What is the best way to sow beets in the garden in spring. Planting beets in spring in open ground: seed treatment, care, thinning, useful properties, varieties. Beet plant - description

In the preparation of borscht, “fur coat” and “vinaigrette” salads, one cannot do without beets. Therefore, the beds flaunt with this not the most popular, but necessary culture in the economy on almost every one. If you do not have many years of experience in growing this root crop, but you plan to do it, you have come to the right place. Today we'll talk about how to plant beet seeds in open ground.

We prepare a plot of open ground for planting beets

If you do not want to bother with growing beetroot seedlings, you can safely plant the seeds immediately in open ground. By the way, this is exactly what most gardeners do. However, it would be wrong to arrange beds on any free piece of land. A place for beets must meet two basic requirements:

1. Free access sun rays . Do not plant beets near trees, bushes, sunflowers, corn - anything that can cast a shadow on them.

2. good drainage. Do not plant beets in places where moisture stagnation occurs. If there is no other place to go, try fixing poor drainage by adding sand, sawdust, or compost to the soil. If the site is in a lowland, correct the situation by pouring earth on it in the uplands.

Choose a well-lit and well-drained area of ​​open ground

The next thing to consider when choosing a site for planting beets is crop rotation. It can be planted in its original place only after 4 years. It also grows poorly after cabbage. Cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, potatoes and greens are considered good predecessors of beets. Feel free to plant this crop in the spring at the place where green manure grew.

The area of ​​open ground selected for planting beets must be properly prepared. In autumn, dig it up with the addition of organic fertilizer (except for fresh manure). In the spring, loosen the soil and add mineral fertilizers to it. Suitable ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium chloride.

Beets love fertilized soil

We plant beets in open ground on time and correctly

Beets for quick consumption are planted in April or May, when the earth warms up to 10ºС, and for winter storage- in the first half of June. Beets can be planted in open ground in autumn, but only until the first frost - in October.

If you want to improve seed germination, do not skip the preparatory activities. Soak them in a growth stimulator solution, strictly following the instructions. Suitable for this purpose is a solution that is prepared from 1 liter of warm water and 1 tbsp. l. wood ash. Seeds must be kept in it for a day.

The next stage is the swelling of the seeds. They should be placed between layers of wet cloth, cotton wool or napkins for three days. During this time, maintain the same humidity. During this time planting material activates its internal forces and become fully fit for landing.

Swollen seeds germinate better

If you want the rows of beets to be even, stick in two extreme points each of them with sticks and pull a thread between them. It will serve as a ruler under which you will make even furrows. Deepen them by 2-3 cm. Suitable furrows can be made using a long board.

Depth of furrows - 3-4 cm

Keep a distance of 40-45 cm between adjacent rows. The places where the beet seed will fall must be carefully watered. Beet seeds are large enough that you can easily lower them into the groove at a distance of 10 cm from each other. By planting them more often, you will create the need for subsequent thinning of young shoots.

Frequently sown seeds will need to be thinned out

Now you know exactly how to plant beets with seeds in the open field. You will definitely cope with this simple task. You will easily find information on how to care for your beets from planting to harvest. Even those who have been farming for the first year can grow this culture.

Watch a useful video: rules for planting beets in open ground

In this article, we will discuss how to plant beets, as well as analyze the basic requirements for a good harvest.

Varieties of beets for growing in open ground

The choice of variety depends on the intended use. Everyone chooses the type he needs. For culinary use, the table variety is excellent. You can also plant a sugar group for eating. If the root crop is planted for further feeding of livestock, then fodder beets are suitable for this purpose.

The following mid-season varieties of table root have the best culinary properties:

• "Bordeaux 237";
• "Bordeaux single-seeded";
• "Single-growth";
• "Gribovskaya";
• "Incomparable A-46";
• "Pablo";
• "Podzimnaya A-474";
• Renova.

The highest yields are varieties such as Lola, Modana, Diy, Mona.

Did you know? Afteryears of researchscientists made an interesting discovery: the most storable (high-quality) vegetables are obtained from those varieties of beets, the growing season of which is less than 150 days.

