegetable will be grown are the same as for growing carrots. Beets love mineral fertilizers: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, as well as boron and manganese. Instead of fertilizers, sometimes ordinary ash is added to the soil, 3 cups per 1 m² of bed, it is mixed with humus. To ensure that seeds germinate well, loam is mixed with humus or turf. The soil can also be lightened by adding dry sand.

To prevent beets from accumulating nitrates, you should not apply fresh manure as fertilizers or overdo it with nitrogen fertilizers. It is better to apply nitrogen in several passes than not at all. required amount at once.

The root vegetable loves light, in addition, good lighting promotes more intense coloring. However, you should not plant beets under the scorching sun; they need diffused light.

How to harvest and store crops

The harvest is harvested at the end of August (early ripening varieties can be harvested as early as the end of July), when its leaves become dry and yellow. Root crops are clearly visible above the ground. Harvest in dry weather using a pitchfork, doing this carefully so as not to damage the root crops. Root crops are shaken off the ground and the tops are cut off, leaving a 2 cm top.

When the cuts become dry, the beets can be stored in a cool, dry place. Root vegetables with scratches and peeled skins have a shorter shelf life - up to 4 months. Good beets, which has not suffered from diseases and is not susceptible to pests, can be stored for a very long time - 8 months.

Beetroot different sizes stored separately. Small heads (up to 10 cm) are stored much better than larger fruits. A storage facility, basement or cellar is suitable for storing beets; the temperature should not exceed 3 °C. It is perfectly stored in a trench, covering the fruits with soil and leaves.

You can also store beets in boxes, after filling them with sawdust. Containers with a sand lined bottom or even regular plastic or cloth bags also work well for storage. It is provided with sufficient ventilation so that the root crop does not spoil prematurely due to humidity. To protect against excess condensate the crop is covered with straw.

The choice of type depends on how the vegetable will be used: for food or feeding to livestock. Having decided on the type of beet, you can select varieties.

Differences from autumn sowing

The differences between autumn sowing consist of the following factors:

• cold-resistant varieties will be required;
• there is no need to germinate the seeds;
• It is important that the seeds and soil are not wet, otherwise the seeds will germinate in the soil and freeze.

Deadlines

Boarding time depends on weather conditions region: for example, if in the south of Russia sowing is possible already at the end of April, then in the Urals or Siberia - only in May, or even at the beginning of June.

Find out more about when is the best time to plant beets.

For different regions Varieties have been bred to suit the climate.

For Middle zone Russia:

• Crimson Ball;
• Egyptian flat;
• Detroit;
• Bohemia.

For the Moscow region:

• Pablo F1;
• Mona;
• Nokhovskaya.

Varieties for the Urals:

• Bicores;
• Podzimnyaya A-474;
• Lady.

For North-West:

• Matryona;
• Mulatto;
• Red ice.

For Siberia:

• Mondoro F1;
• Mashenka;
• Milady F1.

For the south of Russia:

• Bordeaux 237;
• Captain;
• Harmony;
• Kuban borscht 43.

Is it possible to go straight into the ground?

Beets grow well when seeds are sown directly into the ground.. The timing of emergence of seedlings depends on the air temperature. If the air warms up to 20°, the sprouts will hatch on the fourth day. In cool weather (from 5°), you will have to wait three weeks.

Step-by-step instructions on how to sow correctly

Preparation

Inventory

Ordinary garden tools includes a bayonet shovel, a rake, buckets, watering cans and prepares for the gardening season in advance and not only for sowing beets.

It is for beets that you can use a wooden marker, similar to a rake, but intended for drawing rows for sowing seeds.

Why the marker is convenient:

• it makes it easy to adjust the depth of the rows, it depends on the force of pressure on the marker handle;
• You can change the width between rows from 80 to 100 cm by rearranging the marker teeth.

The soil

When choosing a site for growing beets, you need to take into account the fact that it light-loving plant. Even the richness of the color of root vegetables depends on good lighting.

You need to know what beets give excellent harvest on neutral soil(peat or sand). In acidic soil, the leaves will become fatty and the fruits will be small and hard.

