Help you grow juicy, sweet, healthy beets simple recommendations. The article will also tell you how to preserve the harvest until spring at home.
Beets are not only tasty, but also healthy vegetable, which has a good effect on the circulatory system. It is a powerful antioxidant and contains a lot of iron. It removes salts from the body heavy metals, radiation, helps in the fight against cancer cells. prevents the formation of blood clots, treats thyroid diseases. Beets have a beneficial effect on the kidneys, intestines and have many other beneficial properties.
Growing this invaluable vegetable in your garden is quite simple. How to do this will be discussed right now.
How to properly prepare the soil for beets
It is known that beets place increased demands on soil composition. On heavy loam it will be small and insufficiently sweet and juicy. To please the fruits with taste and size, it is necessary to allocate for her sunny plot. The soil here should be rich in organic matter. Under no circumstances should unripened compost or fresh manure be added before planting. The latter should turn into humus and become crumbly, then it can be applied to the ridges. Beets do not like acidic soil, so add ash, which reduces this indicator. You can bring it in for digging in the fall dolomite flour, which will also reduce the acidity of the area.
If you have loam, add to a bed 60 meters wide and 3 meters long:
- 4 buckets of sand;
- 2 bags of peat;
- 5 buckets of humus;
- 2 liters of ash;
- 3 tbsp. nitrophoska.
If the soil is peaty, you need to add:
- 2 bags of turf soil;
- 6 buckets of humus;
- the same amount of ash and nitrophoska.
Before growing beets on peat or sandy soil, make clay, which will help retain nutrients and water in the garden bed, they will not seep into the soil. To do this, a layer of soil is removed using the bayonet of a shovel, loam is placed there in a layer of 7–8 cm, and fertile soil, humus, and what was indicated above are added on top. After this, the soil is leveled and planting is carried out.
In the middle zone, if the spring is warm, beets are sown on April 25–30, in cold springs on May 5–15.
Make grooves along the bed at a distance of 25 cm from each other, 1.5 cm deep. To make them even, stick pegs on both sides of the bed, pull a rope, which will become an excellent measure. Water the furrows, place seeds in them every 7 cm. Fill the furrows. If the soil is not loose enough, add mulch on top consisting of a layer of sand or peat 1 cm high.
After the shoots appear, periodically water the sprouts in the evenings, keeping the soil loose. Then enough oxygen will reach the roots, and the plants will develop well.
Many varieties of beets, especially old ones, have two or three growths. That is, from one seed there will appear not 1, but 2?3 sunrises. You can leave the strongest one, and simply snatch the rest from this group. But you can do it differently. Wait until the seedlings have 2–3 true leaves, carefully dig up the excess plants and plant them in another bed at a distance of 8–10 cm from each other. From this planting material you will also get a full harvest. The main thing is to know one trick. Before planting, shorten the root tip by 5–8 mm. This can be done with scissors or by breaking it off with your fingernails. Then the root system will develop well, and the main root will grow evenly, without bending.
If you don’t want such pickings and transplants, pay attention to single-growth varieties. Many people like elongated fruits, their flesh is more tender, and it is more convenient to peel, so you can plant this type of vegetable.
Beet varieties
Single-growth:
- And I(named after the Siberian river). A very early variety. It grows well not only in the middle zone, but also in the Urals, in Western Siberia, on Far East. Root vegetable with dark burgundy pulp, rounded-flat shape. Very productive. You can grow it by seedlings, in which case you can eat the first tubers in mid-June.
- Valenta. Mid-early variety. A root vegetable with dark red flesh, which does not have a ring pattern, is round. Not only the root vegetable is edible, but also the leaves, which are sugary and very tasty. Tolerates cold weather well and is resistant to blooming.
- Khavskaya. Also mid-early. Root vegetables are round with dark red flesh. The variety has a good taste and is resistant to flowering.
- Single sprout. Late ripening variety. Root vegetables with dark burgundy pulp, round in shape, tender, juicy, sweet taste. Productivity is high, good shelf life during storage.
- Egyptian flat. Early ripening. Root vegetables are dark red in color with a purple tint. The root crop is flat and can weigh up to 620 g. It is valued for its excellent taste, good shelf life, and resistance to drought and disease.
- Incomparable A463. Almost the same shape and color as the Egyptian flat, but has blackish rings, the taste is excellent. The weight is less, the maximum weight of the root crop is 380 g. The plants do not get sick, do not lose color when cooked, and have an excellent taste.
Cylindrical beet varieties:
- Mona- mid-early variety. After 62 days you can harvest the first fruits. This beet is single-planted. The pulp is juicy, tender, the rings are weakly expressed. The fruits weigh 200–300 g.
- Rocket- refers to highly productive varieties of table beets. The root vegetables are smooth, have a smooth skin, and are dark red. The growing season lasts 125 days.
- Cylinder. Late ripening variety. It was bred by foreign breeders, but it has long been loved by domestic gardeners. The maximum weight of the root crop is 700 g. The pulp is juicy, sugary, dark red in color with a purple tint. Root vegetables are very good not only boiled, stewed, baked, but also raw. However, keeping quality is low.