Landing dates

When to plant beets in open ground with seeds, soil temperature will tell. Too premature sowing of seeds in unheated soil is fraught with the formation of flower stalks, which causes significant damage to root crops.
The required soil temperature for growing this crop is it is 8–12 °С. Sweet root seeds germinate at 4–5 °С. It is customary to start sowing work in mid-May.

Choosing a place in the garden

When choosing a place to sow, start from two important conditions: lack of shade and protection from drafts. The presence of these negative factors leads to root rot.

Lighting

The most important condition for growing a sweet root is to ensure maximum lighting. The place under the root crop should be well illuminated by the sun.
Otherwise root crop stops developing. In addition, the light contributes to a more intense coloring of the sweet root.

The best place for sowing is an open area, protected from the wind. Eliminate places under trees, in holes or on high ground.

What kind of soil does beets like

Beets require fertile soil enriched with mineral or organic nutrients. The soil for sugar beet usually consists of medium loamy chernozems and peat bogs.

Soil acidity should be neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 5–8). If the acidity level does not match the above indicators, root crops will be vulnerable to various.
To help the young root system take root, the soil should be light, loose and deep.

Important! The use of fresh manure as fertilizer for beets is unacceptable.

Sowing a root crop in open ground

Let's move on to a direct consideration of the features of growing table beets.

Soil preparation

The soil for the root crop is prepared in the spring (in early May). Before sowing, the soil is moistened, enriched with mineral and organic fertilizers (humus, compost). Then the soil is loosened at a depth of 5 cm. On the day of sowing, funnels 3-4 cm deep are made on the beds. The distance between the funnels should be about 20 cm, and between the rows - 40 cm.

Seed preparation

Beet seeds are sown both dry and after the soaking procedure. Thanks to moisture, sprouts will appear much faster. For soaking, solutions from growth stimulants are used.

The procedure should last no more than a day. Then the seeds are rinsed with warm water, transferred to a cloth and gently dried. It is also acceptable to use ordinary ash.

Watch the temperature in the room where the seeds are. Temperature should not be too low otherwise your seeds will not germinate.

Planting process

The planting pattern of the root crop resembles a lattice. Seeds are sown in rows with subsequent thinning of the sprouts. Pre-prepared funnels are filled with water.
You should wait a little while the water is absorbed. Sowing beet seeds is carried out piece by piece. To facilitate the future thinning process, it is recommended to plant seeds less often. After sowing, the grooves are sprinkled with earth. Then the soil must be weeded and loosened.

Did you know?Worried that the seedlings may not appear, many often put several seeds in one funnel at once. But since beet seeds are quite large, more than one plant sprouts from one seed. That is why gardeners recommend placing seeds in funnels only one by one.

Care rules

Beet- unpretentious frost-resistant culture. Care consists in moderate feeding, regular, timely loosening and competent thinning.

top dressing

The soil begins to be fed when the first shoots appear. It is important not to overdo it with the amount of fertilizer.

This vegetable crop prefers organic matter, and from minerals in the pulp of vegetables, cracks and voids can form.

It must be remembered that the application chemical substances harms, first of all, a person.
On distance 5 cm make grooves from the sprouts and fill them with a solution of nitrogen fertilizers. When the tops on the rows come together - this indicates that the time has come for making potassium supplement.

Proper watering

Beets are a moisture-loving crop. On average, per season, the irrigation rate per 1 m² is 15–20 liters (2–3 buckets). Watering time comes at the moment when it dries out upper layer soil.
The need for moisture is especially high in young plant, as well as during the period of thickening of root crops. The best way irrigation - sprinkling. This method helps to wash and refresh the leaves of the plant. It is desirable to carry out work in the evening.

Excessive and frequent irrigation of the soil leads to fungal diseases, and a month before harvest worsens taste qualities vegetables. Irrigation should be completely stopped 2-3 weeks before harvest.

Very useful and common in our gardens and vegetable gardens root crop - beets. In order for it to give a good harvest in the spring, it must be sown, taking into account certain conditions.

How to grow beets: infographic

See the infographic below for important points about growing beets in your country house ⇓.

How to plant beets: land preparation

This stage begins in the fall. At this time, all parts of any plants should be removed from the beds. Add organic matter to the soil. Then dig to a depth equal to the height of the shovel. If the soil is depleted, then mineral fertilizers should be added to it. If the soil is highly acidic, lime should be added.

