Planting beets in the garden. Correct planting of beet seeds in open ground. Preparing the soil for beets

Beetroot is an indispensable root vegetable in cooking. But not everyone knows how to plant it correctly and take care of the sowing.

Let's take a closer look at how to plant and care for beets.

Varieties and features of beets

The most popular variety of this root vegetable is beetroot. It is her that every summer resident grows. It possesses a red fleshy root vegetable.

In addition to the dining room, there are also the following types:

fodder beet;
sugar beet.

These two types of root crops are rarely cultivated by summer residents, only if there is a need to feed them to animals. They are not suitable for human food.

There are many varieties of table beet. For our area, it is better to choose varieties of domestic selection:

bordeaux 237,
gourmet,
crimson.

They tolerate climatic conditions best and have good yields.

How to prepare the soil before planting beets

Since beets are a very light-loving plant, therefore, for sowing, you need to find an area that is not shaded by tall plants in the garden. Before sowing the root crop, the soil must be slightly fluffed to ensure a sufficient supply of oxygen.

In addition, it is necessary to apply mineral fertilizers. Manure is not very suitable for beets, since nitrates will get into the root crop from it. The best option would be to use fertilizers such as:

ammonium nitrate;
potassium chloride;
superphosphate.

When planning a site for planting beets, it is necessary to take into account the seasonal crop rotation. Beets can be planted in the same place no more often than after 4 years.

The best predecessor for it might be:

cucumbers;
white cabbage or cauliflower;
potatoes;
tomatoes.

After these plants, there are many minerals that are necessary for the growth of beets.

Seed preparation for sowing

The seeds also need to be prepared for sowing. To do this, they are soaked in a special solution.

A solution to stimulate growth is prepared from 1 liter of warm water at a temperature of 30 degrees, to which 1 spoon of ash is added, one teaspoon of soda and superphosphate and a quarter of a teaspoon of boric acid.

We leave the seeds in this solution for a day, after which they need to be rinsed in clean water. After washing, the seeds should be wrapped in a damp cloth and left in a warm place for 3 days. After this time, the seeds are ready for planting.

When to plant beets

Beets can be planted in spring or fall. In spring, seeds can be planted in open ground only when the ground reaches a temperature of 10 degrees, at a depth of 10 cm. This usually happens in early May. But experts advise sowing beets in early June, so they will be better stored in winter.

Autumn sowing is carried out in October - November. The main thing is to have time to do this before the first frost.

Beet root planting methods

There are 2 ways to sow beets:

directly into open ground;
growing seedlings.

The first method is the most common. Sow the beets in rows, at a distance of about 45 cm.The seeding depth is within 2-3 cm.The distance between the seeds should be no more than 13 cm.

You can plant and thicker, but when shoots appear, it will be necessary to thin out the sowing, since several plants grow from one seed at once. It is necessary to remove the weaker ones in order to give more nutrients and moisture to the remaining ones.

Growing seedlings involves harvesting earlier than when sowing in the ground. In the greenhouse, seeds are prepared and planted in the same way as when planting in open ground. After the plants reach 5 cm in height, the weakest are removed from them.

When the height of the selected plants reaches 8-9 cm and they have at least 4 leaves, you can transplant to the garden bed. For this, the plants are cut out from the greenhouse with the ground and planted at a distance of 17 cm from each other in rows. The distance between the rows should be at least 33 cm.

Beetroot care and pest control

The growing plant needs care and fertilization. Watering the beets is often not worth it. This can lead to cracking of the root crop and loss of color and taste.

During the growth period, beets can also be additionally fed with mineral fertilizers diluted in water.

Beets are very fond of leaving. It is constantly necessary to get rid of weeds and protect from pests. Aphids do great harm to her. You can fight the pest using folk methods. An infusion of onion and dandelion husks helps well, which are poured in equal proportions with boiling water. The cooled infusion should be sprayed with beet leaves. Aphids also do not tolerate wood ash.

Collect the beets after the leaves begin to turn yellow. The main thing is to have time to collect before frost. Excess soil is removed from root crops before storage and the leaves are cut off. Best of all, beets are stored in the basement, folded in separate boxes and sprinkled with sawdust.

