Growing beets: the secrets of experienced gardeners. When to sow beets in open ground. Cultivation of beets in open ground Red beetroot cultivation

Every plant needs attention. He needs to choose the right place, soil, take care of the preparation of seeds, do not forget to water and feed the plant. Beets are no exception. She, like any culture, needs care. But first you need to deal with its sowing.

When to plant beets in spring in open ground

First, we will find out when and under what temperature conditions to plant beets.

calendar dates

Beets love warmth, so there is no need to rush with its sowing. In addition, young shoots that have survived even small ones are likely to shoot themselves. Therefore, the most suitable time for planting in open soil will be the end of April or the beginning of May.

Weather

Seeds germinate even at +7 °C, but for proper development, about +16 °C is needed outside. In this case, the earth should warm up to +10 ° С.

Region features

Relatively Ukraine the situation is this: the further south the region, the earlier you can start. But it all depends on the temperature of the air and the earth.

Beets in different areas Russia planted at different times:

• North Caucasus - 1st decade of April;
• Central Black Earth region - 3rd decade of April;
• the north of the Central Black Earth Region, the Non-Black Earth Region, the Volga Region, Bashkortostan, Altai, the Moscow Region - the 1st decade of May.

In the southern regions, due to the warm climate, landing can be done from the end of March. After all, there the earth warms up faster to the desired temperature.

By the way, beets can be planted in the fall (there are special varieties). This option is good for areas with cool short summers. Landing occurs after the onset of stable frosts, when the ground is covered with a crust. In the Urals or in the best period for this - November. There are no universal tips on how many should be engaged in such sowing. The main thing is not to hold out until the soil "seizes" (this is 3-4 ° C below zero). Farmers have noticed that the best reference point is when the cherry completely sheds its leaves.

Important! Please note: autumn planting beets are not suitable for long-term storage.

Where to plant

This culture loves lighted places with fertile, loose soil, without high standing groundwater. A soil with a neutral reaction (pH - about 6-7) is best suited.

It is not recommended to plant beets in shaded areas with waterlogged, acidic, compacted soils.
For better yields, this vegetable is recommended plant in a new place every year. It is better to return it to its original place not earlier than after 3-4 years.

plant beets do not recommend for, and . And after, she will feel great. It is also planted for winter wheat,.

For beets good neighbors become carrots, , .

Preparing the land in autumn

Land for spring planting must be prepared in the fall:

• clean the site, removing all debris, weeds, branches, plant remains from it;
• dig the ground 30 cm deep;
• fertilize - for 1 m² you need 30-50 g and 50-70 g.

In the spring (before sowing), the earth will need to be dug up again and applied - 30-50 g per 1 m².

Video: autumn tillage

Do seeds need to be pre-soaked?

It is not necessary to soak the seeds, but if you want them to germinate faster, then it is still worth it.

To do this, take one of these tools:

• 1/4 tsp and 0.5 tsp. or ;
• 1 tsp ;
• 1 tsp drinking soda;
• 1 st. l. .

For any of the funds you need 1 liter of warm water. Soak the seeds overnight. Then rinse them, wrap them in a damp cloth and store at room temperature for 3-4 days, making sure that the bundle does not dry out.
If you plant seeds in the fall, there is no need to soak them.

How to plant beets in spring with seeds

Seeds are buried in the ground shallowly - by 2-3 cm (if - by 3-4 cm).

If you want to get small fruits, for example, for canning, make row spacing at least 7 cm, and leave no more than 6 cm between individual plants. If you need large beets, increase the distance between rows to 30 cm, between plants - up to 10 cm

Video: spring planting beets

Features of care

Watering

In the first 1.5 months after planting, it is impossible for the soil to dry out. Also, young beets like sprinkling in the evenings.

If the summer is not very hot, beets will not cause much concern. After closing the tops, the moisture between the rows will dry out more slowly, and the vegetable itself will be able to extract it from the deep layers of the earth. Therefore, she will no longer need too frequent watering.

Watering stops completely about three weeks before harvest.

thinning

To give the sprouts enough space to develop, you need do thinning twice: in the phase of two true leaves (remember to leave a gap between shoots of 3-4 cm) and in the phase of 3-4 leaves. As a result, 10-20 cm remain between plants on average.