It is good if beets are planted in the spring where potatoes, peas or cucumbers grew last year.

The bed with beets should not be shaded. Otherwise, the root crops will not have an intense shade. Because it only forms in bright sunlight.

Before planting beets in the spring, the earth must be loosened with a rake. Then you can add dolomite flour.

Now the land is ready and you can wait for the moment when you plant beets in the spring. It is necessary to allow the soil to warm up to 5ºС. If this is not done, then the seeds will go to the arrow and the roots will not form.

Beets: planting and care

There are two ways to grow beets. The first of these is planting beets with seeds. In order for shoots to appear faster, they need to be soaked. This is done in a solution of a growth stimulant or ordinary ash for a day. Then the seeds must be washed in warm water and wrapped in a dry cloth.

Before planting beets, the soil must be moistened. To do this, draw lines about 4 cm deep on the bed. The distance between them is supposed to be about 20 cm. Then the grooves watered. After the water has been absorbed, it is possible to plant beets in open ground. Since its seeds are large, they can be put into the ground one by one. There is no need to be afraid that there will be no shoots. Several plants always grow from one such seed. Therefore, seedlings will still have to be thinned out. Therefore, it is better to plant beets with seeds less often, so that later it has room for growth. Thinned sprouts can be used to compact other beds. And then the cottage will bring maximum benefit. We can say that when beets are planted, the planting pattern looks like a lattice, at the intersection of which future plants are located.

If you immediately plant beets in open ground, then the planting scheme can also be:

• single-line - seeds are placed in a groove to a depth of 3 - 4 cm, and then sprinkled with earth, 40 - 45 cm are left between the grooves;
• two-line - make two grooves with a distance of 25 cm between them, then a space of 50 cm and again two grooves (lines) into which seeds are sown.

The time for sowing seeds must be chosen so that the soil still retains moisture from winter snow. Usually, beet planting dates fall in the first decade of May. If spring is late, then this time is shifted by a week.

Care for them consists in weeding and rare loosening. During its growth, it is necessary to perform a couple of dressings. First with organic fertilizer, only a little. And then ash or mineral mixtures without nitrates.

Planting beet seedlings

This method is suitable if you do not want to engage in thinning. For those who have not delved into the question of how to plant beets with seeds, you can grow them with seedlings in a greenhouse. The distance between the grooves is made equal to 5-6 cm, and the seeds are sown 3 cm apart. Planting seedlings is carried out 1 month before it is planned to move to a permanent place.

When 4 leaves appear on the plant, this serves as a signal that it can be transplanted. This means that the sprouts need to be hardened, arranging the ventilation of the greenhouse.

Before planting in open ground, it is well watered. I lower each sprout with roots in a clay solution. And they are seated according to the scheme on the site.

When to plant beets

Beets can be planted 2 times a season:

• in spring, when the soil warms up well at a depth of 10 cm, in terms of time it is approximately at the beginning of May;
• autumn, towards winter in late October - early November.

The advantage of winter beet planting is to get an earlier harvest, it can ripen as early as the end of July.

What can be planted after beets and what can be combined with planting beets

Based on their compatibility of plants, you can find out what to plant after beets. For example, you can choose cauliflower or white cabbage. Also, the answer to the question of what to plant after beets will be a list that contains:

• cucumbers and peppers;
• tomatoes and eggplant;
• potato.

In addition, it is possible to create a mixed bed, where beets will grow from the edge, and cauliflower inside:

What kind of beets to plant?

You can choose one of the following types:

• dining room;
• stern;
• sugar.

fodder beet sugar beet table beet

Choice of type and beet varieties depends on the purpose of its use.

If the cottage is equipped with a room in which livestock is kept, then planting fodder beets will be required. For it, you need to prepare the ground in advance. Add mineral fertilizers and compost to it. Then dig. Seeds need to be sorted out and dressed. If there is a desire, then it can be kept in a stimulant solution. But it is permissible to sow without pre-training seeds. The scheme by which it is sown is different from that described above. Because root crops grow very large. The distance between the grooves should be more than 50 cm. Neighboring sprouts in the same row should be placed after 25 cm.