To grow a tasty root crop with good yields, you will need to know some of the intricacies of planting and caring for beets in the open field. The culture is two years old, but with improper cultivation, the formation of a peduncle will begin, while the root crop will not work or it will be small and ugly. Cultivated varieties that form round heads and elongated cylindrical fruits. Beets are table, fodder and sugar beets. The color of a table root vegetable can be not only burgundy, sometimes varieties with a different color are found. There are leafy beet varieties.

Soil preparation and sowing seeds

Beets like fertile light soil with a neutral reaction. Therefore, the cultivation garden is prepared in the fall. The best predecessors will be crops that are demanding on soil fertility. It can be onions, cucumbers, tomatoes. Do not sow beets after cruciferous crops because they have common pests. The bed must have been limed in previous years. Before sowing, potassium chloride is additionally introduced into the soil. For fertility, a sufficient humus content is important, which is created with the introduction of compost or humus.

Fresh manure is not added to the garden bed for root crops. Beets absorb nitrogen fertilizers well and store them in root crops. Therefore, an excess of nitrogen in the soil is unacceptable.

The soil is loosened deeply and cut into furrows with a distance of 25 cm. The seeds are laid out at a distance of 9-10 cm. From above they are sprinkled to a depth of 2 cm, the soil is moistened. Seedlings will appear in a week if pre-sowing seed treatment is carried out.

Beet seeds are collected in nodules and are located on top in a common shell, which must be destroyed to accelerate seed germination. They are soaked in an ash solution, in stimulants, followed by germination. For this, the seed is kept wet for a day or two. During this time, the seeds swell, and their germination in the ground is faster.

Up to five seedlings can emerge from the nodule. Therefore, after germination, the plants should be thinned out, leaving one strong sprout from the glomerulus. There are single-sprout beet seeds and this information is written on the package. How to plant beets, at what distance, depends on further care. If you need to use young leaves and nodules, beets are sown more often in order to thin out and use early production.

Summer beet care

To grow tasty root crops with good yields, you must follow simple care rules:

sowing at the optimum time;
correct plants;
weed and pest control;
plant feeding.

If the beets are intended for obtaining marketable products for winter storage, you should not rush to sowing. The soil should be warmed up by 10 degrees, the seedlings should not fall under a cold snap, otherwise the beets will shoot themselves. Therefore, sowing begins when stable warmth is guaranteed for young seedlings.

In each region, warmth comes at different times. Therefore, for Ukraine, sowing can be in April, in the Moscow region in mid-May, in Eastern Siberia at the very end of May. When growing beets, there are several features that will help you grow a tender root vegetable.

Only beets need to be fed with ordinary table salt. At the same time, it becomes softer and sweeter. The explanation for the phenomenon lies in the origin of the plant. In the Mediterranean, for centuries it was blown by the sea, saturated with salt air, and it became physiologically necessary for a plant.

After thinning the plant, it is watered with the addition of fertilizer for the fastest development of the rosette. How to feed the beets for growth is chosen according to the circumstances. It can be herbal infusion with nettle, potassium nitrate or. Any of the presented fertilizers contain nitrogen.

After 6-7 developed leaves appear, foliar feeding with microelements should be carried out, the most important of which for beets will be boron. If, after applying nitrogen, the beets grow poorly, then they decide to feed them after analyzing the acidity of the soil. It is possible that an acidic environment interferes with the assimilation of elements. The first aid in this case will be the introduction of ash.

The lack of boron in the soil must be replenished. Symptoms of a lack of an element will be beet fomosis - the formation of black spots on the root crop. Preventive spraying with a solution of 5 g of boric acid per 10 liters of water will save root crops from flaws.

After the fruit has formed the size of a walnut, a second feeding is done with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. How to feed the beets in July is chosen based on the requirements of plant development. From the moment the root crop begins to form, any fertilizing with the inclusion of nitrogen compounds should be excluded. Fertilizer Agricola-4 can be considered an example of such a balanced feeding. In this case, fertilizing is carried out without spraying, from the spout closer to the plants, without wetting the leaf blade. Any top dressing is performed on wet soil after watering.