It is important that the soil temperature at sowing is no lower than 10 degrees: If the soil is not warmed up, root crops will form poorly.

To get a good harvest, the soil should be fertilized. This composition of applied fertilizers per 1 square meter is optimal. m:

• 2 kg of humus or compost;
• 14 g of potassium chloride;
• 35 g superphosphate;
• 19 g ammonium nitrate.

From the earth that is then dug up, a ridge is made with loose soil and an arable layer of 20-25 cm.

Seeds

For better seed germination, the following method is used:

1. seeds are sorted in order to select undamaged specimens;
2. then they are soaked for a day in a solution of wood ash or a growth stimulant;
3. then washed and dried.

Before sowing, the quality of the seeds can be checked and the germination percentage can be determined. To do this, they are germinated in damp tissue. The number of germinated seeds will allow you to calculate the percentage of germination.

Beet seeds usually have 80% germination rate, which lasts for a long time (for three to five years).

Another method used is vernalization. It is carried out two weeks before sowing beets.

What to do:

1. seeds soaked in half of water glass jar or enamel pan, stand for 32 hours;
2. then pour in water in such a way that the mass of water and the mass of seeds are equal;
3. leave the seeds for three to four days until they swell;
4. then place the seeds (in a layer of up to 3 cm) in the refrigerator for a week.

Sealing process

What crops will grow well after?

Beetroot is considered a demanding crop for soil fertility.. In this regard, it is important what exactly grew on the site of its future sowing.

Beets take root well and give an excellent harvest after the following crops:

• pepper;
• cucumbers;
• cabbage;
• tomatoes;
• potato;
• peas (after peas, you can grow any plants).

You can find out more about what can be planted after beets, next to the crop and what predecessors are suitable for it.

Depth

The depth of planting seeds in the soil depends on its type:

• on loose soil- three to four cm;
• on heavier ones - two to three cm.

It should be remembered that both shallow and deep embedding are equally undesirable. In the first case, the seeds may dry out, and in the other, their germination may slow down.

Scheme

Beet seeds are usually sown in furrows. Considering that root vegetables are big size, the distance between the grooves is best done up to half a meter. In extreme cases, at least 25 cm.

The distance between sprouts should be at least 15 cm, but it is better if at least 25 cm.

Furrows should not be made to the very edge of the ridge so that the rain does not wash away the seeds.

Sown seeds can be covered with covering material or film overnight.

Sprout care

Care consists of the following activities:

1. Watering. When seedlings appear, they need to be watered once a week. But if the summer is hot, you can water the sprouts every other day. During the growth period, abundant watering is required. It is important to pour water not on the leaves, but under the roots. Three weeks before harvest, watering stops.
2. Weeding. Weeds must be removed, but only when the sprouts have become stronger, so as not to damage the beet roots.
3. Thinning. Beet seeds sown in furrows produce dense shoots and thinning is necessary. The procedure is carried out three times:
   • after the appearance of two or three full-fledged leaves, leaving a gap of 2-3 cm between plants;
   • when five to seven leaves are formed, leaving 4-6 cm between sprouts;
   • in mid-August - at intervals of 6-8 cm.
4. Top dressing. To form root crops and obtain a good harvest, plant nutrition is necessary. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied when leaves begin to form. Potassium chloride and superphosphate are required during the formation of root crops. Lack of boron leads to the formation of voids and rotting of fruits.

Possible problems and difficulties

Problems when growing beets are the most common diseases - phomosis and cercospora of fruits, as well as pests:

• beetles;
• mole cricket;
• nematode;
• beet fly;
• beet bug;
• mining moth.

Disease and pest control measures include:

1. compliance with crop rotation;
2. deep autumn digging of the soil;
3. the use of seeds resistant to diseases characteristic of beets;
4. timely and thorough disposal of weeds and plant debris;
5. spraying plants with copper containing preparations.

When cultivating any garden crops, including beets, it is important to follow all the rules for preparation, sowing and care. By knowing and following them, you can be guaranteed to get an excellent harvest.