Those who need it only for food will need to plant table beets. This variety is particularly sensitive to lack of light. Therefore, it is not advisable to place a bed with it in the garden so that it is not shaded by trees. This also explains the increased demands for weeding and thinning.

For lovers, it is possible to plant sugar beets. However, it requires a special soil structure: it is desirable that the site is not peaty and sandy. It is desirable to fertilize this type of beet from sowing to the formation of a root crop. During intensive growth of tops, sugar beets are fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizer. When the time comes for the development of the fetus, she needs potassium chloride and superphosphate.

Table beet is a tasty and dietary product with unique properties. healing properties. This vegetable received a Russian "residence permit" more than a thousand years ago. Since then, beet planting has been included in the mandatory program of spring-summer work on personal plot. The technology of cultivation of the crop, based on many years of experience and observations of vegetable growers, is supplemented scientific achievements in the field of botany, soil science, 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 is necessary sunlight and warm, so the beds are best located 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 peat soils fertilize in the spring so that useful elements are not washed away during the winter. Nitrogen fertilizers are usually applied before sowing.

Heavy clay soils needs to be loosened. Improves the structure, enriches the soil beneficial 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 them 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. Suitable for this purpose early ripe varieties, for example, Russian one-seeded, ActionF1, 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 are suitable for summer sowing, but not at all. late varieties, 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 omen- when a leaf on a birch blossoms the size of a penny.

This 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 the 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.

This 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, a single application of the full rate of fertilizers when planting beets in the ground is quite acceptable. 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 mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, for example, ammonium sulfate at the 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 Macbor - 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:

Beetroot is one of the favorite garden crops, it can be found on almost every garden. garden plot. The secret to a good beet harvest is right choice varieties, timely planting and good care.

There are quite a few varieties of table beets used in cooking. Experienced gardeners recommend planting several varieties different term maturation. At the same time, the crop is removed in two terms, early varieties for use in summer, mid-ripening and late - for canning and storage.

The most popular varieties:

• early - Libero, Incomparable A 463, Vinaigrette Marmalade;

• mid-season - Smuglyanka, Negress, Larka;

• later - Cylinder, Ataman.

In addition, when buying, you should pay attention to the purpose of the variety - for fresh consumption and cooking, for canning, for storage. The shape and color of the root crop is a matter of taste, but it has been observed that varieties with uniform flesh without rings are more juicy.

Preparing a site for beets

Beets love warmth and bright light, so they need a sunny site with nutritious and loose soil. It grows well on peat soils, sandy loams and loams with high fertility. To ensure a high yield, it is better to prepare a plot for beets in the fall.

Good predecessors of this culture are:

• tomatoes and peppers;
• cucumbers, pumpkins and zucchini;
• greens, legumes, cereals;
• onion garlic.

• potatoes;
• all types of cabbage, radish;
• carrots, celery and parsnips.

Beets grow worst of all in areas where their closest relatives were grown: chard, fodder, sugar and table beets.

The plot is dug up at the end of the garden season or in early spring on a shovel bayonet with the application of fertilizers indicated in the table.

Fertilizer	Image	Quantity per 1 m², g
		15-20
		20-30
		30-40
		10-15
		500-1000

It is important not to exceed the recommended doses of mineral fertilizers, otherwise the root crops will turn out loose, with voids and cracks. You can replace fertilizers with organic matter: rotted manure that has lain in a herd for at least two years, humus, ash.

It is better to make beds immediately before planting, so more moisture will remain in the soil, and the seeds will germinate faster. The soil is loosened and leveled with a rake, if it has had time to dry out, you need to water it well, after which you can start sowing.

seed processing

Beet seeds - shriveled drupe, quite large size, so they are easy to plant at the required interval. Commercial seeds are often treated with stimulants and fungicides and are easily recognizable by their bright pink or greenish color. Such seeds do not need processing, it can even harm. They are sown without preparation dry in moist soil.

The color of untreated beet seeds is brownish, sometimes sandy with a greenish tinge. Before planting, it is recommended to prepare them in the manner described below.