Sometimes the question arises of how to water beets outdoors. The root crop does not develop well with uneven soil moisture. Abundant watering of dry soil can lead to cracking of root crops. Therefore, water-charging irrigation is required by sprinkling with the supply of up to 20 liters of water per square one time. In between, weekly watering is required, which is stopped 2 weeks before harvesting.

Beet pests and diseases

Healthy beet leaves have a shiny surface without spots. The appearance of uncharacteristic chlorotic manifestations, dry spots indicates that it is time to carry out foliar treatment with fungicidal preparations. The best will be prevention using Fitosporin or Bordeaux mixture with a concentration of 1%.

Pests inflict great damage on beets:

beet fleas;
nematodes and wireworms;
winter and cabbage scoops.

The control of these pests includes methods of mechanical sampling of pests from the ground, biological and chemical methods of control. The use of repellents on developing crops is the best prophylaxis. Using soil stimulants will allow microorganisms to rebalance themselves without the use of chemicals. Therefore, the regular use of drugs such as Radiance and EM-1 Baikal will help increase the immunity of plants to pests and diseases. In addition, a film is created on the leaves, which prevents the penetration of spores and punctures.

How and when to store beets

The most valuable are medium-sized root crops. That is why you should not rush with the spring sowing of seeds. The larger the beets grow, the coarser their fiber. Remove the beets before frost, since the root crop does not tolerate sub-zero temperatures and will be unsuitable for storage. And the biology of the plant is such that the grown root rises above the surface. Therefore, the beets are harvested early.

The vegetable is freed from the stalks without a knife, by twisting the tops. The cut with a knife dries for a long time and more juice leaves the root crop than with uneven twisting. The earth dries out and is gently scraped off the surface without disturbing the thin skin. Damaged fruits are not suitable for storage. You can store beets in a box of sand and just on top of the potatoes. It picks up excess moisture from the cellar.

Beet planting video

It is often not always possible for novice gardeners - the seeds do not germinate well or the roots grow small. How to plant beets correctly? What do you need to know so that planting and caring for beets does not bring disappointment? After all, this is one of the first vegetable crops in terms of yield and the presence of properties useful for humans. Beets keep well. Almost all year round it can be used for human consumption, has long been valued for its dietary, taste, medicinal and useful properties. Beets are a real source of health and vitality. Now many varieties of beets have been bred.

Features of planting beet seeds in open ground

Of the root crops, beets (in the Kuban they are often called beetroot or beetroot) are the most demanding on soil fertility. The best for her are loamy, sandy loam, chernozem soils, rich in organic substances, as well as floodplain lands, drained peatlands. Growing beets on swampy soils is difficult, long-term excess of moisture oppresses the plants. On such soils, it is necessary to grow it on ridges.

Soil preparation

One of the main reasons for low yields is planting beets in poor soils with high acidity. This culture does not like such soils. At pH = 5.0 and below, there is a massive loss of seedlings, growth slows down, the leaves turn red. On very acidic soils, the root crop may not develop at all. If wild sorrel, horsetail grows on the site, then this is a clear sign of high soil acidity. In this case, it is necessary to add lime, chalk or ash (200-500 g per square meter).

When to plant beets in spring with seeds in open ground

When are beets sown? Beets can be sown on several dates, up to the beginning of June. But the first sowing is in early April. Usually, according to the timing, they are guided by planting potatoes. Once it is planted, you can start sowing beets. When the soil warms up enough, the seeds will sprout more amicably, less attacked by pathogenic fungi and bacteria.

Very early plantings of beetroot can be killed by frost. Temperatures of -4-5 ° C are detrimental to beet seedlings. In addition, with early sowing, many flowering plants can appear, i.e. the beets will turn into color.

When planting beets, it is often hot and dry, and the topsoil can be very dry. The dense, lignified beet pericarp, which contains the seed, requires a lot of moisture to swell. Therefore, it is advisable to water the entire bed or sowing furrows abundantly. If this is not possible, then the bottom of the furrow is compacted. After planting the seeds, the soil is compacted, and from above it is mulched with peat or humus. You can cover the bed with a covering material - it also retains moisture well.