Important! Remote plants do not have to be thrown away, they can be transplanted to another place - they will take root without any problems and quickly catch up with their counterparts. The main thing is to shed the soil well before the procedure, where you will move the new shoots, and transplant carefully so as not to damage the roots.

soil care

The land where beets grow must not only be moistened, but also loosen, since it is impossible for a crust to form on the ground. This is especially important for young shoots.

Do loosening carefully when the plants are still small, you can use an old fork. Use this procedure until the tops are closed. Also during loosening, by all means.
Remember also about mulch. After the first thinning and weeding, it is advisable to mulch the ground next to the young growth with fine organic material. If you ignore this, you will have to weed and loosen much more often, and water it too. At the beginning, the layer of mulch should be small - 1-2 cm, but as the plants grow, it must be increased by applying coarser mulch, for example, weeds and straw cutting.

top dressing

Top dressing (nitrogen) occurs after thinning, the next (complex) - after closing the tops.

Nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus are the main components that beets need. It is allowed to replace mineral fertilizer complexes with ash mixed with a lack of boron, the beets will react with rotting of the core. Detrimental effect lack of copper and molybdenum, it is replenished with foliar top dressing (in the phase of 10 leaves). Liquid microfertilizers saturated with boron in the organomineral form and manganese in the chelated form are suitable here.

If the beets do not grow well, round yellow marks appear on the tops - these are manifestations lack of potassium and very acidic earth. Here you need special watering: 200 g of fluffy lime and 80 g of potassium chloride per 10 liters of water. Funds are enough for 10 linear meters (along the line).

If the tops turn red, this is a lack of sodium. Sprinkle the beds with ashes and sprinkle with salt water (1 tablespoon of salt per 10 liters). Plus, it will increase the sugar content of the vegetable.

Did you know? Beets are one of the natural antidepressants and anabolics. If you drink beetroot juice every day, it will significantly increase your stamina and reduce fatigue.

Harvest and storage

When its leaves turn yellow and dry. Usually this is the end of August or the first half of September (certainly in dry weather). The fruits are carefully dug up with a shovel or pitchfork, then they are taken out with their hands, shake off the ground, and cut off the tops. Petioles should remain no more than 1.5 cm.
If it is not possible to take the beets to a permanent room immediately, dig piles in the field and lay the fruits sprinkled with earth in 2-3 layers, once again filling them with soil on top. But try to move the vegetables to a permanent place as soon as possible.

The most favorable conditions are a room with a temperature of 0-2 ° C and a humidity of 90%. As a rule, cellars are used, where beets are successfully saved next to. It is kept in boxes, containers, open plastic bags or in the usual bulk.

Selected large and medium beets are treated with chalk powder (2 kg per 100 kg of fruit) and put in layers with tops outside, sprinkled with wet sand, peat, sawdust or shavings 2-3 cm thick. With not very good ventilation, these vegetables are kept in small mounds, and covered with straw on top (to avoid condensation).

Video: storing beets in the sand

Table beets are a tasty and dietary product with unique healing properties. This vegetable received a Russian "residence permit" more than a thousand years ago. Since then, planting beets has been included in the mandatory program of spring-summer work on the plot. The technology of cultivation, based on many years of experience and observations of vegetable growers, is supplemented by scientific achievements in the field of botany, soil science, and agrochemistry.

How to choose the right site and fill the garden, prepare seeds, plant and care for beets in order to get a decent harvest - the answers to these questions excite beginners and experienced gardeners.

Preparatory work

The harvest of vegetables does not begin with planting, but with the right choice and preparation of beds.

Location selection

When choosing a place for beets in the garden, we will proceed from the following messages.

• For the growth of the root crop, sunlight and heat are needed, so it is better to place the beds on the south side or in an open area.
• Beetroot is a water drink, it will have to be watered often, it is more convenient if the water source is closer.
• Often, when planting, beetroot is not considered as a separate crop, but a compactor with cucumber, cabbage, beans, is planted along the borders of the ridges.
• Taking into account the crop rotation, the optimal predecessors for a vegetable are carrots, zucchini, onions, crops of the nightshade family, the worst ones are cabbage and beets themselves. If you do not change the bed for several years, this will lead to soil depletion and infection with beet pests and diseases.

