Vegetables are an integral part of the human diet. It is from them that he receives vitamins, carbohydrates, fiber and starch necessary for the body. The main crops cultivated by gardeners include: potatoes, onions, garlic, turnips, beets , cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes.
It is believed that planting and growing beets in the open ground does not require special knowledge, but this is not so, in order to get a really good harvest, it is necessary to create certain conditions for it.
Features of cultivation and care of beets
In general, gardeners are engaged in planting sugar (for obtaining sugar) and a dining room (for eating) beets. Depending on whether you plan to use it now or keep it during the winter, you should choose varieties of different maturation periods:
- early - the harvest can be collected in 60-90 days;
- average - are distinguished by excellent taste and lezhkostyu;
- late - are well preserved for a long time, but in the northern and central regions do not always have time to fully mature before frost.
The most common varieties of beet are "Detroit", "Egyptian flat", "Kestrel", "Gribovskaya", "Incomparable", "Cold-resistant", "Podzimnyaya".
Location of the garden with beets
The best place for this root crop is a sunny area with light loamy or fertile soil with a neutral pH level. In advance it should be dug (to a depth of 20-25 cm) and add humus or any other organic fertilizer. If the acidity of the earth is increased, then when preparing the earth, it is recommended to make ash with dolomite flour or lime. Also, when choosing a place for beets, it is necessary to take into account that it grows poorly after chard, carrots and cabbage, and after potatoes, cucumber and onions - very well.
Beet planting can be carried out both by seeds and seedlings, but in the second case, plants transplanted into the open ground are more often sick and more sensitive to temperature drops in the spring. Seeds planting beets in spring, best suited period from 1 to 20 May. In order for them to ascend well, it should be done like this:
- Soak the seeds for 24 hours in warm water, and then dry them. You can also use the method of bubbling - saturation of planting material with the help of an aquarium compressor.
- We make grooves at a distance of 20-25 cm.
- We stick on 1 seed every 10-15 cm.
- We water and close the soil.
- To accelerate the entry process, crops can be covered with peat or vermiculite.
Sprouts will appear in 5-6 days, provided that the air temperature will be 4-5 ° C. Further, in order to achieve a good harvest, the next care is needed.
Care of beets after planting
- Watering . Before the appearance of root crops, beets need intensive irrigation, and after its formation - only once a week. Completely stop watering should be about 30 days before harvesting. After each moistening, the soil between the beets must be loosened.
- Top dressing . Beets need mineral fertilizers, therefore, throughout the period of its growth, 1 time in 2 weeks
should be foliar top dressing potassium fertilizers, while nitrogenous can be used only 1-2 times - after thinning. It is very good to sprinkle beetroots with ashes, this will be a top dressing, but it will protect it from diseases and pests. - Decimation . The first time you need to remove the extra grass and weak shoots after the appearance of 2 leaves on the seedlings, and the second time - with the appearance of 4-5 leaves. The last time to decay beet planting is necessary in August, leaving between them about 8 cm.
Carrying out all the above recommendations on growing beets and caring for them, you will definitely get a good harvest of this vegetable.