Beet seed treatment before planting

Before sowing, seeds are soaked in warm water (40 ° C) for 3-4 days to accelerate germination. The water is changed daily. When the first seedlings appear (no more than 3%), beet seeds are dried and sown. Soaking followed by drying ensures the friendly emergence of healthy seedlings, since the microbes that have developed during soaking die when dried. You can soak seeds in trace element solutions.

Row spacing and seeding depth

With a good supply of fertilizers and moisture, the maximum beet yield can be obtained with the optimal number of plants per unit area. This is achieved through correct plant placement in rows and multi-line seeding, as well as by reducing row spacings. A 2-3-row bed with a distance between rows of 15-20 cm is convenient. Between beds - 40-50 cm. Between plants in a row 6-8 cm. Excessive thickening of plants, as well as sparseness, lead to loss of yield.

On light soils, seeds are planted to a depth of 3-4 cm, on heavy soils - 2-3 cm. It is advisable to mulch the crops or cover with a film before germination, this is especially important to do on heavy soils. Before sowing, superphosphate can be sprinkled sparsely into the grooves, which will accelerate the development of the root system, will contribute to better rooting of seedlings.

Seedling care, thinning

Directly fresh manure cannot be applied under beets, root crops become of poor quality, poorly stored in winter.

Burak is very sensitive to lack of light. All weeds as they appear must be destroyed. It is also impossible to allow thickening of seedlings, to make a breakthrough in sowing in a timely manner.

Thinning of seedlings

The thickening of beet seedlings is inherent in the nature of its seeds. Usually gardeners sow varieties with a lot of seed fruit (from 3 to 6).

The first thinning is done when the first pair of true leaves appears, leaving the plants 3-4 cm apart. The second thinning - 2-3 weeks after the first, the plants are placed 6-8 cm apart. When thinning is delayed for a week, up to 45-50 g per square meter of harvest per day is lost.

To save yourself from this work, it is necessary to acquire the single-seeded and double-seeded beet seeds that have now appeared, sow them immediately at the required distance (taking into account the percentage of germination).

Beet dressing

When the first true leaves appear after thinning, you can give fertilizing with mineral fertilizers in a liquid or dry state. Approximate doses: for 10 liters of water 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 80 g of superphosphate, 35 g of potassium chloride. This volume of solution is consumed for 15 running meters of the row. Superphosphate and potash fertilizers can be replaced with a triple dose of ash.

Feeding with a solution of mullein or chicken droppings is possible. The second feeding is usually carried out 3 weeks after the first. Top dressing is done only in the first half of summer, later nitrogen dressings contribute to the accumulation of nitrates.

Want your beets to grow sweet? For increase sugar content you can feed the beets with a 1% sodium chloride solution.

Watering beets

During the period of intensive growth of leaves, root crops, there is usually hot dry weather. Watering at this time will significantly increase the yield. In general, in comparison with other vegetable crops, beetroot is relatively drought-resistant, so it should be watered sparingly. Excess moisture leads to strong growth of leaves to the detriment of the root crop.

In late July - early September, some gardeners stop actively caring for beets, considering it useless. This is not true, since at this time there is an increased outflow of nutrients from the leaves into the root crop, its mass is rapidly growing. Therefore, with sufficient moisture, deep loosening is also necessary, especially on heavy soils. A week before harvesting, if it is very hot, it is advisable to water the beets. This increases the turgor of cells, contributes to better preservation of fruits in winter.

They remove it for winter storage earlier than other root crops (carrots, for example), since it does not withstand autumn frosts.

Useful properties of beets

Since ancient times, beets have been used in folk medicine to treat many diseases. This is just a storehouse of vitamins, minerals, it is ideal for various diets, including medical ones.

Beet juice is considered one of the best vegetable juices. It contains sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulfur, chlorine, iodine, iron, copper, vitamins B1, B2, C and P. This juice is rich in easily digestible carbohydrates, but its calorie content is low. Due to its high iron content, it restores, activates blood cells, provides fresh oxygen, and helps to normalize the functions of vesicular respiration. Adding a teaspoon of lime juice to a glass of beetroot juice increases its medicinal value.