Soil preparation

Root crops develop well in loose, water- and air-permeable soil with a neutral reaction.

They dig up a bed for planting beets in the ground before winter after harvesting. Plant residues are planted as deeply as possible, the clods are turned over, but not broken - for better accumulation of moisture. If the soil is acidic, liming is carried out. To do this, dolomite flour or wood ash (1 kg / m²) is scattered over the dug up surface. On loams for autumn digging, superphosphate (0.3–0.5 kg / m²) and potassium sulfate (0.15–0.3 kg / m²) are added. Sandy and peaty soils are fertilized in the spring so that useful elements are not washed away during the winter. Nitrogen fertilizers are usually applied before sowing.

Heavy clay soils must be loosened. It will improve the structure, enrich the soil with useful substances humus, compost from plant residues, rotted sawdust, peat.

Important! Fresh manure is contraindicated for beets. This is a powerful source of nitrogen, which easily passes into the root crop and accumulates in the form of nitrates.

Pre-sowing soil preparation is carried out 3-4 days before sowing. If no fertilizer was applied before winter, fill the bed with a nutrient mixture of humus (3-4 kg / m²), superphosphate, potash and nitrogen fertilizers (0.2-0.3 kg / m²). Loosen the ground and you can cut grooves.

Seed preparation

Planting beets with seeds in open ground involves their pre-sowing treatment. Now there are many seeds on sale that are ready for sowing - pelleted, encrusted with protective agents, treated with growth stimulants, etc. They are sown dry. Ordinary seeds are subjected to several simple procedures to increase germination energy and germination.

The simplest is soaking for a day simply in warm water or with the addition of trace elements, stimulants, wood ash, manganese (for disinfection). Before sowing, the seeds are dried so that they do not stick together and are evenly spaced in a row.

sowing

When the beds and seeds are ready, it's time to start sowing. It remains to decide on the timing of planting beets.

Landing dates

The culture can be sown in 2 terms. Early spring - for summer production. For this purpose, early ripe varieties are suitable, for example, Russian one-seeded, Action F1, Wodan F1. In regions with wet and cold springs, with frequent return frosts, early sowing is not advisable. Firstly, the seeds will germinate for a very long time (up to 3 weeks). And secondly, there is a high threat of beet bolting - the pasture of the peduncle in the first year of vegetation. Root crops on such plants grow small and inedible.

Beets intended for storage are planted from May 20 to the end of June. Mid-season, but not late varieties are suitable for summer sowing, so carefully study the manufacturer's recommendations for the growing season.

In most cases, they practice planting beets in the spring, in the same time period as potatoes, when the soil warms up to 8–10⁰ heat. There is such a reliable folk sign - when a leaf on a birch tree blossoms the size of a penny.

It is interesting! Our ancestors determined the Kuzmin day (May 1) for planting beets, and they collected it on the day of veneration of the First Martyr Thekla (September 24).

Winter beet sowing is possible. But only certain varieties are suitable for this - cold-resistant and not prone to flowering (Podzimnaya A 474). Such landings have their advantages. Seeds partially swell during winter thaws, undergo hardening, move early in spring to growth, form a powerful root system. But root crops grown in this way are only suitable for summer use; it is undesirable to store them.

A bed for winter planting is prepared according to heat: they dig it up, fertilize, cut rows and leave it in this form until stable cold weather. When the soil is seized by frost, dry seeds are laid out in the grooves and sprinkled with earth. For reliability, the sown ridge is covered with fallen leaves, straw.

