Beetroot. When and how to properly plant beets in open ground. Light mode for table beets

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

Beetroot requirements for growing conditions

Temperature

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

Light mode for table beets

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

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

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

Beetroot to moisture ratio

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

Beetroot requirements for soil conditions

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

Requirement of beets for predecessors

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

Features of agricultural technology for table beets

Selecting beet seeds for sowing

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

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

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

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

Soil preparation

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

Sowing dates for table beets

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

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

Technology for spring sowing of table beets with seeds

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

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

Technology for planting beet seedlings

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

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

Technology for winter sowing of beets

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

Compacted beet crops

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

Rachael Gander

Beet care

Caring for table beets consists of:

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

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

Loosening the soil

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

Beet thinning

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

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

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

Beet nutrition

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

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

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

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

Foliar feeding

Microfertilizers boron, copper and molybdenum are best applied in the form of foliar liquid fertilizers by spraying. Above ground mass. Can buy ready mixture microfertilizers or replace with ash infusion.

In the phase of 4-5 leaves, sprinkle the beets well with the solution boric acid. IN hot water dissolve 2 g of boric acid and dilute in 10 liters of water. This technique will protect beet roots from heart rot. Ready drug microfertilizers are diluted according to the recommendations and the plants are treated.

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

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

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

Watering beets

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

Protection of beets from diseases and pests

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

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

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

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

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

Harvesting beets

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

• Part 2. Agricultural technology for growing beets

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

Preparing soil and beds

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

Beetroot is planted in a place that is well and continuously lit. There should be no dense bushes, spreading trees, fences or walls nearby. It is advisable to choose a high part of the site that is not flooded by heavy rains.

It is worth considering the basic soil requirements for beets.

• Acidity is in the range of 6.2-7.5. If there is a lot of rapeseed, wild sorrel and horsetail on the site, then the soil is acidic. Root crops will be small and ugly in shape. It is necessary to add lime or dolomite flour. When preparing a bed for beets, moderate liming is possible even in the year of planting.
• The optimal soil is loose, rich in organic matter (loamy, sandy loam, black soil). Growing beets in too clay soil without special preparation and adding sand is a waste of time and effort. The fruit will be fibrous, tough and bitter.
• The depth of the arable soil layer is from 25 to 30 cm.

At favorable conditions Root crops develop quickly, and sugar accumulation occurs at an accelerated rate.

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

Fertilizer application

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

It is optimal to prepare a bed for beets in the fall by adding rotted manure, compost (about 15-20 kg per 1 m2) and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to the soil. Mineral fertilizers can be incorporated into the soil before planting. Complex additives usually use NPK 13-12-19 or.

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

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

Beets love organic matter, but adding fresh or half-rotted manure before planting will lead to a deterioration in the taste and presentation of the fruit.

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

Landing dates

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

Planting beets in spring different regions produced on time:

• Northern Caucasus – 1st decade of April;
• Central Black Earth Region – 3rd decade of April;
• north of the Central Black Earth Region, Non-Black Earth Region, Volga region, Bashkortostan and Altai - 1st ten days of May.

Late beets long-term storage sown in the second ten days of May, you can plant it until June 10. These varieties have enough time before frost to fully ripen, and they are stored much better than early and mid-season varieties.

The dates are approximate; for each year they may vary depending on weather conditions.

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

You can plant beets with seeds in the fall. There are special varieties for this, since ordinary types will begin to bolt and will not produce a harvest. Autumn sowing of beets is beneficial for regions with cool, short summers. The sowing time comes when stable frosts begin and the soil becomes crusty. In the Urals or Siberia, the right time is November. No general recommendations, from what date it is necessary to sow beets before winter. It is important not to miss the last period before the earth “sets” (3-4 °C below zero). According to popular observations optimal time The moment the cherry tree completely sheds its leaves is considered to be the moment.

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

Seed preparation

Beet seeds are lumps of fruit, in which several seeds are collected (from 2 to 6 pieces). For this reason, many novice gardeners are surprised when, after carefully sowing seed-pods in a schematic manner, bunches of seedlings suddenly appear from the garden bed.

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

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

After a day, the seeds are washed, wrapped in a damp cloth and kept at room temperature 3-4 days, without allowing the package to dry out.

At autumn planting There is no need to soak the seeds.