The most beneficial property of beets is that they contain over 50% sodium and only 5% calcium. This promotes the dissolution of oxalic acid salts in the body, which accumulate in the blood vessels. Beet juice is an excellent solvent for inorganic calcium deposits. Therefore, it is a useful product for the treatment of hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart disease, varicose veins.

It is important to know that pure beet juice can put a lot of stress on the pancreas and stomach. Therefore, it is recommended to mix beet juice with other juices: carrot, cucumber, etc. Beetroot juice mixed with carrot, cucumber juice is one of the best kidney and gall bladder cleansers.

The pectin substances that beets contain protect the body from the effects of radioactive, heavy metals, retard the development of harmful bacteria in the intestines, and contribute to the elimination of excess water and cholesterol.

It contains a large amount of betaine, which is a physiologically very important compound for metabolism. Another specific substance in beets, betanin, is a red pigment that restores the respiratory capacity of the cell. It is believed to have a depressing effect on the growth of malignant cells. The more intense the color of the root vegetable pulp, the more it contains vitamin C, betaine and betanin.

Beetroot contains 8-15 percent sugar, protein, fiber, and minerals.

Leaves are useful, which contain 2-3 times more protein and mineral salts than root crops. Beets are useful for anemia, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, obesity.

100 g of beetroot juice contains 42 kcal, 1.0 g of protein, 0 g of fat, 9.9 g of carbohydrates.

Beets can help you lose weight. There is a special mono-diet. It lasts two days. For these two days, you can only eat beets - boiled or baked. From liquids these days it is recommended to drink green tea, fresh vegetable juices, still mineral water. It should be remembered that no more than 2 kg of beets can be eaten per day. Liquids should be drunk at least 1.5 liters per day.

Beetroot can help you lower your blood pressure and associated risks such as heart attacks and strokes. The daily dose is 250 ml of beetroot juice. But do not forget that beet juice is too concentrated, it is better to use it mixed with other juices - carrot, apple, cucumber.

Beets contain folic acid, which is essential for the normal growth of body tissues. Folic acid is important for the development of the infant's spinal cord during the first three months of pregnancy. It can help prevent fetal malformations and premature birth. Beets also contain iron, which is a terrific tonic for expectant mothers suffering from pregnancy fatigue. Expectant mothers should remember, however, that boiled or baked, it has a lower folate content than raw. For more information on the importance of folate during pregnancy, be sure to check with your doctor.

Beets contain mineral silica. This helps the body absorb calcium better, which is very important in reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

If you put several mayonnaise jars of water on the window in winter, insert small beets there (you could have thrown them away in the fall), then you will soon be able to harvest fresh vitamin leaves for salads and soups.

Beet varieties

The most common varieties are:

Bordeaux 237- high-yielding mid-early variety with round oval roots, burgundy pulp, high taste;
One-sprout(similar to Bordeaux);
Egyptian flat- fruitful, more early ripening than Bordeaux, variety, rounded flat roots, dark red pulp with a purple tint;
Gribovskaya flat A-473- a productive variety, morphologically close to the Egyptian flat, but earlier;
Incomparable А-463- root crops are flat or round-flat, the pulp is intensely dark red, the palatability is high, requires highly cultivated soils, on poor soils it sharply reduces the yield;
Two-seeded TLCA- a new high-yielding variety. Root crops are rounded, aligned in shape, size, the pulp is dark red, burgundy, tender, juicy, high taste, the rosette of leaves is small. The variety can be grown thicker than Bordeaux or others - 6 cm in a row between plants. Thinning is practically not required. This beet variety is capable of producing high yields in most regions of the country.

For podzimnye crops it is better to use special varieties - Podzimnyaya A-474, Cold-resistant 19.

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

Soil and bed preparation

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

The beets are planted in a well-lit place for a long time. There should be no dense bushes, spreading trees, fence, walls nearby. It is advisable to choose a high part of the site that is not flooded by torrential rains.