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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 enter 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 seedlings 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, beets can be planted 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. First with organic fertilizer, just a little. 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. Planting of seedlings is carried out 1 month before it is planned to move it to a 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 for 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 that you get more early harvest, it 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 mixed bed, where beets will grow from the edge and cauliflower inside:

Which beets should I plant?

You can choose one of the following types:

• dining room;
• stern;
• sugar.

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 of 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 fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizer. When the time comes for fetal development, she needs potassium chloride and superphosphate.

Beetroot is a biennial plant. In the first year after planting, the plant grows a root crop and a large rosette of leaves. And already in the second year it produces flower stems and seeds.

The size, shape and weight of root crops vary and depend on growing conditions and variety. The shape can be round, conical and even spindle-shaped, and the skin and pulp have different colors. On average, 3-4 kg of root crops can be harvested from 1 m2, but many vegetable growers achieve an increase in yield to 4.5-6 kg from 1 m2.

Which neighbors should I plant beets with? It is believed that this root vegetable does not grow well next to corn. Increased productivity can be achieved if it is planted close to beans, tomatoes, potatoes and spinach. Beets also grow well when planted next to lettuce, radishes, radishes, onions, kohlrabi and garlic.

Temperature

Seeds germinate at + 5 - 6 degrees, seedlings at this temperature will appear in two weeks. They withstand short-term cold snaps down to -2 degrees quite well. And adult plants can withstand frosts down to -4 degrees. The optimal temperature for plant development is 18 - 20 degrees. But when beets begin to form roots, the need for heat increases. During this period, the optimal air temperature is 20-25 °C.

Where is the best place to plant? It is best to plant beets on loose, well-moistened and aerated loamy soils with low level groundwater. On alkaline and acidic soils the plant gives a poor harvest.

Beetroot is a light-loving plant. When there is insufficient sunlight, plants become stretched and their yield decreases. Therefore, choose well-lit places for planting.

Planting beets video

Soil preparation. Apply to the area selected for planting a year before. organic fertilizers. If you were unable to do this, add humus or compost immediately before sowing at the rate of 2-4 kg per 1 m2. If the soil on the site is acidic, add lime in the fall at the rate of 300-700 g per 1 m2. Apply mineral fertilizers in the fall as well.

When to plant. Plant beets in the spring, when the soil temperature rises to 5-6 °C. If you want to speed up the emergence of seedlings, pre-soak the seeds for one day in water, and then keep them at +18-20 ° C until single seedlings appear. Lightly dry the seeds before planting.

If you want not only to reduce the germination time of seeds and increase their germination, but also to receive in the future big harvest beets, carry out bubbling - saturating the seeds in water with oxygen for 12 hours.

In the garden, beets are planted in three rows.

How to plant. Plant beets in three rows on the beds, plant the seeds to a depth of 4-5 cm. If the soil on your site is heavy, plant the seeds to a depth of no more than 3 cm.

The beet harvest often depends on the weather. Sometimes the crops of this plant freeze. If you have already encountered such a problem, plant beets in two periods: at the beginning and at the end of May. If the first crops freeze or begin to shoot, you will have the second ones, from which you are guaranteed to get a harvest.

Beet care

Caring for beets consists of thinning seedlings, loosening the soil, regular watering and fertilizing of plants.

Thinning of plantings.

Beets are thinned twice. The first time, thin out the plants in the phase of 2 true leaves (7-10 days after emergence). The distance between the sprouts should be 3-4 cm. Thin the second time in the phase of 3-4 true leaves. This time, make sure that the plants are 8-10 cm apart from each other.

It is best to carry out thinning in the evening after watering or rain: from wet soil The plant is easy to pull out. Although you don’t have to pull it out, but just pinch it at the soil level. This method prevents damage to the root system of the plants remaining in the garden bed.

If, during thinning, you pull out plants in order to transplant them to another bed, remember that varieties with elongated roots should not be picked. When transplanting such plants, their integrity is violated and as a result, deformed and ugly root crops are formed. But picking does not affect the quality of the round root crop.

