How to plant beets in the winter correctly: step by step instructions and important nuances
Beets have long and firmly entered human life. It is unpretentious to conditions, therefore it is grown both in the southern and northern regions.
Sowing beets in spring is considered commonplace. But not many people know that it can be planted in the fall. At the same time, planting root crops in the winter has several advantages. To get a good harvest, you must follow the cultivation techniques and take into account the nuances of planting in the winter.
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Suitable varieties
For planting beets in winter, special varieties have been developedthat tolerate low temperatures well and are not prone to shooting. This information is usually written on the seed packaging.
Most suitable beet varieties:
- Cold-resistant 19: flat-rounded fruit, dark red, weighing 145-200 g;
- Podzimnyaya A 474: rounded, maroon, weighing 200–300 g;
- Incomparable A 463: dark red, flat, weight - 150–300 g;
- Polar flat K 249: smooth flat roots, dark red flesh with light rings, fruit weight - 150–250 g;
- Cylinder: maroon roots of a cylindrical shape, weighing 250–600 g;
- Bordeaux 237: round fruits from 350 to 500 g.
Landing dates
When planting beets before winter, you need to focus on the temperature... The air temperature should drop to 0 ° С, and the ground temperature - to -4 ° С. There is no need to rush, since in the warmth the seeds can sprout, and with the subsequent cold snap freeze.
In central Russia, the approximate dates for sowing - this is the end of October - the beginning of November. In the southern regions they are planted later, and in the northern ones earlier.
Important!The basic rule when sowing: dry seeds are planted in dry ground. And if there is already early snow on the beds, it is swept away before planting.
Experienced gardeners and summer residents will coordinate sowing work with the lunar calendar... The best time to plant beets is considered to be the waning moon. Beets planted on a new moon or full moon grow slowly and produce a poor harvest.
Favorable days for planting beets in winter in 2019:
- October: 4-7, 15-17, 19-21, 23-25, 27;
- November: 1-3;
- December: 3-5, 17-19, 27.
Read also:
Instructions for planting beets in the spring in open ground
How to plant beets before winter
After the selection of seeds suitable for planting, they begin pre-sowing preparation.
Landing place
A well-lit place is chosen. Groundwater should not come close to the surface of the earth. If the water rises high, the garden bed is also placed at least 25 cm higher.
The sowing site should not be located in a lowland or be on a slope, so that in the spring puddles do not form on it or the bed does not erode melt water.
Follow the rules of crop rotation... The beds are best made where onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers or potatoes grew. Do not sow beets after carrots and cabbage.
Beets do not like clay and too acidic soil... The acidity is reduced with dolomite flour or other deoxidizers (100–300 g are added per 1 square meter for digging).
Preparing the garden
The garden bed is made in advance, when the ground is not frozen yet.
Per 1 sq. meter into the ground is brought 0.5 buckets of compost or humus, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of potassium sulfate, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of superphosphate or wood ash. In the ground, grooves are made 3-5 cm deep with an interval of 20 cm.
Landing
When the threat of the autumn thaws has passed, they begin to plant a root crop. Seeds are laid out in grooves at a distance of 3-4 cm and sprinkle with prepared earth. The surface of the beds is mulched with peat (3 cm layer). It is not necessary to water the crops.
Sawdust, fallen leaves or spruce branches are additionally poured on top, and then snow.
Further care
In the spring, when the snow melts, the bed is cleaned of sawdust or branches... The earth is slightly loosened and covered with a film. When the first shoots appear, the film is removed. For the rest, beets require the same care as any root crop sown in spring.
A week after emergence, the beets are thinned out... Since not one, but 2–4 sprouts appear from the seed, the strongest is left. Thinning is best done in cloudy weather or after rain.
Beets require regular watering... It helps prevent cracking of the fruit. The soil under the plant is loosened and weeds are removed. The fact that the beets are ripe will be indicated by the wilted and yellowed tops and the characteristic size of the root crops.
It can be useful:
Advantages and disadvantages of planting beets in winter
Planting beets before winter has both advantages and disadvantages.
The main advantages:
- beet seeds hardened by low temperatures are more viable, less susceptible to diseases and better tolerate a lack of moisture and spring frosts;
- when planting beets in winter, an earlier harvest is obtained;
- planting beets in autumn saves time in spring.
In regions with long winters, beets sown in spring often do not have time to ripen... In order not to be left without a crop, sowing is used before winter.
Cons of planting before winter:
- early sowing, autumn thaw and spring flooding of the beds can lead to the death of plants;
- the harvest of beets planted in the winter does not last long.
Experienced Farmer Tips
To get a generous harvest of winter beets, you must follow the rules of agricultural technology, take into account the nuances of planting and heed the advice of experienced farmers.
Key recommendations:
- give preference to seeds intended for winter planting;
- choose the right time for sowing (the optimum air temperature is 0 ° С, the ground temperature is -4 ° С);
- do not be afraid of early snow, just sweep it from the garden;
- sow 25-30% more seeds than when planting in spring;
- the landing site should not be in a lowland or on a slope;
- in the spring, do not forget to remove the covering material and loosen the soil.
Conclusion
Sowing in the winter gives an earlier harvest of beets (2–4 weeks earlier). Plant seeds of cold-tolerant varieties. Do not set up a plant bed in the lowlands. Observing the rules of agricultural technology, you will save time in the spring, and by the fall you will get the beet harvest much earlier.
For long-term storage, beets planted in winter are not suitable. Spring varieties are more resistant to maturation.