Seeding technologies

1. string method. Rows are cut in the garden at a distance of 20–25 cm and a depth of 3–5 cm. The furrows are abundantly shed with water from a watering can without a strainer. This must be done so that the soil is wet and compacted well, then the seeds will be at the same depth and seedlings will appear at the same time. Seeds are laid out one at a time with an interval of 3-5 cm (with a margin for the percentage of germination). Marking the beds and sowing beets with seeds
2. Tape method. Several rows with a line spacing of 15 cm are combined into wide ribbons. Free spaces of 30-40 cm are left between them - for convenience during weeding.
3. Seeds on planting tape. Such a tape can be purchased with fixed seeds or made independently. Drops of starch paste are pointwise applied to the strips of toilet paper, beet glomeruli are planted on them. This method saves time - it is enough to shed a furrow, stretch a tape along it and sprinkle it with earth.
4. Planting table beet seedlings. Seeds for seedlings are sown approximately in mid-April, preferably in individual containers, for example, peat pots. Transplanted into open ground at the stage of 3-4 true leaves, with an interval of 15 cm, lightly shade. A few days before planting, seedlings are taken out into the street (in the shade) for hardening. Beets take root well, do not go into the arrow, form full-fledged heads. The advantages of this method: saving seeds, no need to thin out crops, uniform filling of the beds.

It is interesting! Saving space on the site gives a combination of different vegetables in one garden. Beets perfectly coexist with cabbage, onions, beans, radishes, beans. Spinach, lettuce, sown as a beacon crop.

Landing Care

Caring for beet crops after germination includes such mandatory procedures as thinning, weeding and loosening, top dressing, protection from diseases and pests.

thinning

From one seed beet comes out from 2 to 4 sprouts. This feature makes the thinning procedure one of the main elements of agricultural technology. If you miss the moment, the seedlings will drown out each other, “expire”, that is, they will freeze in growth and will not form full-fledged root crops.

• The first thinning is carried out as soon as shoots have appeared, at the stage of 2-3 leaves. Plants are left thickly, after 2-3 cm, in order to subsequently choose stronger specimens. Along the way, weeds are removed, row spacing is loosened.
• The second thinning is in a month. The strongest plants are left at intervals of 6–8 cm. At this time, the beets, which have been sitting still for more than a month, actively begin to grow and form heads.
• The third thinning - a check, is carried out when small root crops (3–5 cm in diameter) appear. The distance between them is at least 15 cm, but it is also undesirable that the vegetable does not outgrow.

Watering

Beets love moisture, especially at the beginning of the growing season. Within a month, she needs abundant watering at least once a week. Further, as the soil dries out. A month before harvesting, watering is stopped, otherwise the root crop will not lie well.

The most effective way to reduce evaporation and maintain soil air permeability is mulching. If you have problems with water on the site or you rarely come to the dacha, cover the aisles with a layer of mulch, consisting of unseed weeds, straw, last year's foliage, high-moor peat. It will retain moisture, prevent weeds from germinating, save you from loosening, and as it decomposes, it will serve as light organic top dressing.

top dressing

To form a good harvest, it is quite acceptable to apply a full rate of fertilizer once when planting beets in the ground. If you see that the plants develop slowly, the root crops do not grow, feed them.

After the second breakthrough, water the crops with a solution of mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, for example, ammonium sulfate at a rate of 30–50 g/m².

Note! So that there is no bust with nitrates, the necessary nitrogen and potassium can be added not in mineral form, but with herbal infusions. They are made like this: fresh plant waste is poured into a container in equal proportions and poured with warm water, insisted for a week. The resulting fermented sourdough is added when watering.

The quality of the fruit is affected by the presence of trace elements in the soil. To stimulate the growth of the beet head, increase its sugar content, use Makbor - an effective fertilizer consisting of boron, magnesium and calcium. From folk remedies, simple table salt works well - a tablespoon per 10 liters of water.

Pest protection

In case of violations of agricultural technology, pests attack crops - beet fly, aphids, fleas. They damage the tops, which leads to oppression, developmental delay, and sometimes death of the plant. They fight this misfortune by spraying with infusion of ash, tobacco dust, onion peel. From biochemical preparations, Iskra Bio, Bi-58, Aktofit, Calypso, Confidor are used.

Cleaning

Selective harvesting of root crops begins in July, when individual heads grow up to 5 cm in diameter. Young, vitamin vegetables are processed and consumed with green tops.

Mass harvesting is carried out in the second half of September, before the onset of frost. It is impossible for the beets to stand in the ground. From this, it coarsens, pronounced rings appear in the pulp, and the taste worsens.

