How to plant beets

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



     When to sow beets in an open bed 


    Sowing beets in an open bed is planned after the arrival of stable heat. Beet seedlings can withstand up to –2 ° С, but their growth is inhibited. Planting a vegetable in open beds is carried out after choosing a variety:

    •  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. 


    Which varieties to choose

    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.

     Breeders also offer a choice of early beets "bohemia", "boltardi", "detroit" and others. For storage in the winter and sowing in open ground, varieties with an average ripening period are suitable: 

    • "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.
     The varieties with a long shelf life also include "matrona sedek", "citadella", "bolivar", etc. E

    How to plant beets correctly


    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 

    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: 

    1. Take dry or germinated seeds. 
    2. Seed material is laid out in the grooves and covered with soil by 1.5 cm. 
    3. Sprinkle with water and cover with foil. 
    4. Until the emergence of shoots, the room temperature is maintained at + 18–20 ° С, and then reduced to + 14–16 ° С.
    5.  To prevent the seedlings from stretching, the seedlings are exposed in a lighted place. 


    How to plant beet seeds in open ground

    How to plant beet seeds in open ground



    Before sowing beet seeds, a variety is selected in an open bed, planting material and soil for sowing a vegetable are prepared. Root crops give a good harvest after carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, onions. It is better to plant green crops in the neighborhood. 

    Here's how to plant beets in the spring:

    1.  Germinate seeds and discard "dummies". 
    2. Choose an illuminated place with a low groundwater level.
    3.  They bring in humus, peat and loosen the garden bed. 
    4. Grooves are made 2-3 cm deep at a distance of 25-30 cm.
    5.  The grooves are poured abundantly with water.
    6.  Spread the seeds at a distance of 3-4 cm. 
    7. Sprinkle wood ash on top for replenishment.
    8.  Cover the grooves with earth and sprinkle with ashes again. 
    9. Cover crops with foil to accelerate germination.
    10.  After the appearance of the first leaves, the film is removed, and the seedlings are mulched with sawdust.



    Sowings of beets that have reached a height of 5–10 cm must be thinned out. In root crops, the feeding zone expands, which improves the formation of the lower part of the plant.

    Planting beets and further care 


    Caring for beets in open beds requires timely watering in dry weather, top dressing and loosening the beds. Gardeners take into account the peculiarities oLearn more : Make The Best, DELICIOUS, Protein-Rich, Vitamin-packed Food Every Day in Backyards. 
     
    Beet seedlings dive if the seedlings are thickened. A week after the pick, liquid fertilizers are applied under the root. Be sure to make sure that the seedlings do not stretch out and do not outgrow. Planting beets in the ground is carried out when the plant grows 2-3 true leaves.

     After planting in the garden, the seedlings are immediately watered and covered with agrofibre for 2-3 days. Until the tender seedlings are fully rooted, you will need daily watering.

    Later, the beets are watered only in dry weather, no more than once a week. An excess of moisture in the soil leads to the disease of table beets with scab and the death of root crops. The aisles are constantly loosened to improve air access to the roots and remove weeds.

    How to Crop care  plant beets




    How to Crop care  plant beets 


     2-3 sprouts appear from one beet seed. Therefore, planting beets in the spring presupposes the obligatory thinning of the seedlings. At the same time, the row spacings are loosened and weeds are removed.

     The first thinning of beet crops is carried out when 3-4 leaves appear. Weak and excess shoots are removed at a distance of 5 cm. The second thinning is done when the beet leaves rise to 15 cm. A distance of 8–12 cm is left between the plants in order to expand the feeding zone.

    Water the beet beds immediately after thinning, and then once a week in dry hot weather. Two weeks before harvesting, watering and feeding beets are stopped. 


    To obtain large healthy vegetables, planting beets is fed. At the same time, it is taken into account that excess fertilizers lead to the accumulation of harmful nitrates in root crops. Therefore, gardeners draw up a feeding schedule: 


    1. Nitrogenous fertilizers are applied at the beginning of seedling growth when 3-4 leaves appear. Apply mullein infusion (1: 6) or ammonium nitrate. 
    2. 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.

    To protect the crops of beets from the disease of a putrefactive leg, foliar dressings are used. Plants are sprayed 4-5 times a season with a solution of potassium permanganate (1 tsp per 10 l of water). During the active growing season, a urea solution is used (10 g per 5 l of water).

    To combat voids and corking, beet leaves are sprayed with a solution of boric acid (2 g per 10 l of water). The sugar content of the vegetable is increased by watering it twice a season under the root with saline (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water).

    Beets are considered the most vitamin and healthy product. Root crops are grown in summer cottages and agricultural land in different ways. The main thing is to follow agrotechnical rules, how to plant beets in open beds and seedlings to get a generous harvest.