Sowing technique

Immediately before spring planting The beet bed is loosened to about 5 cm deep and leveled. You need to sow or plant seedlings either in cloudy weather or in the evening, so that the soil does not become windy and the seedlings do not die from the hot sun.

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

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

In dry weather, the ridge is first spilled with water (an hour or two before); in rainy weather, it is enough to moisten the grooves well. After 3-4 days, it is recommended to loosen the soil with a spring or wire rake. After this procedure, the beets emerge more smoothly.

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

If you leave too large gaps between plants, the root crops will grow large and difficult to cook.

Excess beet sprouts should not be thrown away. If you spill the soil well before the procedure and pry the seedlings with a special spatula (you can use the handle of a spoon), then the roots will not be damaged. The seedlings will quickly take root in another place, and the shape of the fruit will not be affected in the future, as happens with carrots.

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

Care

The main care for young beet sprouts consists of moistening and loosening. Do not allow a crust to form on the soil. Loosening is done carefully while the plants are small; you can do this with a regular old fork. Beets are responsive to this procedure, so it is recommended to carry it out until the tops close.

Feeding

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

Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are the main elements needed by beets. If you don’t have complex ones at hand mineral fertilizers, then ash, previously mixed with compost, can be added to the soil. Consumption: 3 cups of clean ash per 1m2.

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

The second (when the fetus is about Walnut) consists of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Consumption: 8 g superphosphate, 10 g potassium chloride per 1 m2. Nitrogen is no longer used.

If there is not enough boron in the soil, the beets react by rotting the core. Deficiency of copper and molybdenum also has a negative effect, which can be replenished foliar feeding(in the phase of 10 leaves). For this purpose, liquid microfertilizers are used, which contain boron in organomineral form and manganese in chelated form.

If the beets develop slowly, rounded spots appear on the tops yellow spots, then there are signs of potassium deficiency and too acidic soil. IN in this case Watering with lime milk will help. Recipe: dilute 200 g of fluff lime, 80 g of potassium chloride in 10 liters of water. The solution should be enough for 10 linear meters of planting (along the line).

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

Watering

Beetroot depends on the weather. In the first month and a half of plant development, the soil should not be allowed to dry out. Young beets love evening sprinkling. After this procedure, the tops become fresh and acquire high turgor.

If the summer is not too hot, then growing beets in open ground will not be a hassle. After the tops are closed between the rows, the moisture will erode more slowly, and the root crop is already able to extract nutrition from the deeper layers of the soil.

Watering the beets stops about a month before harvesting.

Diseases

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

• scab in the form of cracks and growths on the fruit;
• phomosis (zonal leaf spot) - the disease can also be a consequence of boron deficiency;
• blackening of the pulp;
• root beetle, “black leg” (at the seedling stage);
• voids in the root crop.

However, all of the above can also occur due to excess nitrogen or unbalanced fertilizing, so fertilizers must be applied correctly.

May develop fungal diseases: downy mildew, cercospora, manifested by drying out of the tops. Only treatment with fungicides (CHOM, Fundazol, Carbendazim, copper oxychloride) can help.

Pests

Growing beets in the country may be unsuccessful for years if wheatgrass grows around the bed and the soil increased acidity. This is the most comfortable habitat for the larvae of the click beetle -. They are the ones who can literally turn any root vegetable into a sieve.

The number of these beet pests can be reduced only by regularly used control methods:

• select yellow worms manually when digging:
• dig in traps in the form of potato tubers;
• exterminate wheatgrass, lime the soil;
• periodically use special means (for example, Provotox granules).

Beet leaf and root aphids can also cause damage. Regular spraying with a solution of “Green Soap” and Pyrethrum will help destroy the pest.

Beet flea beetles eat the leaf pulp. Ash will be useful in the fight against them, tobacco dust, pollination with Hexachlorane is effective.

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

In most cases, growing beets in personal plots does not cause much trouble. If there are few weeds, and the soil is tilled correctly in spring and autumn, then the risk of pest attack is minimal. Crop rotation is also effective measure protection.

Many gardeners plant both late and early beets on their plots, providing themselves with a fresh harvest and a supply of root crops for the winter. This unpretentious plant, the seeds of which germinate quickly enough, the seedlings are tolerant of adverse weather conditions, and to obtain good harvest It is enough to properly prepare the bed.

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).

1. 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.
2. 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.