After harvesting, it's time to think about what to plant next year after the beets. To replenish the reserves of organic matter in the soil, it is advisable to plan crops that are not afraid of manure (for autumn digging). These are zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin, corn. In a year, this place will have a good harvest of early potatoes, onions, tomatoes, legumes. Beets are returned to this place no earlier than after 3-4 years.

Sowing beets before winter:

A lot has been written and told about the agricultural technology of this useful vegetable, but still quite often many people have a question: how to grow beets?

Beets are grown everywhere where there are suitable climatic conditions for this: from the hot south to areas equivalent to the Far North. I grow it without any problems in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, where even at the beginning of summer there can be snow. The thing is that beets are quite unpretentious and relatively cold-resistant, and do not require any special gardening skills and abilities.

Choosing a place for beets

For growing beets, it is best to choose a well-lit, unshaded area with loose soil, taking into account the crop rotation on the site. Do not plant beets for several years in a row in the same place. In addition, it is not recommended to plant it on beds where carrots were the previous tenant. But after cucumbers and potatoes, beets will feel very comfortable.

Preparing the soil for beets

Beets love light, well-structured and aerated, fertile soils rich in organic matter. Heavy and dense, with high humidity, as well as soils with a high level of groundwater, significantly reduce yields.

It is best to prepare the soil for beets in the fall. It is preferable to make high ridges, and it is best to make stationary ones, in the form of boxes, made of suitable materials. Such ridges are more convenient to process, easier and cheaper to fertilize and maintain productivity.

Almost all organic fertilizers are suitable for beet application, with the exception of fresh manure. Yes, and any manure is not the best helper for beets, so we bring it in extremely dosed. But compost can be applied in good portions: it’s like with porridge, which does not deteriorate with oil.

It will be useful to introduce fine forest litter and litter under the beets as a structuring material. In addition, being naturally biodegradable, it will improve soil fertility. In heavy loamy soils, coarse river sand can be added.

As a fertilizer, it is also worth adding ash under the beets. The fact is that wood ash, in addition to potassium, contains a large amount of boron, which is very necessary for beets. For fans of numbers: the content of boron in the ashes of firewood is from 202.8 to 476 mg / kg, depending on the type of wood. Ashes on light sandy loamy soils are best applied in spring. It will be very cool after all this to sow green manure with subsequent embedding.

Based on the foregoing, one simple thing should be understood: widely available organic fertilizers are quite enough for growing beets in a personal household; there is no need to use mineral fertilizers while observing crop rotation. This will increase the environmental friendliness of the grown products and save money.

Sowing beet seeds

The easiest way is to sow beets with seeds immediately into the ground, to a permanent place of residence. It's simple: seeds are planted individually in prepared beds, while using both dry seeds and pre-sprouted ones. In the latter case, seedlings appear earlier and more amicably. Seeding depth 2-4 cm, depending on soil types.

Beets begin to germinate at rather low temperatures - from +5 degrees, however, in this case, the emergence of seedlings can be delayed for up to three weeks. As the temperature rises, the germination time decreases. According to the observations of some gardeners, most (quantitatively) beet seeds germinate at a temperature of +10 +15, and most quickly from +20 and above. Therefore, choose the timing of sowing, taking into account the climatic characteristics of the region and the duration of the growing season of the variety you have chosen.

In general, you should not sow beets in open ground too early: long spring cold snaps can provoke a tendency for the plant to flower. To get an early harvest, it is better to grow beets through seedlings than to spoil the crop by too early sowing.

The seeds should be positioned relative to each other so that during the subsequent thinning of the seedlings, 7-8 centimeters remain between the plants. In this case, medium-sized root crops are formed, which is convenient when used for culinary purposes. To obtain larger beet root crops, the distance should be increased according to your wishes.

Beet care

Since most varieties of beets form multiple seeds, beets often sprout in a bunch of 2-4 plants, no matter how rarely we spread the seeds in the garden. Therefore, it is important to thin them out, leaving an interval of 7-8 centimeters between plants, as mentioned above. If the plants are carefully selected from the pile without damaging them, then they can then be planted in free places.

