How and when to plant beets for seedlings: timing of sowing seeds and further care for them

Beet - a widely cultivated root crop among gardeners. Basically, it is planted directly with seeds in beds, but to obtain an early harvest, the crop is grown in seedlings. How and when to plant beets for seedlings is further in the article.

How to prepare seeds for planting

Beets contain many vitamins and microelements. Even when boiled, this product retains all its beneficial properties. Before planting beets, gardeners have a question: how to properly prepare the seeds for sowing to get a good harvest?

Beet seeds germinate very slowly, so it is important to prepare them correctly for sowing. This process is carried out in several stages.

Selection and processing, germination

At the first stage we perform calibration. We select only large, undamaged specimens. If there are a lot of them and it is difficult to select them manually, sift them through a large sieve or colander. Small and damaged specimens are thrown away.

The following solutions are used for processing:

• boric acid solution (1 g per 5 liters of water);
• manganese solution (1 g per half bucket of water);
• ash solution (1 tbsp per 1 liter of water);
• copper sulfate (1 g per half bucket of water);
• infusion of calendula and chamomile;
• growth stimulants (Epin, Zircon, Agricola Vegeta, etc.).

The seed material is soaked in a container with a solution for 10-12 hours.

The next step before planting is to lay them out on a cotton cloth or napkin, moisten them with water and place them in a container.All this is put in a warm place with a temperature of 20-22°C.

Periodically, the fabric is gradually moistened with water so that the germinating seeds are constantly moist. The seed material is kept in a damp cloth for 2 days. The contents are periodically ventilated to prevent mold from forming.

As soon as the first white sprouts appear, they begin land work. The advantage of this preparation is that the seeds germinate already 4-6 days after planting. That is, much earlier than when using dry seed.

When to plant beets for seedlings

The timing of planting beets depends on the climatic conditions of a particular region. For example, in Siberia, the Urals or in the middle zone, the crop is planted no earlier than May, mainly in the second half.

In southern latitudes, beet seeds are sown in the second half of March or April. In the regions of the middle zone - from early to mid-May.

Also, most gardeners rely on the lunar calendar for better plant germination. The best time is considered to be the period of the waning moon. At this time, the plants take root well and grow.

It is not advisable to plant seedlings and sow seeds during the new moon and full moon. Plants planted at this time do not take root well and grow slowly.

Reference. Favorable days for planting according to the lunar calendar vary between calendar years. The lunar calendar does not depend on the traditional one.

Growing beets using seedlings

To obtain a high-quality beet harvest in a timely manner, take care of the seedlings in early spring. Planting root crops in open ground with seedlings will give an earlier and larger harvest than with seeds. The algorithm described below will help you achieve the expected result.

Preparing the site and soil

Soil for sowing beets for seedlings is used from the store or you prepare the mixture yourself. To do this, mix:

• 2 parts peat;
• 1 part rotted compost or humus;
• 1 part of garden or turf soil;
• 0.5 parts of washed sand.

On a note. Acidic soils are not suitable for beets, so add half a glass of wood ash per 5 liters of composition to the mixture. Ash serves as an excellent fertilizer for beet seedlings due to its high content of nutrients.

The mixture is sifted and steamed for an hour. Instead of steaming, some water the substrate directly in the sowing bowl with a fungicide solution (Maxim, Vitaros, Fitosporin).

Treat the seeds with a fungicide solution according to the instructions on the package. This prevents beets from being damaged by fomoz. This disease creates voids and rot in root crops. The soil mixture is placed in a bowl, compacted and the seeds are laid out on the surface. The main thing is that the landing capacity is high enough.

Landing

The rules for growing seedlings are quite simple: as the soil dries, watering is required, as well as a lighted place.

Important! When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, the small plant is transplanted into open ground.

If the procedure is carried out correctly, seedlings will appear in 4-6 days. Almost immediately after germination, the soil is loosened to allow air to reach the roots.

Further care

It is important to water, weed, loosen and feed beet beds in a timely manner.

Many experienced gardeners fertilize beets with mullein (1:6), in addition to the main elements, it contains copper, boron, molybdenum and other necessary substances for obtaining high-quality root crops.

When using mineral fertilizers, keep in mind that the vegetable needs nitrogen most at the beginning of growth. When the root crop is the size of a walnut, nitrogen accumulates in the form of nitrates. Therefore, at the beginning of cultivation, nitrogen fertilizers are applied in fractional portions, and when the leaves close, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers begin to be used.

If there is not enough boron in root crops, voids form in them. To prevent disease in cloudy weather, apply foliar feeding to the leaves (2 g of boric acid per 10 liters of water). To make the beets sugary, they are watered 2 times per season with a solution of sodium nitrate (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water) or table salt (2 tablespoons per 15 liters of water).

On a note. Beets will grow better if planted in one row along the edge of other crops (tomatoes, onions, potatoes).

Thinning and planting

The crop must be thinned in moist soil conditions (after rain or watering). This is done in non-sunny weather.

For your information. It is recommended to water beets along the tops so that the leaves receive moisture.

During the season, beets are usually thinned out 2 times:

1. The first thinning is carried out as the first 2-4 true leaves appear on the tops, with a bush height of approximately 7-8 cm. The task is to remove the weakest plants in the row. Also, those sprouts that are located as close as possible to others are pulled out, leaving approximately 5-8 cm between plants.
2. The beets are thinned out for the second time after the root crops have set. Leave approximately 8-10 cm between plants.

Also, with thinning, only hatched weeds are pulled out. If you have to remove fairly strong plants, most gardeners do not throw them away.After thinning, excess root crops are used for cooking and are also planted in other places on the site.