A little about growing beet seedlings
It was mentioned above that some beets can be grown as seedlings. To do this, plant several seeds of single-sprouted early beets in separate containers. It is best to use small special cups with a diameter of 4–5 cm.
Pour soil into them, make a 1.5 cm deep hole in the center, spill it, lower the seed, and sprinkle it with soil. Place the cups on a tray, cover with cellophane to prevent moisture from evaporating and place in a warm place. When the seeds hatch and shoots appear above the soil surface, place the trays or trays with cups on a glassed-in loggia or in a room on a bright window sill.
After a month, plant the sprouts in the prepared bed. In the middle zone it is May 10–20. If you have a permanent greenhouse, you can complete the work earlier at the end of April. Then by mid-June the first harvest will be ripe. When planting, take the sprout out of the glass with a lump of earth, then the seedlings will take root faster and begin to grow faster.
Watering and infrequent loosening are the main types of beet care. Since this crop loves organic matter, you can feed it at the beginning of growth with a mullein solution prepared in a ratio of 1:12 with water. 1-2 feedings of this are enough organic fertilizer, if overused, root vegetables can accumulate nitrates.
Give the plants food a second time 3 weeks after the first feeding. Dissolve 1 glass of water in 8 liters of water and water the bed. You can simply sprinkle this amount of dry ash onto 1.5 meters of the bed and embed it in the soil when loosening
You can carry out 2-3 foliar feedings by dissolving microelements in water and spraying beet leaves.
The harvest for storage is harvested when the root crops are well ripened. Therefore, they are left on the ridge until mid-late September. Harvest beets in dry weather before frost sets in.
Root crops are not pulled out of the ground, but carefully dug up, so as not to damage them, and cleaned of soil with gloved hands. Cut off the tops, leaving a “stump” of 2 cm, allow this wound to dry, placing the beets under a canopy for 2-3 days, only after that they put them in storage.
You can store the harvest at home. To do this, you need to put the root vegetables in plastic bags, but do not tie them, then place the bags where it is cool, for example, to the balcony door. If the loggia is well glazed, place the beets in cardboard box, sprinkling it with dry sand or sawdust. Place this box in a larger box. Lay down the unnecessary blanket. Insulate the walls between the boxes with rags; you can also cover the box with a blanket on top.
If there is a basement or cellar, the harvest is stored there, making sure that the humidity is not too high.
Video about beet growing technology, planting and care:
Cabbage juice is a healthy life-giving drink that can give our body many necessary and useful substances. About what beneficial features cabbage juice exists, and how to drink it correctly, we’ll talk in our article. Cabbage is one of the healthiest vegetable crops because it has very valuable properties. This product is tasty and nutritious, moreover, it is an affordable medicine that anyone can grow in their own garden. By eating cabbage, you can eliminate many health problems. Although everyone knows that due to the fiber contained in cabbage, this vegetable is difficult to digest, causing gas formation. To avoid such problems, it is healthier to drink cabbage juice, receiving the same beneficial substances contained in the vegetable.
Freshly squeezed cabbage juice contains vitamin C, which increases the body's resistance to infections. Scientists have calculated that in order to satisfy our body's daily need for vitamin C, you can eat about 200 g of cabbage. In addition, the vegetable contains the vitamin K we need, which is responsible for the full formation of bones, as well as blood clotting. Cabbage, and therefore cabbage juice, contains B vitamins and a very rich set of minerals, including iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and other elements.
What is very nice for people losing weight is that cabbage juice is very low in calories (25 kcal per 100 ml). This is a diet drink that will help you get rid of excess weight. Cabbage juice has wound-healing and hemostatic properties. It is used externally, to treat burns and wounds, and for oral administration (to treat ulcers). Effectively use fresh cabbage juice to treat gastritis and ulcers. The effect is ensured by vitamin U contained in the juice. This vitamin helps regenerate cells in the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. The juice is used to treat hemorrhoids, colitis and inflammatory processes occurring in the stomach and intestines, as well as bleeding gums.
Cabbage juice is used as an antimicrobial agent that can affect some pathogens of dangerous diseases, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Koch's bacillus and ARVI. Cabbage juice is also used to treat bronchitis; in particular, it can thin and remove mucus. For this treatment, it is recommended to take juice with honey to enhance the healing effect. Cabbage juice is also used to restore tooth enamel, improve the condition of nails, skin and hair. For diabetes mellitus, drinking cabbage juice can prevent the occurrence of skin diseases.
Cabbage juice should definitely be included in the diet of those wishing to lose excess weight, due to its low calorie content and high biological activity. At the same time, cabbage juice can fill you up very quickly without getting extra calories, and it also prevents the conversion of carbohydrates into fat deposits. Cabbage juice can normalize intestinal function by removing bile that has stagnated in the body, fights constipation and helps remove harmful substances from the body.
Since the juice contains folic acid, which helps conception and full development of the fetus, it is useful for expectant mothers to drink. The vitamins and minerals contained in the juice protect against infections and colds.