Beets are plants that extract water well and love a uniformly moistened environment without an excess of moisture. Therefore, it should be watered regularly. It is not worth pouring a bucket into the garden right away, it is better to pour it gently from a watering can in several stages, allowing the water to completely absorb and prevent stagnation.

Mulching provides a good effect in terms of maintaining moisture and soil structure. Beets are especially demanding for watering at the beginning of their growth and in the phase of active growth of the mass of the root crop, but two or three weeks before the expected harvest, watering can be significantly reduced. After watering, it is advisable to loosen the bed with beets.

Usually, beets do not need to be fertilized: if the place was initially chosen correctly for it and organic matter was added, then the beets will have something to eat for the whole season. If you are sure of a significant deficiency of any element in the soil, you should apply the appropriate mineral fertilizers. Just don’t invent this drawback yourself: you are going to feed it with mineral water - you are welcome to the laboratory for soil analysis.

Collecting and storing crops

They didn’t do anything special: they sowed, thinned out and watered, and then the harvest arrived in time. We collect beets in dry weather, cut off the leaves of a centimeter and a half or two above the root crop, do not touch the root, carefully clean it from the ground and dry it in the shade under a canopy. Should not be in the sun. Then we put it in boxes, sprinkle it with dry sand and put it in the cellar.

• Zhek Volodin

Beets are one of the most useful and vitamin vegetables in the country. Everything in beets is edible, including the leaves. She goes to salad, and to a side dish, and to borscht. This popular root vegetable is good because it can be eaten both raw and boiled. And what is important - it is tasty and appetizing of any size, not to mention a cocktail of a huge amount of useful ingredients.

Even a novice summer resident can grow this wonderful plant in his area without much hassle, especially if he listens to proven tips and recommendations for choosing a place for planting, preparing a garden bed and the intricacies of sowing beet seeds in open ground (or pre-seedlings).

According to the ripening period, beets can be divided into the following varieties (from the first shoots to the moment of harvesting):

• early ripening-medium early (80-110 days);
• mid-season (110-130 days);
• late ripening (130-145 days).

The most popular varieties of early or early ripening beets include the following: Early Vodan, Carillon, Red Ball, Mona, Egyptian and Gribovskaya flat, Action, Nastenka.

• Mid-season varieties are represented by the following: Bordeaux-237, Sonata, Crimson Ball, Valya, Detroit and Cold-resistant 19.

• Among the late-ripening, the following are common: Lettuce, Matron and Cylinder.

Interesting! Varieties of beets often differ in that some grow on the surface, while other root crops "sit" exclusively in the ground. So, for clay soils, the first ones (which crawl to the surface) are better suited.

When to sow beet seeds in open ground in spring: optimal timing

Beet is considered a relatively heat-loving vegetable, so it is worth planting when the temperature of the earth warms up to +8, and the air to +10..+12 degrees.

Interesting! The popular landmark for sowing beets is the moment when small leaves the size of a penny will appear on the birch.

Planting dates depending on the region and variety

Thus, the timing of sowing beets varies depending on the climatic features of your place of residence.

For example, in the South (in Krasnodar, in the Kuban), the root crop can be sown already in the second half of March-April. But in the Middle lane (Moscow region), suitable dates for planting beets in open ground fall on the beginning-middle of May, in Siberia and the Urals - in the second half of May.

However, you should not rush into planting beets early - it is better to wait until the end of the return spring frosts and only then start sowing seeds.

By the way! Varietal affiliation does not affect the time of planting. Early varieties are not planted earlier, like late ones - later. It just doesn't make sense.

According to the lunar calendar in 2020

If you want to choose certain date for planting a root crop, then you will always come to the rescue moon calendar.

So, the most favorable days for sowing beets for seedlings or in open ground according to the lunar calendar in 2020 are:

• in April - 5-7, 9-15, 17-22, 27-30;
• in May - 2-6, 9, 11, 12, 20-22, 29-31;
• in June - 7-9, 11-14.

If you already turn to the lunar calendar, then you should know that it is even more important not to plant a vegetable on unfavorable dates, and this is in 2020 (the days of the Full Moon and New Moon, as well as the period when the Moon is in Aquarius, because this is a barren and dry sign - italicized):

• in April - 8, 15-17 , 23;
• in May - 7, 13-14 , 22;
• in June - 5, 9-11 , 21.