It is worth considering the basic requirements for the soil for beets.

Acidity in the range of 6.2-7.5. If there is a lot of colza, wild sorrel and horsetail on the site, then the soil is acidic. Root vegetables will be small, ugly in shape. Lime or dolomite flour must be added. When preparing a ridge for beets, moderate liming is possible in the year of planting.
The optimal soil is loose, rich in organic matter (loamy, sandy loam, black soil). Growing beets in too clayey soil without special preparation and sanding 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.

Under favorable conditions, root crops develop quickly, and an accelerated accumulation of sugar occurs.

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

Fertilization
Beets are demanding on the content of micro and macro elements in the soil. For reference: 1 ton of root crops extracts from the ground up to 7 kg of nitrogen, about 3 kg of phosphorus and up to 9 kg of potassium. While the root system is still weak, the plant especially needs phosphorus, then intensive absorption of other nutrients begins.
It is optimal to prepare a ridge for beets in the fall, adding rotted manure, compost (about 15-20 kg per 1 m 2) and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to the soil. Mineral dressings can be embedded in the soil before planting. Of the complex additives, NPK 13-12-19 or NPK are usually used.
For winter sowing of beets, the following complex of fertilizers is introduced into the soil (per 1 m 2):
half a bucket of manure, humus or compost;
30 g of potassium chloride (chlorine ions prevent the accumulation of nitrates);
30 g superphosphate.

Beets are very fond of organic matter, but the introduction of fresh or semi-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 to a depth of about 30 cm, all clods are broken, the surface is leveled and slightly compacted. Many gardeners plant beets along the ridges - long, high ridges like 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 soils. If the soil is fertile and loose, then carpet can be planted.

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 already on the 10-15th day, and when the temperature stabilizes to 11-18 ° C, the period will be only a week. It makes no sense to sow beets until the soil at a depth of 6 cm warms up at least to 7-8 ° С, since there is a high probability of death of seedlings from frost (the sprouts will not tolerate -1 ° С).
Planting beets in the spring in different regions is carried out at their own time:
North Caucasus - 1 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 - 1 decade of May.

Long-term storage late beets are sown in the second decade of May, you can plant them until June 10. Such varieties will have enough time before frost to fully mature, and they are stored much better than early and mid-season ones.
The terms are given roughly, 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. The scheme of embedding into the substrate: 4 x 4 cm. This method is suitable for regions with unstable weather. The maturation 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 species will begin to shoot and will not produce a crop. Sowing beets in autumn is beneficial for regions with cool, short summers. The sowing date comes when stable frosts begin, the soil is covered with a crust. In the Urals or Siberia, the right time is November. There are no general recommendations on how long to sow beets in the winter. It is important not to miss the last period before the earth "grabs" (3-4 ° C below zero). According to popular observations, the optimal time is the moment when the leaves are completely shed by the cherries.
It should be noted that autumn planting beets are not suitable for long-term storage.

Seed preparation
Beet seeds are fruit lumps, in which several seeds are collected (from 2 to 6 pieces). For this reason, many novice gardeners are surprised when, with a neat schematic sowing of seed-egg capsules, heap shoots suddenly appear from the garden bed.
Beet seeds planted in spring will hatch faster when prepared. The easiest way is to soak for a day in a solution of one of the following products (for 1 liter of warm water):
a quarter teaspoon of boric acid and half a teaspoon of nitrophoska or nitroammophoska;
1 teaspoon superphosphate;
a teaspoon of baking soda;
a tablespoon of wood ash.

A day later, the seeds are washed, wrapped in a damp cloth and kept at room temperature for 3-4 days, not allowing the bundle to dry out.
When planting in autumn, you do not need to soak the seeds.

Sowing technique
Immediately before the spring planting of the beets, the ridge is loosened about 5 cm deep and leveled. Sowing or planting seedlings is necessary either in cloudy weather, or in the evening, so that the soil does not wind up 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 seedlings are embedded in grooves 2-3 cm deep;
on sandy and sandy loam soils - 3-4 cm.