When consuming cabbage juice, you should follow the rules. Juice has contraindications and restrictions. The drink is capable of dissolving and decomposing toxins accumulated in the body, causing severe gas formation in the intestines, so you can drink no more than three glasses a day. You should start drinking it starting with one and a half glasses. For the reasons listed above, cabbage juice is not recommended in the postoperative period, if operations were performed in the abdominal cavity, and during breastfeeding, for gastritis with increased acidity, for kidney diseases and problems with the pancreas.
The world we live in often affects the state of our nervous system, since it is full of various stressful situations, chronic fatigue and systematic stress. However nervous system should be constantly monitored and not overexerted. To do this, you need to streamline your daily worries, for which you need to create and adhere to the correct daily routine, and, if necessary, attend a course of psychotherapy, yoga, auto-training and other activities. But most in a simple way relaxation is a simple cup of herbal tea, fragrant and warm. wonderful natural remedy Soothing, which has a gentle effect on nerves worn out during the day, is evening tea. Teas that relax the nervous system help eliminate irritability, nervous exhaustion and relax before going to bed, overcoming insomnia. We will talk about how tea calms the nervous system in our article.
Tea from a collection of fragrant herbs
To prepare this wonderful tea, you should take plants such as St. John's wort, peppermint, chamomile and hawthorn flowers in equal proportions. Grind the ingredients, then tbsp. l. pour boiling water over the mixture in a cup and leave for 30 minutes, covering with a lid. Strain the cooled infusion and add a small amount of honey. Drink while sleeping. This tea will easily calm your nerves, but it is recommended to drink it for no more than two months.
Lime tea
To prepare tea, mix dry linden and lemon balm flowers in equal parts, pour the mixture into a glass warm water, and boil for about five minutes. The broth is infused for 15 minutes, filtered, a spoonful of honey is added and taken for tea drinking. If you take this tea regularly, your nervous system will react more calmly to various unpleasant stimuli.
Peppermint tea with motherwort
Mix chamomile and motherwort herb 10 g each, add chopped mint 20 g, linden blossom, lemon balm and dried strawberries. Three tablespoons of the mixture should be poured into 1 liter of boiling water and left for up to 12 minutes. You need to drink the infusion throughout the day, adding a little jam or honey if desired. This infusion is designed not to completely suppress the nervous system, but only to gently calm it. This tea should be drunk for a long time, without the risk of adverse reactions that are harmful to health.
Simple soothing teas
Mix 50 g of hop cones and valerian roots, then brew a dessert spoon of the mixture with boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, filter. Drink in small portions throughout the day. It is better to drink a whole glass of this tea at night. The product quickly calms the nerves and helps in the fight against insomnia.
Mix peppermint herb and valerian roots in equal parts, then pour boiling water over a dessert spoon of this mixture, leave for half an hour and filter. We drink this tea in the morning and evening, half a glass. To enhance the effect, it is recommended to add a little anise or dill.
Melissa, valerian root and motherwort are taken in equal proportions and brewed in a cup. Then infuse and filter. You need to drink a dessert spoon of tea before meals.
Drinking half a glass of tea before meals, prepared according to the recipe below, can calm your nerves and improve digestion. To prepare it, you need to place 1 tsp in a half-liter jar. motherwort, hop cones and green tea, pour boiling water, leave for 12 minutes, strain. Add honey to taste.
Complex soothing teas
Mix peppermint, oregano, St. John's wort and chamomile in equal parts. Then brew a dessert spoon of the mixture in a cup, leave, strain and add honey. Drink a glass of this tea in the morning and before bed.
Mix peppermint, valerian root, hop cones, motherwort and ground rose hips in equal proportions. A tablespoon of the mixture should be brewed as tea, steeped and strained. This sedative should be drunk throughout the day.
Soothing teas for children
To prepare a soothing tea for children, you need to mix chamomile flowers, peppermint and fennel in equal parts. Then pour boiling water over a dessert spoon of the mixture and keep in a steam bath for about 20 minutes, strain. It is recommended to give this tea to small children in the evening before bedtime, a teaspoon, as it can soothe, relax, and normalize a healthy alternation of sleep and wakefulness.
The teas that were described in our article can calm the nervous system and normalize blood pressure. Such daily tea drinking helps improve sleep and skin condition. Medicinal plants, included in these teas, help eliminate dark circles under the eyes, improve vision, and improve the functioning of the stomach and intestines.
Previously, people could not imagine that a person’s breakfast could consist of various crispy balls with dried fruits, cereals and milk. But these days such food does not surprise anyone, because such a breakfast is very tasty and also easy to prepare. However, such food opens up a lot of controversy and discussion, since it is important for people to know the benefits and harms of breakfast cereals for human health. The very concept of dry food appeared in 1863, and it was introduced by James Jackson. The first food was compressed bran. Even though it wasn't very tasty, it was healthy food. The Kellogg brothers supported the idea of dry food already at the beginning of the twentieth century. At this time, both Americans and Europeans were seized by the idea of correct and healthy eating. At that time, the brothers produced breakfast cereals made from soaked corn kernels passed through rollers. These breakfasts were more like raw dough, torn into pieces. They were helped by an accident in which this body was placed on a hot baking sheet and forgotten about it. Thus, the first breakfast cereals were created. This idea was picked up by many companies, and the cereal was mixed with nuts. Fruits and other products.