According to the lunar calendar, from the magazine "1000 Tips for a Summer Resident".

How to plant beets in open ground: sowing rules

Preparing seeds for planting

You can always plant beets with dry seeds, but to improve germination, it is advisable to pre-soak and germinate them.

You can germinate beet seeds before planting in different ways:

When using any method of seed germination, the essence is approximately as follows: the seeds are placed on a damp surface, the container with which is placed in a warm place where the temperature fluctuates around + 20-22 degrees, and make sure that the seeds do not dry out, periodically adding water to capacity.

Benefits of germinating beetroot seeds:

• You can immediately see which seeds have sprouted and which have not. So it turns out to achieve better germination in open ground.
• When planting with germinated seeds, seedlings appear much faster, as a rule, by 4-6 days.

Bed and soil

Beetroot grows well in lighted beds, so it should be planted where there is often sun.

You can even plant the root vegetable close to the trees on the south side, where the sun will nourish the vegetable for at least half a day.

Advice! If your dacha is located in a lowland and the places are relatively swampy, then it is better to plant beets (and not only them) to high beds. Many gardeners, in principle, love and successfully grow vegetables in such beds.

Excellent predecessors for planting beets are legumes, onions, potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers. But cabbage is not a very good predecessor; after it, it is not recommended to sow a root crop.

It is advisable to prepare the soil for growing a root crop in advance, even in the fall. Although it's okay if you start cooking it right in the spring, shortly before planting.

Beets, like all other root crops, need a very good and loose soil, and in clay it is simply difficult for them to grow. Digging up the soil costs about a shovel bayonet (20-25 cm).

If you have too much sandy ground, then you can improve its composition by introducing high-quality humus or compost (3-4 kg per 1 sq. meter of beds) by adding a couple of tablespoons of superphosphate to it (30-40 grams) and then thoroughly digging and mixing everything.

If your soil is too heavy (clayey), then in addition to humus or compost and superphosphate, you should add peat and quite a bit of sand to the soil.

Beets do not like acidic soils, so if you have an increased acidity of the soil, then you should deoxidize it in the fall by adding lime or.

If you add it to the soil in advance, then this will also have a very good effect on the vegetable. You can also do this during planting and subsequent top dressing.

Note! It is impossible to introduce fresh manure into the soil for beet beds, even in autumn, especially in spring. This root crop is very fond of accumulating nitrates, which we absolutely do not need.

Sowing in the garden

Many experienced vegetable growers recommend making grooves along the edge of the garden. With such a planting, the root crops will grow large, and the bed itself will be beautiful. Good neighbors for beets can be onions, dill, tomatoes, cabbage and lettuce.

By the way! There is even such a saying: "Beetroot loves to rub against the hem of the hostess."

Step-by-step instructions for planting beet seeds in open ground in spring:

1. Prepare the seeds: soak and germinate.
2. Choose a place for the beds and make grooves 2-3 cm deep.
3. It is good to shed the grooves with water.
4. Spread the seeds. Seed material should be planted at a distance of about 3-4 centimeters from each other. In the aisle - at a distance of 20-30 centimeters.
5. This root crop is very fond of, so it is recommended to pour it a little immediately after sowing.
6. Then fill the grooves with earth and again sprinkle a little with ash.
7. Mulch with sawdust (lightly, a thick layer is not necessary).
8. Cover with foil to protect against recurrent frosts and for a greenhouse effect. As soon as shoots appear, the film can be removed.

Video: sowing beets with germinated seeds

Sowing beet seeds for seedlings

If you want to get an earlier harvest, you can plant beet seeds for seedlings. The main specificity of sowing is that the planting capacity must be high enough, because we are planting a root crop.

By the way! Beets grown through seedlings will not require future thinning for obvious reasons.

Agrotechnics for growing beets through seedlings is quite simple: watering is necessary as the soil dries up, as well as a bright place. When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, a small root crop can be planted in open ground.

On a note! If you want to get a little confused and try to get an earlier harvest, then sow beets for seedlings. If not, then it grows beautifully and in a seedless way.

