To get a rich harvest of beets, it is necessary to carry out the necessary agrotechnical measures at all stages of cultivation. Untimely loosened soil, lack of moisture or lack of fertilizing can lead to the fact that root crops will grow small, hard and tasteless.
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How to care for beets: 6 important rules
Beets should only be planted in areas where there is a lot of light. The culture will grow well in non-acidic soils. Once the seeds have been planted, it is necessary to start carrying out various activities. They can be summarized in several important rules.
Loosening the soil
Growing root crops need air supply. A sufficient amount can be provided only if the soil is loosened regularly. Seeds will begin to germinate faster if you gently loosen the beetroot bed for 3-4 days. When sprouts appear, loosening is carried out between the rows. When 4-5 leaves appear, the process can be carried out at a depth of 8 cm.
All work must be carried out away from root crops. They should not be hilled, as the grown beets protrude above the ground.
It is necessary to loosen the soil constantly, preferably after watering or rains. This procedure will help you get healthy, juicy specimens.
Thinning of seedlings
For root vegetables to be large, they need enough space. To do this, you should thin out the seedlings in a timely manner. If the seeds are multi-seeded, give 4-7 shoots, you need to remove the extra shoots several times.
Already after 5-10 days, when 2 new leaves have appeared, the first thinning is carried out. It is necessary to remove weak shoots, having previously well moistened the soil. No more than 2 strong seedlings should be left. The depressions formed after pulling out are covered with earth and slightly compacted.
When 3 leaves appear on the plant, a second thinning is done. The shoot that seems weaker is removed.
If the beets are one-germ varieties, thinning is not carried out. The two-seeded species does not need the first stage.
Correct watering regime
Only due to the timely receipt of moisture can beets grow tops and develop root crops. The lack of liquid will affect the size of the vegetable and its taste.
The amount of water largely depends on the soil in which the culture is growing. Dry soil needs to be watered often, clay and peat soil retain moisture longer, so they need watering less often. On average, 1 m² should have 7-15 liters of water. When grown in southern regions or in hot summer conditions, the amount of liquid can be increased to 20 liters per 1 m². It is necessary to ensure that the liquid is quickly absorbed, since stagnation is fraught with the appearance of decay.
Reduce the intensity of watering from August, and stop 10-14 days before harvesting.
Top dressing
It is impossible to achieve high beet yield without fertilizers. Top dressing can be both foliar and root. Substances in liquid form are introduced in the middle of the season, when the vegetable is in an active growth stage. The best type of fertilizer will be mineral components or humus. It is not recommended to use fresh manure as it will build up nitrates in the beets.
Protection against diseases and pests
Timely implementation of agrotechnical measures is often the key to a healthy harvest. However, some varieties are vulnerable to microbial attack. Problems can arise if the beet beds have been organized in an area where cabbage or carrots previously grew.
Preventive measures in the form of spraying with fungicide solutions will minimize the likelihood of developing diseases. When pests appear on early varieties of vegetables, it is better to use solutions from natural ingredients.
Collection and storage
It will be difficult to preserve the early dug roots during the winter, so the collection is carried out 70-80 days after the appearance of the first shoots (the second half of September - early October). With late harvesting, the crop can freeze and also poorly endure the winter. Care must be taken when removing beets from the soil, because damaged specimens are prone to rotting and can infect the rest of the crop.
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