What are the benefits of breakfast cereals?
In the last twenty years, ordinary breakfasts, which consisted of sandwiches and cereals, began to be replaced by dry ones. The main advantage of dry food is, first of all, saving time, which is very important in our time. Few people can afford a complete and proper breakfast these days. That is why the main benefit of breakfast cereals is their simple and quick cooking. These breakfasts are prepared simply. All you have to do is pour milk over the cereal. In addition, milk can be replaced with yogurt or kefir.
During the production of breakfast cereals, all the beneficial substances of cereals are preserved. For example, corn flakes are rich in vitamins A and E, while rice flakes contain amino acids important for our body. Oatmeal contains phosphorus and magnesium. But, unfortunately, not all breakfasts are good for the human body; some of them can be harmful.
Dry breakfasts include snacks, muesli, and cereal. Snacks are balls and pads made from rice, corn, barley, oats and rye. different sizes. These grains are steamed under high pressure, in order to preserve maximum quantity useful microelements and vitamins. However, with additional heat treatment, for example, by frying, the product loses its benefits. When you add nuts, honey, fruits, and chocolate to the flakes, you get muesli. For the production of snacks, ground flakes, as well as various additions to them, are fried. Children often love snacks, so they are produced in the form of different figures. Some manufacturers add various fillings to snacks, including chocolate. However, after adding sugar and various additives to breakfast, it will no longer be very useful. In this regard, to maintain health and figure, it is better to choose unprocessed cereal or muesli with fruit and honey.
Why are breakfast cereals harmful?
The most harmful product are snacks, since their preparation destroys a larger amount of useful substances. One serving of such breakfasts contains only about two grams of fiber, while our body needs up to 30 grams of dietary fiber per day. It is healthier to eat unprocessed cereals that have not been processed heat treatment. This product will fill the body with the necessary amount of fiber. Snacks are harmful due to frying as they become high in calories and fat.
It is necessary to take into account the high calorie content of breakfast cereals. For example, the calorie content of stuffed pillows is about 400 calories, and chocolate balls are 380 calories. Cakes and sweets have a similar calorie content, and this is not healthy. Causes more harm various additives included in breakfast cereals. That is why buy raw cereal for children, without various additives. Add honey, nuts or dried fruits to your breakfast cereal and avoid products that contain sugar substitutes.
Wheat, rice and corn flakes are very easy to digest because they contain simple carbohydrates. This fills the body with energy and provides nutrition to the brain, but excessive consumption of these carbohydrates leads to excess weight.
Heat-treated breakfast cereals are very harmful. During the cooking process, the fat or oil used in the cooking process can lead to cardiovascular problems and increased cholesterol levels. Breakfasts often include flavor enhancers, leavening agents and flavorings. Avoid purchasing products with such additives.
A child can be given flakes from the age of six, not earlier, since coarse fibers are difficult for the child’s intestines to absorb.
Pain, which people may periodically feel for various reasons, can ruin all their plans for the day, ruin their mood and worsen their quality of life. Pain can be of different nature, but to get rid of it, people resort to using painkillers. However, few people think about the fact that by using painkillers, we can harm our health, since each drug has side effects that can manifest themselves in an individual organism. However, not everyone knows that some products can reduce or relieve pain, while being quite effective and without exposing the body to additional risk. Of course, when any pain appears, it is necessary to determine what it is associated with. Pain is a kind of signal from the body indicating that it has problems. Therefore, you should never ignore pain, and sometimes it is impossible to do so, since it reminds you of itself, sometimes at the most inopportune moment. In our article we will talk about what products can relieve pain, or reduce its manifestation at least for a while.
People who have chronic diseases who periodically manifest themselves as painful sensations, you can create some kind of analgesic diet to alleviate your condition. So, here are the foods that can soothe the pain:
Turmeric and ginger. Ginger is tried and tested medicine from many diseases, which can effectively cope with pain. For example, in oriental medicine this plant is used to relieve toothache. For this purpose, you need to prepare a decoction of ginger and rinse your mouth with it. Pain resulting from exercise and from intestinal disorders and ulcers can be soothed with ginger and turmeric. In addition, these plants have a positive effect on kidney health.
Parsley. This greenery contains essential oils, capable of stimulating blood circulation in the human body, including blood supply to internal organs. When parsley is consumed, the body's adaptive abilities increase, which speeds up healing.
Chilli. This is another pain reliever. In the course of research, it was revealed that red pepper can increase a person’s pain threshold. The molecules of this product activate the body's immune defense and produce endorphins, which work as a pain reliever. Traditionally, this pepper is included in the menu of peoples living in difficult natural conditions and engaged in heavy physical labor.
bitter chocolate. As mentioned above, the hormone endorphin, which is also called the “hormone of happiness,” is a natural pain reliever. The production of this natural pain reliever is stimulated by eating chocolate. The ability of chocolate to bring pleasure is known to everyone, however, this product not only gives you a good mood, but can relieve painful sensations.