Further care for beets after planting

Advice! About, how to care for beets outdoors to grow sweet root crops, read

If you care about your future health and are “addicted” to beets, then be sure that you are quite capable of growing a crop of juicy and large root crops. Of course, first of all, for this it is necessary to initially plant beets correctly in the spring.

Video: when and how to sow beet seeds in open ground

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From this article, you will learn a lot of useful tips for planting beets in the spring, namely: sowing seeds in the ground, seedlings of beets from seeds, both in open ground and.

Beetroot is a root vegetable that grows in the ground and has a fleshy root. Sometimes it peeks out slightly from the soil. For a person it is of great benefit, as it includes organic acids, especially fiber. Also, beets are added to their menu by diabetics, hypertensive patients, people with kidney stones and other abnormalities. Especially useful is freshly squeezed beetroot juice.

Which beets to choose for planting

The beet variety should be selected, depending on its further use. So, for example, fodder beets are planted for domestic animals, if any. Seeds of fodder beet are treated initially, then they are applied to the soil enriched with fertilizers. It is important to understand that this beet grows large, so it is planted at a distance of 25 cm from each other, and between rows up to half a meter.

The table beet is used for eating. All varieties need good lighting. The Bordeaux 237 variety, which has been approved for cultivation throughout Russia since 1943, has been adopted as the standard in domestic selection among this crop.
But sugar beet is much more picky than the rest, soil with the correct structure, constantly enriched with fertilizers, is suitable for it.

Sowing seeds in the ground

Before planting seeds in the ground, you need to stimulate their germination by pre-soaking in cold water for 24 hours, or pour warm water no more than 40 degrees for just half an hour. After this procedure, you can already proceed to planting seeds. In spring, beets are planted in late April - early May.

Seeds are sown in the soil to a depth of no more than 3 cm, and between rows they maintain a distance of 8 cm for small fruits; large root crops will need a distance between rows of up to 35 cm. Despite the cold resistance of this crop, spring sowing should begin no earlier than the air temperature warms up to 8 ºC, and its further development will occur only at a temperature of 15 ºC.

Due to the fact that beet seeds are combined into seedlings, several pieces, timely thinning is required. This should be done as soon as the first leaves grow. After this event, the distance between the seedlings should be approximately equal to the length of a matchbox.

Thinned sprouts can be planted in one more row. After thinning, weeding is done and sprinkled with organic fertilizers. The second time the rows are thinned out when the diameter of the fruit reaches up to 2 cm, after which an interval of up to 10 cm is left from each other. This procedure is best done after watering.

Seedlings of beets from seeds

The seedling method can grow almost all varieties of beets. For this, seedling boxes are best suited, they can be installed both at home and in greenhouses.

They have a high content of vitamin C and carotene, many other bioactive substances. Early beets are on a par with such early vegetables as lettuce, for example. First you need to soak the seeds for three days for spitting, then they are placed in boxes on prepared moist soil, sprinkled with soil on top and kept in greenhouses.

Seedlings germinate three weeks after sowing in open ground. For a good harvest, and the optimal size of the beets, seedlings should be planted at a distance of 5 cm from each other, and row spacing should be up to 27 cm. When the transplant is completed, you can water with a solution of humate.

When caring for seedlings, you need to maintain soil moisture and periodically ventilate. For early ripening beets, sow areas under the film, usually at the end of April.

1. Before sowing beets in open ground, you need to choose a suitable site, loosen the ground.

2. The soil should be warmed up to 10 ºC.

4. It is good to plant beets in the place where tomatoes, cucumbers, and all legumes used to grow. Places where beets or cabbages have grown before are not suitable, as they take all the nutrients from the soil.

5. To reduce acidity, you can enrich the soil with wood ash. It is necessary to prepare and fertilize the site since autumn.

6. The size of the final fruit depends on the planting density. Large root crops need space. But keep in mind that too huge fruits are impractical to use, and not so sweet.

Decide on the variety you want to plant, remembering the importance of properly prepared soil. Plant beets as seeds or seedlings, depending on the region of residence, following the recommendations for growing. Then the beets will delight you with good, tasty crops.

We invite you to watch a video on how to properly plant beets in the spring: