Experienced gardeners know how to plant and care for beets to get vitamin-rich roots. It is not difficult to grow different varieties of vegetables if you adhere to agrotechnical rules and monitor the development of the plant.
When to plant beets for seedlings In regions where the weather is cool in spring, planting root crops can only be accelerated by the seedling method.
- The advantages of the seedling method: the seed is protected from freezing and deterioration in cold ground;
- economy of seeds (seed fruits), packed together by 2-3 pcs. They do not have to be thrown away when thinning;
- the root crop ripens three weeks earlier than direct sowing.
Early beet varieties are often sown in containers and greenhouses. Work is carried out in mid-March to plant seedlings in the ground at the end of April.
When to sow beets in an open bed
- early maturing varieties, resistant to cold, are sown in the third decade of April or early May;
- late and mid-season varieties with a long shelf life are sown in early June.
We must not forget that we plant beets after warming up the soil to +10 ° C. Seedlings grown in the cold are susceptible to flowering in the first year of life.
Learn More : Step by Step Companion Planting Guide for Vegetable Gardens
Which varieties to choose
Among the early maturing varieties that are suitable for growing seedlings, they choose:
- "Bordeaux 237" - a round maroon root crop with a ripening period of 100–120 days;
- "Modana" - a dark cherry round fruit that ripens in 65–85 days;
- Pablo F1 is a dark red root vegetable that ripens in 85–90 days.
- "Borscht" is a dark crimson round root crop that ripens in 98–105 days;
- “Gourmet” - with dark cherry round fruit and readiness after 95 days;
- "Opolskaya" is a cylindrical root crop with a cherry peel, ripening in 110 days.
Among the best mid-season root crops, gardeners have chosen the varieties "incomparable A463", "mulatto", "cold-resistant 19", etc.
Late beets are drought tolerant and stored until the next harvest. The most popular varieties:
- "Renova" - a dark pink elongated root vegetable with a fruit weight of up to 400 g;
- "One-sprout" - a round dark root crop that does not require thinning, weighing 400-500 g;
- "Cylinder" - a cylindrical vegetable with a dark cherry skin, ripening after 120 days.
How to plant beets correctly
After choosing a variety, gardeners carry out preparatory measures. How to plant beets correctly so that juicy roots grow? In the southern regions, beet plots are sown in the open air, and in harsh climatic conditions they use seedlings.
Beets: how to plant seedlings
The seeds of root crops are in a dense shell, but sprout rather quickly. The soil for root crops is selected loose and nutritious.
The soil mixture can be prepared independently by mixing peat, humus, turf soil and sand (2: 1: 1: 0.5). To neutralize the acidic soil, add 100 g of wood ash for every 5 kg of mixture.
To disinfect the soil, use a special fungicide or steam the soil mixture in a double boiler for one hour. This makes it possible to destroy the putrefactive bacteria of phomosis.
Gardeners decide for themselves how to sow beets for seedlings:
- Take dry or germinated seeds.
- Seed material is laid out in the grooves and covered with soil by 1.5 cm.
- Sprinkle with water and cover with foil.
- Until the emergence of shoots, the room temperature is maintained at + 18–20 ° С, and then reduced to + 14–16 ° С.
- To prevent the seedlings from stretching, the seedlings are exposed in a lighted place.
How to plant beet seeds in open ground
- Germinate seeds and discard "dummies".
- Choose an illuminated place with a low groundwater level.
- They bring in humus, peat and loosen the garden bed.
- Grooves are made 2-3 cm deep at a distance of 25-30 cm.
- The grooves are poured abundantly with water.
- Spread the seeds at a distance of 3-4 cm.
- Sprinkle wood ash on top for replenishment.
- Cover the grooves with earth and sprinkle with ashes again.
- Cover crops with foil to accelerate germination.
- After the appearance of the first leaves, the film is removed, and the seedlings are mulched with sawdust.
Planting beets and further care
How to Crop care plant beets
- Nitrogenous fertilizers are applied at the beginning of seedling growth when 3-4 leaves appear. Apply mullein infusion (1: 6) or ammonium nitrate.
- To form root crops at the end of July, plants are watered or sprayed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. You can use wood ash as a source of potassium.
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