Whole grain products. According to some experts, the ability of foods made from whole grains to relieve pain is excessively high. These products contain a lot of magnesium, which helps relieve muscle pain. In addition, these products help relieve headaches, as they protect the body from dehydration.
Mustard. Mustard can reduce headaches that arise from overwork or other reasons. It is enough to eat a piece of bread spread with fresh mustard.
Cherry. It is very easy to eliminate headaches by eating a few ripe cherries.
Garlic. This is another burning product that can relieve pain, and this also applies to pain resulting from various inflammations.
Citrus. These fruits have pain-relieving properties, just like other foods containing vitamin C. Citrus fruits relieve pain due to various reasons. In addition, these fruits act as a general tonic. Therefore, this is the first product to be given to patients in the hospital.
Cinnamon. Another important remedy used in the fight against various inflammations and pain. Cinnamon reduces the negative effects of uric acid, high levels of which can trigger the development of many diseases, including arthritis.
Root vegetables in nutrition modern man play a smaller role than in the old days due to the narrowing of the range of species used. We have practically stopped eating turnips, rutabaga, parsnips, radishes are rarely on our table, but carrots and beets are still popular and in demand and are used in various dishes.
Amateur gardeners enjoy growing on their plots different varieties beets intended both for consumption as young root crops and for long-term storage. To keep your produce in perfect condition all winter, you need to grow it properly.
If beets with compact root crops are very good for early production, large ones are still better preserved in winter. Where small beets shrivel and wither, large ones will contain more moisture and, accordingly, will be preserved longer and more successfully. In many ways, the size of root crops depends on the beet variety, but with insufficient care and good variety may produce small, nondescript products. What needs to be done and how to grow large beets on your site?
Rules for growing beets
If you follow simple rules, growing beets will not take much time and effort, and the resulting harvest will delight you with excellent taste, excellent appearance and excellent preservation in winter time.
Seed selection. It is huge and can satisfy every taste. Choose varieties that are zoned for your area and are most suitable for your soils. In addition to the varieties, it is worth paying attention to the quality of the seeds themselves. Do not buy them from unverified suppliers - they may be old and of poor quality. Don't be tempted by beautiful packaging - unscrupulous sellers They can easily repackage unsold leftover seeds from previous years into new, elegant packaging. Seeds with own plot or received from friends may also not be of very high quality if obtained from uncontrolled cross-pollination. Such a “hybrid” can produce a tasteless root vegetable with a “striped” pattern, more suitable for animal feed. Purchasing seeds from certified growers or sellers provides greater quality assurance.
Selection of plants according to ripening time. You can grow beets on early harvest and for storage, early and late varieties are used for this. But you can also get a harvest of fresh and tasty beets in the middle of summer. For this purpose, mid-season varieties are chosen.
All of them can be sown simultaneously in the ground after the threat of return frosts has disappeared, or seedlings can be grown early varieties at home, in a greenhouse or greenhouse.
Proper and timely sowing of seeds will tell you how to grow large beets. If you want to get a straight show specimen, you need to make sure that this plant receives maximum care and nutrients. Early sowing and properly carried out picking or thinning will help achieve high quality products. 
High-quality soil - both for seedlings and for direct sowing in the ground. Beetroot requires nutritious, moderately dense soil with sufficient moisture. On clay, root crops will “stick out” to the surface; in addition, they will grow worse due to stagnation of moisture and difficulty in “pouring.” Excessively light sandy soils are usually thin and low in nutrients. In clay soils you will have to add sand and deeply cultivate it before winter, and add clay and humus to the sand. Soils for root crops are cultivated in the fall, and in the spring they are only cleared of weeds and the surface layer is loosened. This processing allows you to get smooth and beautiful root crops; this is the best method for growing tasty beets with minimal effort.
Maintaining crop rotation. Do not grow beets after other root vegetables and related cultures. Such lands are infected with diseases and pests; get from them good harvest it won't work.
Landing distance. Each plant needs a certain area of nutrition. If the seedlings are thickened, they will interfere with each other and grow small and lopsided. The distance between the roots and the rows depends on the size of the beets, determined by the variety. The larger the beets, the greater the distance both between plants and in the rows. Early bunched products are planted more densely, and varieties intended for storage are planted less often.
How to grow healthy beets without using chemicals? Switch to organic farming. Add plants to the beets that repel pests with their smell, for example, marigolds, alternate with onions and garlic. Treat them not with artificial harmful chemicals, but with infusions of plants from own garden. For good growth improve the soil by adding organic fertilizers rather than chemical fertilizers.
It may not necessarily be humus, manure or bird droppings. An excellent top dressing is sapropel - river silt, or any plant residues added to the soil after harvesting. Our ancestors knew a simple rule that made their lands fertile without factory fertilizing and spraying. Take for yourself only what you can eat, return the rest to the ground - this is the main postulate of this rule. As a result, the harvest tastes like pure land incomparable to grown in the usual way"in chemistry."