How to plant beet sprouts? There is nothing difficult about it. First, using a marker, make indentations in each row at a distance of approximately 3 cm. Pour water from a watering can into each such hole. Then they take seedlings (ideally, if they are in the phase of 2-3 or 3-4 leaves), plant them in the holes, and strengthen them with earth. The spine needs to be pinched a quarter of the way. After planting, water the bed completely again and mulch with sawdust.

Read also:

Is it possible to eat beets if you have gastritis?

How to properly grow and when to collect beet seeds.

A delicious healer straight from the garden - boiled beets: benefits and harm for the liver.

When and how to transplant seedlings into the ground

Sowing beets in open ground is easier than using the seedling method of planting. But the second option is better because the harvest is obtained in a shorter time. This vegetable tolerates picking well. This is done at home in boxes or in a heated greenhouse.

Prepared seeds are planted for seedlings approximately 4 weeks before planting seedlings in open ground. To disinfect, the seed is soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then the seeds are kept for 2-3 days in a humid environment so that they hatch, and finally they are laid out in a box in soil etched with Fitosporin, which will prevent blackleg disease. The seeds are sprinkled with the same soil and placed in a greenhouse.

Important! Seedlings require moist soil and daily ventilation.

To transplant beets with seedlings, use a denser planting pattern than when planting directly in open ground. The distance between rows is 5 cm, between plants is 2 cm. The depth for sowing is no more than 3 cm.Seedlings are thinned out approximately 7 days after emergence. The remaining sprouts should not touch each other with cotyledon leaves.

To the greenhouse

Planting beet seedlings in protected soil conditions is quite justified, since the sugar root crop is not a frost-resistant crop.

After germination of seedlings in special cassettes, thinning and picking of young shoots is necessary. After 6-7 days, it is better to move the seedlings to a greenhouse away from sunlight.

To obtain an early harvest, seedlings are placed in closed ground conditions in the first half of autumn, and for a late harvest - in the first ten days of April. The process of growing seedlings in a greenhouse begins with furrows in the soil, the distance between which should be about 5 cm. After a couple of weeks, the seedlings will grow and become stronger. When 2 leaves appear, the plant is ready to be transplanted to a permanent growing location.

Important! A few days before planting the plants in open ground, it is necessary to harden them by ventilating the greenhouse.

After the formation of the first or second true leaves, picking is carried out. At the stage of the third or fourth leaf, the beets are transplanted to a permanent place according to a 10x25 or 15x25 cm pattern. The transplantation is done very carefully so that the main root of small plants is not damaged.

Seedless method

Many beginning gardeners think that planting beets is a troublesome and difficult process. In fact, it is not at all difficult, but you need to have at least basic knowledge.

In open ground

To make the seeds germinate faster, you need to soak them for a day in cold water or for 40 minutes in warm water (35 ° C). Also, to speed up the process, some gardeners use a growth stimulator, keeping the seeds in it for about a day.

The grains are placed in moist open ground to a depth of no more than 3 cm. The distance between rows is from 25 cm for large varieties, from 6 cm for small ones. The gap between bushes in a row is from 8-10 cm.

The seed is placed after filling the grooves with water and absorbing it. Since beet seeds are large in size, they are placed in the soil one by one. Many varieties produce 2-3 inflorescences, which means that thinning will be required at the initial stage of development.

While the plants are young, replanting of elongated shoots is necessary. They will take root easily. With the first thinning, excess weeds are removed from the garden bed and the soil is loosened, then mulched (for example, with sawdust).

The second thinning is carried out after the appearance of two paired leaves, when the root crop becomes about 1.5 cm in diameter. It is better to do thinning and weeding after rain or watering, this will make it easier to get rid of weeds. As the bushes develop, fertilizing is applied: first, organic matter, and then mineral fertilizers.

To the greenhouse

Proper seed preparation speeds up the appearance of the first shoots several times. The preparation is carried out as follows:

• choose the largest seeds;
• soaked in water or a solution with trace elements;
• germinate;
• disinfected and bubbling (treatment in water with oxygen or air).

The seeds are soaked at a temperature of 20-22°C, then they are collected in a cotton bag and placed in a container, periodically moistened, the procedure lasts 2 days. At the end, when the first shoots appear, the seeds are dried to a free-flowing state.

Advice. Soaking the seeds in a solution with mineral fertilizers will speed up the appearance of sprouts. Add 1 teaspoon of “Superphosphate” or soda to 1 liter of water; you can also use “Nitrophoska”.

After a day or less, the seeds are washed under running water. Disinfection of seed material is carried out with a weak solution of potassium permanganate - this is useful in the fight against root beetle.

Plants need to be thinned out after germination, leaving a distance between bushes of 8-10 cm.

If the seeds are planted in February, the harvest will be in May, and planting in March will bring the harvest in June, depending on the warming of the soil (the desired temperature is +8-10 °C). Per square meter you will need 1.5-2 g of seeds, which should be sown to a depth of no more than 3 cm.

The choice of variety is also important. Experienced gardeners for indoor soil recommend choosing the following varieties:

• "Bordeaux";
• "Ataman";
• "Red Ball";
• "Cylinder";
• "Single-germ";
• "Cold-resistant";
• "F1-Pablo";
• "Detroit".

In addition, breeders have developed special varieties that are well suited for cultivation in a greenhouse. These include Boltardi, Pablo and Burpees Golden.

Conclusion

If beets are planted as seedlings in open ground, the root vegetables will have a richer taste. The seedlings take root well and avoid further thinning, which, in turn, will simplify caring for them. Many gardeners who have tried to grow beets with seedlings use this method every year.

The following video will help you learn about an alternative method of growing beets for seedlings: