Beetroot Features
The beet genus belongs to the Amaranth family. Beetroot (buryak) is a popular vegetable crop that has various health benefits. This vegetable deserves a lot of attention in the kitchen.
Beetroot is a very useful product (rich in vitamins and mineral salts), gives a red color to our recipes. It is difficult to imagine our diet without it.
The plant can reach 40-50 cm . Stems with characteristic red ribs and large leaves. The size of the fetus can be small and very large, which can weigh up to 1 kilogram. But the size of the beet does not affect its sweetness and taste.
This plant is biennial, but more often it is grown as an annual for obtaining root crops. Beet yields in the first year, and in the second there is a peduncle about 1.5 m high.
Pay attention! Collecting seeds does not guarantee that the same variety will turn out. The yield will be much lower than when planting purchased hybrid seeds. Ready-made seeds are easier to buy.
From beet seeds, young plants germinate in a “family”, and require repeated thinning. Inflorescences are bisexual flowers, from which 2-5 seeds are formed.
Beetroot: planting and care in the open ground
How to grow a good crop? Soil preparation. Before planting beets, it is important to prepare the soil. It does not necessarily need full sun, it can grow in partial shade. Beetroot does not grow well on acidic soils, and seedlings are more easily affected by fungal diseases.
For beets, you need to choose a flat area where water does not stagnate. Although this vegetable crop is moisture-loving, it does not tolerate excessive stagnation of moisture. It needs well-drained soil rich in organic substances.
Beets canteen needs loose soil. It is difficult for any root crops, including beets, to develop and increase in size on dense clay soils. Such soil needs to be improved by changing its structure. Beetroot of good quality grows on loose soils.
The vegetable is sown in the open ground, choosing an open sunny place. It is not worth planting in the shade, since it will not be possible to grow a good harvest.
Planting and caring for beets
Sow both in spring and under winter to get an early harvest. Sowing is carried out in autumn, in early November. This vegetable crop does not tolerate low temperatures, which can cause arrows to form already in the first year of growth. Usually beet seeds are not sown for winter, but there are a number of varieties bred by breeders specifically for sowing for winter.
A favorable period for sowing table beets is spring. When to plant beets in the spring? Sowing is preferably carried out in the period from March to June.
Beets are sown when the soil warms up to 7-10 ° C. The seeds germinate at a temperature of 8 C. If they are sown with ish early in cold soil, root crops may not grow. At a temperature of 10-11 ° C degrees, shoots appear in 10-12 days, and at 15-18 ° C germinate in 5-6 days.
Table beets, which are intended for long-term storage, are sown in May, after the 10th, but no later than May 20. In general, the growing season of the root crop (depending on the variety) is from 50 to 80 days.
Pay attention! To accelerate the germination of seeds, sowing is carried out with pre-soaked seeds. To do this, it is advisable to soak them in a solution of baking soda or ash (half a teaspoon per 0.5 liters of water) for a day. Then wash and wrap in a damp cloth, and store in this form at a temperature not lower than 25 0 C for two days. This technique allows you to get friendly shoots within a week after sowing.
The air temperature of 15-23 ° C is the most favorable for the growth of the root crop and obtaining a good harvest. Beetroot can withstand a short-term drop in temperature by 2-3 degrees, but after that the growth begins to slow down. In such conditions, flower arrows may appear on them even in the first year of life, and root crops will become tough and unsuitable for food.
They are planted in rows in grooves, at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other, to a depth of about 2 cm. Seedlings are thinned, leaving a distance of ten cm between them, so that there is enough space for the development of roots.
Watering
With a large amount of water, the aboveground part develops more, to the detriment of the root crop. For better maturation of root crops, stop watering 4-5 weeks before harvest.
Important! Beetroot is a moisture-loving plant: it loves constantly moist soil and is afraid of drought. Without moisture, plants are delayed in their development, and the root crop does not add weight. Water regularly, keeping the soil moist, but not wet.
How often are fertilizers applied to beet plants?
On poor soils, beets will lack nutrition. In this case, she will need feeding. Feed the beetroot only if it does not grow well enough.
Before planting, compost or manure is applied to the soil. On fertile soils, fertilizers can not be applied at all. For good foliage growth and the formation of fleshy roots, top dressing: 2 tablespoons of full organic fertilizer in 20-30 days. Foliar feeding with boron helps to get a good harvest without stains.
Any mineral fertilizer is dangerous because beet roots can accumulate nitrates. This feature is peculiar to this culture. As a fertilizer for beets, you can use herbal infusion.
Thinning of seedlings
Beet seeds germinate not by individual plants, but by “nests”. In order for young plants not to interfere with each other’s development, it is important to thin out seedlings in a timely manner.
Thinned plants can be transplanted to another place, like seedlings. The main root needs to be pinched, and it will not grow in depth, but will immediately begin to build up mass. The survival rate of such seedlings is quite high.
In the northern regions, beets are grown using seedlings.
To do this, the seeds are sown in boxes or greenhouses in March. The resulting seedlings are planted on the beds after the appearance of five or six real leaves on the plants. Seedlings allow to obtain sufficiently high yields even in regions with a short growing season.
The best beetroot precursors
How to grow a good beet crop in the open ground? Growing beets together with other vegetables gives good results.
It is better to allocate a place for a bed where cucumbers, potatoes, zucchini, pumpkin or onions used to grow. The choice of land after peas, garlic or cabbage will not be entirely successful. It is not necessary to plant beets after such root crops as carrots, parsnips, celery, as well as after spinach, which have common diseases with it.
Precursors for this vegetable crop:
- onions;
- peas;
- tomatoes;
- cucumbers;
- carrots;
- annual herbs;
- potatoes.
Beets are not recommended to be cultivated in one place for two years in a row. It can be returned to its former place only after three years.
Pests and diseases
Beets are infected with fungi that cause the formation of brown spots on the leaves.
Especially often this disease can be observed at high humidity or in cases of excessive thickening of crops. This disease can cause serious harm, so infected leaves must be removed and destroyed.
- Excess nitrogen in the soil can lead to the formation of voids inside the root crops.
- With a lack of boron, a focus of rot can develop.
- The appearance of yellow spots on the leaves indicates a lack of potassium.
It can be affected by powdery mildew, which manifests itself on the leaves with a light white coating of mold. Prevent diseases in the garden with proper care of the soil, avoiding stagnation of water.
Copper, sulfur and Bordeaux mixture are products allowed by organic farming, but they are toxic to the environment, and if possible, it is better to avoid them and make the garden more organic. Folk remedies, proven for centuries, will help to cope with these diseases and pests.
Beetroot care requires frequent weeding, removal of unwanted weeds, especially during the growth of young plants. Dry and withered leaves are removed to help the plant grow better, provide better ventilation and avoid the development of diseases.