Moisture. If there is a shortage of it, small, tasteless root vegetables will grow, and if there is an excess, some of the produce may die. The part of the harvest that survives will not be stored well, and the taste of such beets will be watery. Uniform moderate watering throughout the growing season, and especially in the early stages, when the root crop begins to form, will allow you to get excellent tasty beets.
Light mode. Beets love the sun and can tolerate partial shading during the hottest hours.
It is best to harvest in the morning, as soon as the dew has disappeared. In this case, the beets will be as juicy and tasty as possible.
The main stages of planting beets
Beet seeds consist of several individual seeds connected into so-called “balls”. That is why, when sowing seeds in the ground or for seedlings, the grown seedlings will have to be plucked or thinned out.
Sowing for seedlings or in the ground under cover. For seedlings, seeds are scattered over the surface of pre-prepared soil, lightly pressed and sprinkled thin layer sifted soil. Spray and cover with film until germination. When sowing in the ground, rows are made for ease of subsequent processing and weeding. If these are early plantings, cover them with film or make a tunnel shelter.
Seedlings dive at the stage of true leaves. Before picking, the crops are watered abundantly. For work, it is convenient to use a diving peg - it is used to pick up the plant and carefully transfer it to another container.
The seedlings that have risen too densely are thinned out in the beds. They are also watered first, and then the selected plants are planted in empty spaces or new beds. New plantings are also watered. For safety and protection from diseases, it is good to water the seedlings with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
As the plants grow, it becomes clear whether it is necessary to carry out repeated thinning and transplant the seedlings. If you watch a video on how to grow large beets, please note that to obtain large plants a large supply area is required.
Plants grown from seedlings are placed directly on permanent place, usually when they have developed 2 – 3 pairs of true leaves. If the seedlings grew in separate containers, it is advisable to plant them in the ground along with a lump of earth. Although beets tolerate transplanting well, this technique will help you get a larger root crop in a short time.
Seedlings need regular watering as the soil dries out. You should not allow the soil to dry out completely - this can significantly slow down the formation of root crops.
Early varieties are rarely fertilized - they tend to accumulate nitrates. For medium and late varieties fertilizing is necessary only on very thin, poor soils. Adding chemical fertilizers can significantly degrade the taste of beets.
What do you need to get a large root crop?
If you want to grow large beets, then you just need to follow these points:
Choose a variety with an initially large size. For example, "Cylinder" when good care will produce very large, juicy and brightly colored fruits cylindrical, which taste good and store well. Such large root vegetables are usually used for harvesting or processing.
Sow the seeds on time. Late sowing may not allow the crop to fully ripen and reach its maximum sizes. Sowing into the ground too early may suffer from return frosts, which will significantly reduce the yield.
Thinning will help ensure the optimal amount of nutrients arrives. A large root crop will not grow if the planting is dense.
Watering is important for the formation of the root crop and at its stage active growth. As the beets develop, watering is reduced and completely canceled before harvesting. This makes it possible to accumulate maximum sugars in vegetables, make them tasty and extend their shelf life during the cold season.
Growing beets If you are trying to grow beets year after year big harvest beets, but everything still remains unchanged, perhaps you are missing something. To find out for sure, read effective recommendations and implement them in your garden.
In order for beets to grow juicy and tasty, you need to follow the rules of agricultural technology. For planting, you should choose a well-lit place with non-acidic soil. After the seeds are sown, it is time to begin maintenance work.
Step 1. Loosen the soil in the beet beds
Loosening the soil improves air exchange, which is so important for the development of the beet root system. It is worth starting this procedure even before the seeds sprout in order to speed up their germination. To do this, 2-4 days after sowing, carefully loosen the soil, trying not to touch the sprouts. When the shoots appear, begin to loosen the rows. In the phase of 4-5 leaves, loosening can be carried out to a depth of 8 cm.
Beets do not like it when the soil around the root crops is loosened, so do not disturb the soil there. There is no need to hill up the beets, because Most varieties do not grow deep, but protrude above the soil surface.
On a note. Loosen beets throughout the season, especially after rains and waterings, and the root crops will grow healthy and juicy.
Step 2. Thin out beet seedlings
The largest beets grow along the edges of the beds. The more space there is for one plant, the larger the root crops will grow, so be sure to thin out the seedlings. For multi-seeded varieties with 3-7 sprouts, this is done in several stages.
First thinning. 5-10 days after germination, the beets will have 2 new leaves. At this time, you need to rid the garden bed of weak seedlings. First, water the ground abundantly, and then pull out 1-5 weak shoots, leaving 2 of the strongest ones. The holes are filled with earth and compacted.
Second thinning. After three weeks, the sprouts grow 3 leaves, and one of the plants that looks weaker needs to be pulled out.
Important! For single-sprout beet varieties, thinning is not necessary, but for two-seeded beet varieties, the first stage of the procedure is eliminated.
Step 3: Water your beets regularly.
Summer residents who do not water beets in the required amount may not count on a good harvest. It is thanks to water that beets grow tops and root crops faster. And if there is not enough moisture, it grows hard and tasteless.
Watering rates depend on the soil. Dry sand requires frequent moistening, while peat and clay retain moisture longer. The average watering rate is 7-15 liters per 1 sq.m., but if the weather is dry, feel free to increase it to 20 liters per 1 sq.m. The main thing is to make sure that the water does not stagnate, because... it is harmful to the roots.
Important! Beets should be watered when they dry out. upper layer soil. Pour water between the rows, avoiding the area around the roots.
As for the timing of watering, in June, after the start of active growth, do it 2-3 times a week in small portions, taking into account weather conditions. From August, reduce watering, and stop completely 1-2 weeks before harvest, so that the root vegetables are tasty and can be stored for a long time.
Step 4. Fertilize beets
Without fertilizers, it won't be easy to get a bumper beet harvest, so be sure to take the time to treat the roots and foliar feeding. It is better to plan liquid fertilizing for mid-July, when beets are actively growing.
As fertilizer, choose mineral preparations and rotted organic matter. But try not to use fresh manure - it makes root crops rough, promotes the accumulation of nitrates and reduces the plant’s immunity to fungal diseases.
Typically, three root feedings of beets are carried out per season. For convenience, we have placed them in a table.
| Feeding period | Composition of fertilizing per 1 sq.m. |
| First: after 3-4 true leaves appear | Choice of: solution bird droppings(1:15), mullein solution (1:10) or urea solution (1 tbsp per 10 liters of water). |
| Second: 2 weeks after the first, when the root crop grows to 5 cm | 1 tbsp. potassium magnesium, 1 tbsp. superphosphate, 1 tsp. urea, 1/2 tsp. boric acid and 1 g of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of water. After fertilizing, the row spacing is sprinkled with ash and watered with clean water. |
| Third: in mid-August a month before harvest | 1 tbsp. potassium sulfate and 3 tbsp. superphosphate per 10 liters of water. |
On a note. To make beets grow sweeter, feed them with salt - 15-20 g per 10 liters of water. Watering the leaves with this solution is carried out 2-3 times per season. Also, salt feeding helps fight sodium deficiency, which is manifested by reddening of the leaves.
For root feeding to be successful, follow simple rules:
- to apply the solution, dig grooves 3-4 cm deep between the rows;
- carefully pour in the fertilizers, taking into account the instructions for their use;
- Water the rows with clean water.
In between root feedings, spraying on the leaves is also effective. For example, using this mixture: dissolve 1/2 tsp. boric acid, 1/4 tsp. iodine and 1 g of potassium permanganate per 10 liters and thoroughly treat the leaves of the plants. The remaining solution can be poured into the row spaces.
Step 5. Protect beets from diseases and pests
If you have timely loosened the soil and thinned out the seedlings, followed the watering schedule and regularly applied fertilizers, your plants already receive reliable protection. But sometimes this is not enough, and the beets become vulnerable to pest invasion. Often it is also affected by diseases, especially if the rules of crop rotation were not followed and beets were planted after carrots or cabbage. But it is in your power to protect the plants and thereby ensure a rich harvest!
You should start with prevention, for example, watering the crops with fungicide solutions that destroy pathogenic fungi. If the weather is cool and humid, also use an anti-fungal medication, otherwise the beets may get sick downy mildew.
Important! When preparing a bed for beets, be careful - if you add too much lime to acidic soil, the plants will be affected by scab.
The beet leaf miner is no less dangerous for beets. For prevention, weed weeds and dig up the soil in the fall. And if the fly has already appeared and is feasting on the leaves, use insecticides.
Step 6. Properly harvest and store beets
So, you have successfully grown beets and are looking forward to the moment when they will appear on your table. But there is no need to rush; it is important to properly collect the root crops and provide them with high-quality storage.
There are three periods for harvesting beets. Dig up early varieties in early July, 70-80 days after emergence. In August, carry out selective digging of root vegetables to please your loved ones with homemade cold soup or borscht. And in the second half of September, on a sunny day, begin mass harvesting of the beet harvest.
Important! If you rush into digging, the root crops will be stored worse and will rot. And if you start harvesting too late, the plants may freeze, accumulate more nitrates and also will not last long.
During harvesting, try not to damage the root crops so that they do not rot later. Use a garden fork to dig up the soil, and if the soil is dry, you can carefully pull out the beets. Cut the tops at a distance of 2-3 cm from the base, leaving a stump. Do not trim the roots, you can only slightly shorten the tip. This way the beets will be stored longer.
It is better to store beets in a cellar or basement. Sand boxes are suitable for this. You can also spread the root vegetables on the potatoes in a small layer, then they will retain their juiciness longer.
On a note. It is better not to leave root vegetables in the garden; over the winter they will rot and become a breeding ground for bacteria and pests.
By consistently following the steps described, you will be sure that you did everything correctly. But when growing beets, do not forget to also pay attention to preparing the soil and seeds, and choosing a variety. And then at the end of the season you yourself will give advice on caring for beets to your neighbors.
IN Kievan Rus beets came from Byzantium in the 10th century and immediately took root. From there it spread throughout Europe, came to Poland, and crossed the Urals. Our "beets" is a corruption of the Greek "sfekeli".
Beetroot is an indispensable vegetable in our daily diet. It grows unnoticed and does not cause much trouble. However, questions arise during the growing process. Follow the advice experienced gardeners, and you will succeed.
Beet varieties
- early ripening with flat and round-flat root crops– Egyptian Gribovskaya flat A-473, Incomparable A-463, Pushkinskaya flat K-18, Siberian flat 167–367, Siberian gift.
- mid-season varieties with rounded root crops— Bordeaux 237, Two-seed, One-germ, Ros, Khavskaya.
- late-ripening varieties with conical-shaped roots– Top hat, Mona.
- Dutch hybrids: Pablo F1, Worrio F1. Varieties: Detroit Nero, Detroit Rubidus.
All variety of beet varieties, sorted by various characteristics: long-life, productive, cold-resistant, sweet, etc., you will find in the article “”.
Predecessors
The best predecessors for beets are onions, cabbage, potatoes, peas, beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, and cucumbers.
Preparing the soil in spring
in spring before secondary digging, add 1 tbsp. l. phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, 1 tsp. urea, 1–2 g of boron, you can replace all this with 2 tbsp. l. complex fertilizer with microelements: Mortar, Kemira-universal, Combi. For even distribution in the soil, mix them with 1 tbsp. dry coarse sand.
To the sandy add turf soil, 1 bucket of humus or compost, superphosphate and 1 tbsp potassium. spoon per 1 sq. m. In heavy clay soils In addition to the above, you should add 1 bucket of peat and ½ bucket of sand or rotted sawdust. You can’t add fresh manure or compost to beets., otherwise the beets will accumulate nitrates.
Preparing the beds
It is important that the nutrients get into the lower layers, from where the roots will absorb them. After digging the shovel onto the bayonet, the surface is leveled and grooves are cut across or along the bed: distance 30 cm, depth 3–4 cm.
Preparing seeds for sowing
Beet seeds germinate slowly. To speed up this process, the seeds are warmed up, lowered for one minute in hot water. Soaking seeds for 12 days at a temperature of 35–40 degrees accelerates germination by 5–7 days. To increase the resistance of seeds to various diseases, they need to be soaked in a solution: for 1 liter of water - 1 teaspoon of baking soda or 0.2 g copper sulfate– and keep in the solution for 10–15 minutes.
From seeds of the same size, the harvest ripens at the same time. Therefore, seeds of different sizes and weights are sown separately. Calibrated seeds are heated by immersing them in a gauze bag in hot water for 1 second.
Sowing dates
In the Central region and Non-Black Earth region beets are sown from May 10 to May 15. The sowing depth is 2–3 cm, furrows are made every 25 cm, the distance between seeds is 8–10 cm.
Sow in wet furrows. You can add a little potassium permanganate to the water for irrigation. Seeds of single-germ varieties are laid out every 4-5 cm, multi-seeded varieties - every 10 cm.
During these periods, seeds of early varieties of beets are sown for summer consumption. For winter storage, mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties are sown at the end of May.
Beet care
2-3 days after sowing it is necessary to carry out shallow loosening. The soil is loosened only between the rows.
Beet - drought-resistant plant. But proper watering required. It is necessary to moisten the soil at the rate of 8–10 liters of water per 1 square meter. m. 3 weeks before harvesting, watering is stopped.
Beet feeding
Feed beets after each thinning. The first fertilizing is done with a solution of mullein 1:10 or complex fertilizer - 1 tbsp. spoon into a bucket of water. In the second - add 1 teaspoon of urea, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of superphosphate and 1 teaspoon of potassium sulfate or 1 tbsp. a spoonful of potassium chloride.
Thinning
First thinning– when plants develop 2 true leaves. In multi-seeded varieties, 5 seedlings develop from each inflorescence. Leave 2 strong plants. Water the bed first to make it easier to pull out.
Second thinning– after 3 weeks, leaving 1 strong plant. For a cylindrical root crop, a distance of 10 cm is permissible, for rounded ones - 20 cm. After thinning, the voids are covered with earth, dusted with ash and watered.
Optimal temperature conditions
Beets are less cold-resistant than carrots. Seeds germinate at +4.5...5°C. Growing temperature +22°C. Does not tolerate frost well. The seedlings can withstand temperatures down to -2°C. A prolonged decrease in temperature leads to a halt in the growth of root crops.
Harvesting and storing beets
Beet roots will remain fresh for a long time if they are put in boxes, sprinkled with sand, and kept on an insulated balcony or in the basement. Beetroot is best preserved at a temperature of 0 to 3°C.
You can store both carrots and beets in a trench, without boxes. 3–5 cm of sand is poured onto the bottom of the trench, then alternately a layer of root vegetables and sand. There is a 20 cm layer of earth on top. In cold weather they cover with straw.
Using tops
Beet tops salad. Cut the beet tops, boil in salted water for 5–7 minutes, drain in a colander, mash, pour in the mixture vegetable oil with crushed garlic and salt. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, dill, walnuts, sprinkle with lemon juice.