1. Soak seeds in water room temperature for a few hours. Floating seeds are thrown away, they usually germinate late, give small, irregularly shaped roots.
2. The water is drained and the seeds wrapped in gauze are immersed in a solution of Epin, Zircon or other germination stimulant. Keep them in solution from half an hour to 4 hours, focusing on the instructions for using the drug.
3. Removed from the stimulant solution and placed in a warm place for 12-24 hours. During this time, the seeds swell, some of them peck, after which you can start planting.

Planting beets in open ground

To make you happy good harvest, it is important to correctly determine the landing time. Single sprouts appear at a soil temperature of 5-7 degrees, but mass and friendly shoots can be achieved only when the earth warms up to a temperature of 13-16 degrees at a depth of 8-10 cm.

This usually happens no earlier than mid-May. Planting beets in open ground before is pointless - being in cold, moist soil, the seeds can rot, and the plants that have sprouted will then go into the arrow.

Grooves about 2 cm deep are marked on the prepared beds. It is convenient to make them with the help of a board, pressing it with its end into the loosened soil - the bed of the grooves will be dense, and the planting depth will be the same. By choosing a board of the desired width, you can also mark the distance between the rows with it. It should be:

• 10-15 cm for small root crops intended for summer consumption or pickling;
• 20-30 cm for varieties with large root crops for winter storage.

The grooves are watered from a watering can, preventing erosion, and left until the water is absorbed. Seeds are laid out on the bottom of the grooves, maintaining an interval of 4 to 10 cm, depending on the size and purpose of the selected variety. From above they are covered with soil or well-rotted humus and watered.

With large planting volumes, you can make a template, as in the figure, while the distances between plants will always be the same.

Video - The subtleties of planting beets in open ground

Beet care

Beets are unpretentious and drought-resistant, but they can give a high yield only with good care and observance of agricultural technology.

1. In dry and hot weather, beets are regularly watered from a watering can by sprinkling. It is better to use water settled and heated in the sun. At the same time, the leaves are refreshed, the plants perceive top dressing better, grow faster.

   

2. Beets need to be loosened regularly to prevent the formation of a hard soil crust. It is better to do this the morning after watering. Loosening depth - no more than 3-4 cm, otherwise there is a risk of damaging the roots.
3. Mulching will help reduce the frequency of watering and loosening, as well as reduce the number of weeds. Sawdust, straw, humus are used as mulch.

   

4. Beets should be weeded regularly from germination until the leaves close, after which weeds are not afraid of her.
5. In the phase of two true leaves, the plants are thinned out, leaving a gap of 3-5 cm between them. The second thinning is carried out when the root crops reach 1.5-2 cm in diameter, while leaving enough space between them for the selected variety. Pulled plants can be used to make soups and salads.

   

6. Frequent top dressing of beets with properly prepared soil is usually not required. On poor soils, in the first weeks after germination, seedlings can be watered with infusion of mullein or chicken manure.
7. It is recommended to feed the plants two or three times during the growing season with a complex fertilizer containing trace elements: potassium, boron, copper, molybdenum. Dusting with ash is also useful, which will also help in pest control.

   

Diseases and pests of beets

With good care, beets rarely get sick and are affected by pests, but for a full-fledged harvest, it is important not to miss the first signs of the disease.

Diseases and pests	Image	Description, causes, treatment
fomoz		Fungal disease, accompanied by the appearance of spots on the lower leaves and dry rot of the root core. The reason is the lack of boron, fertilizing with boric acid is necessary
cercosporosis		It affects the leaves of plants, impairs the growth and development of the root crop. The reason is a lack of potassium, fertilizing with potassium chloride or ash is necessary.
		It can be identified by a gray-purple bloom on the underside of the tops, then they begin to dry out or rot. The plant must be sprayed with fungicides, it is better to do this prophylactically in the phase of 2-3 leaves.
		An infectious disease that affects seedlings. The leg at the same time becomes thin, blackens, soon the plant dies. A disease occurs with a lack of aeration on heavy, damp soils.
		Occurs in dry weather with insufficient watering. Leaf cuttings darken, roots crack with the formation white plaque at the site of injury
		Appears, on the contrary, at high humidity and excess nitrogen. It appears as a brown or gray coating on root crops. When rot appears, the fruits are removed, and the site is not used for growing root crops for 4-5 years.

Video - How to grow beautiful, healthy and tasty beets