In dry weather, the ridge is spilled with water in advance (in an hour or two), in rainy weather it is enough to moisten the grooves. After 3-4 days, it is recommended to loosen the soil with a spring or wire rake. After such a procedure, the beets grow more amicably.
When shoots 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 the seedlings, then in the phase of 3-4 leaves. The average gap between beet sprouts in the end should be 10-20 cm. How much to leave depends on the variety, usually the step is indicated on the seed package.
If you leave too large gaps between the plants, then the roots will grow large, difficult to heat treatment.

Excess beet sprouts should not be thrown away. If before the procedure it is good to shed the earth, and pry the seedlings with a special spatula (you can use a spoon handle), then the roots will not be damaged. The seedlings will quickly take root in another place, and the shape of the fruit will not suffer in the future, as is the case with carrots.
Podzimny sowing of beets is carried out in dry soil. The seeds are placed in grooves 4 cm deep and covered with a 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 shelters are removed, the soil is spilled with nitrogen fertilizer, and a film is laid on top until the first shoots appear.

Care
The main care for young beet sprouts is moisturizing and loosening. A crust must not be allowed to form on the soil. Loosening is done carefully, while the plants are small, you can do this with an ordinary old fork. Beets are responsive to this procedure, therefore it is recommended to carry it out until the foliage closes.
Top dressing
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 there are no complex mineral fertilizers at hand, then ash, previously mixed with compost, can be added to the soil. Consumption: 3 glasses of clean ash per 1m 2.
It is better to add nitrogenous ones in several portions and not abuse them, since their excess contributes to the accumulation of nitrates in root crops. Fractional application reduces the negative effect by 2 times. The best form is urea (10 g per 1 m 2).
The second (when the fruit is about the size of a walnut) consists of potash-phosphorus fertilizers. Consumption: 8 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium chloride per 1 m 2. Nitrogen is no longer used.
If there is not enough boron in the soil, then the beets react by rotting the core. The deficiency of copper and molybdenum also negatively affects, which can be replenished with foliar feeding (in the 10-leaf phase). For this, liquid micronutrient fertilizers are used, which contain boron in organomineral form and manganese in chelated form.
If the beets develop slowly, rounded yellow spots appear on the tops, then there are signs of a lack of potassium and too acidic soil. In this case, watering with milk of lime will help. Recipe: 200 g of fluffy lime, dilute 80 g of potassium chloride in 10 liters of water. The solution should be enough for 10 running meters of planting (along the line).
In case of reddening of the beet tops (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 the 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 are very fond of evening sprinkling. After this procedure, the tops freshen up and acquire a high turgor.
If the summer is not too hot, then growing beets outdoors will not be a hassle. After the tops are closed in the aisles, the moisture will erode more slowly, and the root crop is already able to get food from the deeper layers of the soil.
Beet watering stops about a month before harvesting.

Diseases
Competent agricultural technology minimizes the likelihood of beet diseases caused by soil quality. Increased acidity is the cause of root defects, such as:
scab in the form of cracks and growths on fruits;
phomosis (zonal spotting on the leaves) - the disease can also be the result of a lack of boron;
blackening of the pulp;
root-eater, "black leg" (at the seedling stage);
voids in the root crop.

However, all of the above can also occur due to an excess of nitrogen or with unbalanced feeding, therefore, fertilizer must be applied correctly.
Fungal diseases can develop: peronosporosis, cercosporosis, manifested by drying of the tops. Only treatment with fungicides (HOM, Fundazol, Carbendazim, copper oxychloride) can help.

Pests
Growing beets in the country can be unsuccessful for years if wheatgrass grows around the garden and the soil is acidic. This is the most comfortable habitat for the larvae of the click beetle -. It is they who are able to turn any root vegetable literally into a sieve.
It is possible to reduce the number of these pests of beets only by regularly used control methods:
select yellow worms manually when digging:
bury potato tuber traps;
exterminate wheatgrass, calcify the soil;
periodically use special equipment (for example, "Provotox" granules).