How to plant beets video.

Tillage

When caring for beets, pay great attention to loosening and avoid the formation of a soil crust. At first, loosen the soil to a depth of 3-5 cm, gradually increase the loosening depth to 10 cm. If root crops peek out of the ground, they should be spudded.

How to water

The most important thing in caring for any plant is regular watering. Beet - moisture-loving plant. The beds should be well moistened before planting and watered immediately after sowing. Throughout summer season Water regularly. It is best to irrigate using the sprinkling method. During the formation and growth of root crops, do not allow long breaks between waterings. A month before harvesting, watering should be stopped.

How to feed beets

During the season, two or three feedings should be carried out.

1. Do the first one immediately after thinning. For this you will need nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 10-15 g per 1 m2.
2. After the second thinning, apply to the soil ammonium nitrate(15 g per 1 m2).
3. After 15-20 days, when root crops begin to form, superphosphate and potassium chloride (7.5-10 g per 1 m2).

Beets sprout and grow without problems even for novice gardeners, but not everyone turns out sweet and beautiful. True, those who understand its requirements annually receive a harvest of high-quality root crops.

1. In order for beets to grow sweet, you need to choose the right variety. Domestic varieties have long taken root in our gardens Bordeaux, Incomparable, Red Ball and etc.
2. Try to plant it in a well-lit bed. In the shade of trees, under the canopy of corn and sunflowers, unsweetened, poorly colored root crops grow.
3. The plant is also demanding on soil fertility, although it should not be sown immediately after applying manure: the formation of root crops will be delayed, and the quality will be low, as they say, neither taste nor appearance. In addition, on manured soil, the plant is often affected by fungal diseases. But being sown after crops to which organic matter was added (cucumbers, cabbage), beets will form high-quality, tasty root crops.
4. When digging up a future beet bed, add up to two tablespoons of superphosphate, 1-1.5 tablespoons of potassium sulfate or a tablespoon of nitrophoska and a glass of wood ash per square meter. m.
5. In order for beets to gain “sweetness” and grow without defects, they are fed with fertilizers containing magnesium and boron, for example, magbor. To ensure that beets do not lack other nutrients, at the beginning of the growing season they are fed with complex fertilizer (a tablespoon per square meter). Nitrogen is added if leaves grow weakly in spring: 2 teaspoons of urea per square meter. m. During the phase of root crop formation, repeat fertilizing with complex fertilizer.
6. At the end of the season, “for sweetness” the beets are “salted”: they are fed table salt(a teaspoon per bucket of water).
7. Beautiful root crops cannot be grown without timely thinning of the seedlings. This plant has the property of sprouting in clusters, even if, when sowing, you place the seed balls at the required distance. Therefore, at the stage of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out, increasing the distance between plants to 3-4 cm. After 2-3 weeks, another thinning is carried out - up to 6-7 cm. “Rare” is also not needed: the root crops will grow too large , their quality will deteriorate.

As you can see, caring for beets is not much different from caring for all other root vegetables. If you follow all these simple recommendations in the fall, you will get an excellent harvest.

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

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

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

The most popular varieties suitable for growing in any climatic conditions:

Valenta– an early ripening variety with sweet, dark red flesh, cold-resistant, shelf-stable, disease-resistant.

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

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

Podzimnyaya- a mid-early cold-resistant variety, resistant to most diseases, round fruits weighing 200 - 400 g with burgundy pulp.

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

Red ice – mid-early variety, the fruits are bright red, with structured pulp, light weight - 200–300 g, well stored.

Bicores– mid-season, high-yielding variety, bright red fruits weighing 200-350 g, lightweight.

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

Landing dates

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

If the spring is too cold, you can move the planting date to a later time, choosing beets early date maturation.

Winter beets are sown with dry seeds before the onset of frost. Only specially oriented varieties are selected for this purpose. The crop areas are covered. They start to grow in early spring and provide summer harvest beets. Summer-ripened root crops cannot be stored for long periods of time.

Preparing the soil for beets

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

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

It is better to apply mineral additives - superphosphate and potassium sulfate - in the fall so that they have time to dissolve in the soil. They are scattered dry over the bed before digging at a rate of no more than 0.3 kg. by one square meter land.

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

Site selection, crop rotation

Rules for choosing a place for beets:

1. beets love space; the sparser the root crops are planted from each other, the more space they have for growing rounded barrels;
2. if there is no need for large plantations of this root crop, beets can be planted in a border method next to potatoes, cucumbers, beans, next to greens or onions;
3. beets need frequent irrigation, but stagnation of water will lead to rotting, which means the bed must be laid out next to the watering source in a well-drained area;
4. Beets are not planted twice in a row in the same place; crop rotation is observed very carefully;
5. the preceding plants for this vegetable are onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, carrots, zucchini;
6. It is undesirable to plant beets after cabbage and for the second year in a row in one place.

If you have to displace any crops in the garden by planting them on poor soil, then you can safely do this with beets. Its growth can be ensured by good loosening of the soil, timely watering and fertilizer.

Seed preparation

Beet seeds before planting:

• check for germination - pour into a glass of salted water, mix and remove any that float;
• hardened by alternation hot water and cold, withstanding in every temperature conditions for several hours;
• disinfected by keeping for 12 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• stimulated by soaking in a growth stimulator.
• germinate if the seeds are prepared for growing beet seedlings.

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

Planting beets in open ground

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

Sow beets in furrows 3-5 centimeters deep with a distance of 5 centimeters from each other and 20 centimeters between rows.

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

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

Beet care

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

Beets do not require close attention at all if they grow in good soil and with proper watering. But if the plant lacks nutrition, it will have a bad effect on taste or lead to diseases.

1. Phoma of beet fruits and leaves develops with a lack of boron and is expressed in the appearance of lightened spots on the foliage; it is also fraught with curvature and the appearance of cavities in the root crop.
2. Cercospora blight is caused by excessive moisture in the beds.
3. Excess nitrogen in the soil will cause the beets to taste bitter and earthy.

Watering and fertilizing

After germination, beets need to be watered frequently - once every two to three days, alternating watering with shallow loosening so as not to damage the roots. There is no need to hill this root crop. But it is good to form a hog between the rows of beets, along which water will flow. In case of soil erosion, top up with thin layer humus.

Loosening can be replaced by mulching. A layer of crushed dried grass placed between the rows will help conserve moisture.

One-time payment mineral fertilizers before planting for beets is enough. It makes sense to carry out additional fertilizing only if the plants are noticeably stunted in growth.

Periodic watering of beets with diluted herbal infusions or yeast fertilizers.

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

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

Optimal planting density

Important point in caring for beets - thinning. It is carried out in several stages so that the owner has the opportunity to evaluate the growing roots and select the best of them. Before each thinning, it is necessary to fill the beets well.

When the first pair of leaves appears, the weakest plants are removed. In the future, when thinning, diseased specimens are removed; good roots that are too thick can be transplanted to a new place or used for food as greens.

From the initial distance between plants of 5 centimeters, you eventually need to reach an interval of 15-20 centimeters.

Harvest and storage

Beets are harvested in the fall before the onset of cold weather, when the leaves on the plant wither. When harvesting, you must act carefully, using a shovel to pry up large layers of soil and remove the root crops one at a time.

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

Store medium-sized root vegetables with intact skin in a dry room at a temperature of 2 to 5 C.

Beet diseases and pests

The main pests of any root crops are moles, mole crickets and rodents. Beet flea beetles, wireworms and slugs are also dangerous. In addition, plants are affected by various rots and nematodes.

To combat these troubles, one must first of all maintain hygiene. personal plot– high-quality cleaning, careful deep digging and preventive treatment of plantings with natural disinfectants – wood ash, tobacco dust, hot pepper powder.

These root vegetables are famous for their unpretentiousness and consistency. They are well stored in basements and vegetable pits, saving useful material until spring. Be sure to find a place on your plot for beets.