Some of the best varieties are the following:

1. early varieties: Detroit - with smooth spherical roots, Egyptian - with large roots flat shape; Bordeaux, Red Ball, Podzimnyaya.
2. late-ripening beets: Torpeda, Ataman;
3. 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 on 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

The benefits of vegetables are undeniable. Everyone knows that they should be included in our diet without fail and preferably daily. And grown in the garden, with your own hands, they are many times healthier and tastier.

Vegetables are an integral part of most dishes. Having country cottage area, you can grow small quantities of different types of these useful plants.

We will devote today's article to growing beets and caring for them.

Fresh young tops, sweet juicy root vegetables rich in vitamins and beneficial microelements are worth spending your time caring for the plant.

Characteristics, popular varieties

Beet- a biennial plant, which is represented by a rosette of succulent leaves different sizes, and also has a fleshy, juicy root vegetable, the color, shape and size of which are determined by the variety.

It gained popularity for its simple agricultural cultivation techniques, valuable properties, and the possibility of long-term storage. Contains sugar, fiber, organic acids, mineral salts, vitamins C, B, B2, P, PP. It is also high in calories compared to other vegetables.

Contains many alkalis with a small amount of acids. Beetroot juice is used to cleanse the blood, is good for the digestive system, and is used to treat colds and viral diseases.

Table beets are quite demanding in terms of heat, so temperature regime very important when growing it.

The best varieties are the result of foreign and domestic selection. In the first case, these are such as the Polish Chervona Kulya, Regala, Bikores, Bolivar, in the second - Bordeaux 237, Diy, Bagryannaya, Smena, Delikatesnaya.

How to plant beets?

Collateral bountiful harvest is a sunny, well-lit place. You can also plant where cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes, and tomatoes used to grow. Moreover, next year the place must be changed, but it can be returned only after 3-4 years. Acidic, swampy soils are not suitable for beets, but they will take root well in organic-rich, loamy soils.

In addition, the land must be well cultivated and cleared of weeds. Before planting, dig up the bed and apply fertilizers: ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, potassium chloride, humus or compost, and lime if necessary.

There are two ways to grow beets:

• sowing seeds directly into the beds;
• seedlings.

In the first case, the sowing pattern is mainly single-line (45 cm between rows) or two-line - 25 cm between lines and 50 cm between tapes. Plant to a depth of 3-4 cm and mulch the rows.

The seedling method involves sowing seeds in a greenhouse in nests of 3-4 seeds, and the seedlings are subsequently thinned out. Seedlings are planted in a permanent place when they reach a height of no more than 8 cm, and they should not be buried too deep. The width between rows is 30 cm, between plants - 15-20.

When to plant beets?

You can sow beets both in spring and before winter (late October - early November). In spring, the ground should warm up well (8-10˚C to a depth of 10 cm).

The advantage of autumn sowing is an earlier harvest at the end of June. In order for the seeds to germinate better and faster, they are pre-soaked in water several days before sowing.

The timing of planting beets to obtain seedlings is 10 days earlier than on a ridge in open ground.

Vegetable care

It is important not only to plant beets correctly, but also to carry out proper care measures: fertilizing, watering, thinning, weeding and others.

Fertilizing is carried out immediately after rooting of seedlings, and after 4 weeks - a second one. Potassium and nitrogen should predominate in the fertilizer.

Water for the first time when young, well-developed shoots appear. The last one is 15-20 days before harvest. Moreover, it is necessary to water so that the water reaches a depth of 20 cm. Then the soil is loosened.

Beetroot is characterized by dense seedlings, since each seed is a cluster of several seeds. Therefore, it is very important to carry out thinning to avoid stretching of plants and deformation of root crops. It needs to be done as early as possible.

The first is carried out in the phase of two true leaves, leaving 2-3 cm between plants, the second - beets have 4-5 leaves, the distance is 6-7 cm.

It is also important to carry out weeding and loosening, and this work should not be delayed.

Before frost sets in, beets are harvested, carefully digging them up, cleared of soil, the tops are cut off, leaving a petiole of no more than 1 cm. For storage, it is better to choose specimens measuring 7-10 cm in diameter.

First, the root crops are sorted, dried and placed in boxes, poured bulk material(sand, dry peat, sawdust). It is better to store in a cellar, a cool place with good ventilation.