Leaf and root beet aphids can also cause damage. Regular spraying with Green Soap solution, Pyrethrum will help to destroy the pest.
Beet fleas eat away the leafy pulp. In the fight against them, ash, tobacco dust, pollination with Hexachloran is effective.
If white winding passages appear on the leaves of the beet, it means that the larva of the miner moth lives in them. With a small scale of damage, the leaves break off and are destroyed. In case of mass infection, treatment with the drugs "Fufanon", "Bi-58 New" is used.
In most cases, growing beets in private plots is not a big deal. If there are few weeds, and soil cultivation in spring and autumn is done correctly, then the risk of attack by pests is minimal. Crop rotation is also an effective protection measure.
Many gardeners plant both late and early beets in the plots, providing themselves with a fresh harvest and a supply of root crops for the winter. This is an unpretentious plant, the seeds of which sprout quickly enough, the seedlings are patient to adverse weather conditions, and to get a good harvest, it is enough to competently prepare the garden bed.

There are different ways of sowing beets. Two planting options are seeds and seedlings. The right time may be spring or autumn, the main thing is adherence to the correct dates. carried out in the period 1-2 decades of May, when the soil becomes completely warmed up.

If the seeds are found in insufficiently heated soil, shoots will begin to shoot and a good harvest will not be obtained.

The fall period can also be chosen for planting beet seeds, usually the end of October or November, depending on the region. Landing is carried out in the event of an air temperature of -4 degrees. should not be carried out too soon, as seeds awakened by the heat may die.

Beets are often planted in seedlings. In this case, the seeds are planted at home. Also, planting is done inside a greenhouse or greenhouse.

Seedling seeds are sown when the first days of April come and a month later they are placed in open ground. The seedling method of planting beets ensures an early harvest and saves seeds, since the sprouts remaining after thinning are also suitable for planting.

What does it depend on?

The sowing time of beets is determined by the climate conditions of the region in which you live. The optimal planting time for a vegetable is when the last frost is gone. The sowing time is also influenced by whether you are going to cover the crops with foil.

The sowing time also determines the type of beet. Generally, early varieties should be planted earlier, and later varieties should be planted later. When late varieties are planted too early, a coarser root crop will form.

Sowing time for seedlings and planting in open land in spring - what's the difference?

You can often hear advice to plant beets in early spring, in March. However, it does not tolerate frost very well, it should be borne in mind. In the Ural, Siberian areas, it will be necessary to plant beets in open ground one way or another when mid-May comes. When seedlings are grown at home for a long time, they stretch and future yield decreases. This means that for planting seedlings in the garden, sowing it is more correct in April, in the first days or in the middle.

The appearance of 2-3 true leaves means the seedlings are ready for open ground. It is important to prevent overgrowth of seedlings. If the roots rest on the bottom of the box, the shape of the root crops may turn out to be incorrect.

Planting seedlings on a garden bed occurs when the soil is heated to no less than +10 degrees (usually this is mid-May).

When to sow seeds?

The best thing

Beets are a heat-loving vegetable, so they are planted in the ground, which is warmed up to + 5-10 degrees. Beet planting dates vary depending on the climate. For example, in the southern regions (Krasnodar, Kuban), beets are planted in March-April. At the same time, in the districts of the Moscow region, it occurs in the early to mid-May days, and in the Siberian and Ural regions - this is the period of the second half of May.

It is forbidden to sow beets except when the soil is warmed up at a depth of 10 cm (in spring), or otherwise as in the fall for winter planting in late-early October-November.

What happens if the work is carried out at an inopportune time?

If the beets are sown for seedlings earlier than mid-April under weather conditions that do not allow planting in the garden, then the seedlings will stretch out.

Briefly about how to grow a vegetable

Read more about what can be planted after beets, next to the crop and which predecessors are suitable for it, read.

With the right place of cultivation, beets do not require feeding.

We offer you to watch a video on how to grow beets properly:

The time when the beets are planted is the most important factor in caring for them. Outdoors and in autumn. Seedling seeds are planted when there is one and a half month before transplanting into open ground conditions.

At a temperature of +5 degrees, the seeds begin to germinate and withstand short-term cold snaps up to -2 degrees. But freezing should be avoided as this leads to the flowering of plants.

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