Winter sowing of beets: when and how to plant correctly in the fall, which varieties are suitable

Not everyone knows that beets can be sown not only in spring, but in autumn. But even if they do, they very often make unforgivable mistakes, because of which the seeds die while still in the ground.

The advantages of winter sowing of beets, the optimal timing, choosing a place for planting, preparing the land, as well as further care after sowing for the winter will be discussed in our article.

Why sow beets in the fall before winter: what are the benefits

The meaning of winter sowing of beets and other crops is as follows:

• You save precious spring time, because in late autumn there are practically no worries, and, on the contrary, you want to do something.
• By sowing this over the winter, you get an earlier harvest (about 2-4 weeks).
• Plants, whose seeds undergo natural stratification (and this is the main point), grow stronger and healthier.

Note! Of course, you can't do without disadvantages... If you sow too early, and soon thaws begin, the seeds germinate and die from frost. Spring flooding of the garden bed also entails the death of your seedlings.

However, you can avoid the listed hardships if you plant beets before winter in accordance with all the rules and recommendations, especially when it comes to sowing.

Important! Podzimny crops, unfortunately, are not suitable for further long winter storage. Therefore, the article on ways of long-term storage, but oh harvest time partly can.

What varieties of beets are suitable for winter sowing

When choosing beet seeds for sowing before winter, it is recommended to purchase only those varieties that are specially designed for autumn sowing, that is, cold-resistant, as well as resistant to shooting. As a rule, this is necessarily stated on the front side of the seed pack or on the back of the instruction.

Thus, the most suitable varieties of beets for sowing before winter are:

• Podzimnyaya А474 (the most optimal variety);
• Incomparable А463;
• Polar flat K249 (ideal for northern regions, for example, for the Urals and Siberia);
• Cold resistant 19;

On some packs, nothing is said about podwinter sowing, however, as a rule, it is quite possible to grow it.

• Egyptian flat;
• Bordeaux 237;
• Cylinder.

By the way! There are also pelleted beet seeds for winter sowing, the germination of which is much higher, but they are not so often found on sale, besides, ordinary seeds are quite convenient to sow.

Video: the best varieties of beets for sowing before winter

When to sow beets before winter: optimal timing

As mentioned earlier, the most important thing when sowing podwinter crops, including beets, is to choose the right time for sowing.

In no case should you rush, you must wait untila stable low temperature will be established and the soil will freeze well without any possibility of recurrent thaws. Therefore, it is very important to closely monitor the weather forecast.

In this way, approximate terms for sowing beets before winter in the middle lane (Moscow region) - this is the second half of October - November. In more northern regions, it is naturally possible to plant earlier, and in southern regions even later.

By the way! Even if there is already early snow on the garden bed, sowing is quite possible - you just need to sweep the snow out of the grooves with a broom.

How to properly sow beets before winter: tips and tricks, as well as a step-by-step guide

In order for a table root crop to only increase its nutritional value, and then before everyone else can please its consumers, when sowing before winter, special attention must be paid to the place for planting and preparing the land.

Landing place

A bed for sowing podzimny beets should be located in a well-lit area, because the root crop requires a lot of sun for successful growth, and in the shade it will grow much worse.

Note! The place for the bed should not be located in a lowland or at a slope, so that during the spring melting of snow, swamps do not form there or the seeds do not wash out the melt water.

Of course, one should not forget about crop rotation. Suitable precursors for sowing beets are:

• cucumbers;
• onion;
• potatoes;
• tomatoes.

Important! You cannot grow the same crop in the same place (in this case, beets), because this contributes not only to soil depletion, but to the accumulation of diseases and pests.

By the way! Do not sow after cabbage either!

Preparing the beds (furrows) and land

Prepare a bed for winter sowing of beets in advance.As a rule, this is done immediately after harvesting the previous crops or when the ground is not yet frozen, because otherwise you simply will not be able to cultivate it - dig (loosen) and make grooves.

So, you need to dig up a bed on a shovel bayonet (25-30 cm), making per 1 sq. meter - 1/2 bucket (3-4 kg) rotted compost or excellent humus, 1-2 st. spoons (15-30 grams) superphosphate and 1 tbsp. spoon (10-15 grams) potassium sulfate (potassium sulfate)... It will be even better if you have wood ash (1 cup per 1 square meter), which contains a sufficient amount of potassium and very little phosphorus (however, it is absorbed just fine).

Important! Potassium fertilizers containing chlorine (for example, potassium chloride) should not be used, beets do not tolerate them. You only need potassium sulfate fertilizers.

Beets extremely badly (roots grow small) reacts to increased soil acidity... Therefore, if you have acidic soil, then it is imperative to deoxidize it using dolomite flour or other deoxidizers (for example, adding the same wood ash).

After you fertilize the ground, level the surface of the beds, you should cut the grooves for winter sowing of beets. Groove depth - 3-5 cm (recommended deeper thanspring sowing), the distance between the grooves is 20-30 cm.

By the way! When you start sowing a table root crop, the soil has already compacted by this time, which means that the depth of the grooves will decrease to 2-3 cm.

To prevent the prepared grooves from being washed out by autumn precipitation, the bed must be covered with something, for example, the same film. And on the sides it will be practical to press it with boards or bricks.

Important! Do not forget to prepare the soil for backfilling the grooves after sowing beet seeds in the fall. The fact is that when the earth is already grabbed, you will hardly be able to dig it up. Therefore, pre-collect a bucket of loose garden soil and put it in a warm place (in the house). Alternatively, you can buy ready-made loose soil at a garden store.

Direct sowing

Step-by-step instructions for sowing beet seeds before winter:

1. Buy seeds of varieties suitable for podzimny sowing.
2. Prepare the beds in advance (apply the necessary fertilizers) and cut the grooves.
3. Wait until the ground is frozen enough and the threat of thaws has passed.
4. Sow dry seeds into grooves. Remember to sow more often in autumn, that is, every 3-4 cm.
5. Cover with pre-prepared loose and warm (not frozen) garden soil (preferably with the addition of river sand and compost).
6. If desired (in order for the seeds not to freeze out for sure), you can slightly tamp the soil and mulch it with peat in a layer of 2-3 cm. For greater confidence, sprinkle on top sawdust or cover with spruce branches.

Video: winter sowing of beets

Further care of beets after sowing for the winter

The whole risk of winter sowing of beets and other crops (for example,carrots) is to prevent seed germination in winter during thaws or freezing in cold snowless winters. Therefore, you can independently throw snow on the garden bed, because under a snow shelter, the seeds will not be afraid of either thaw or frost. If the seeds overwinter successfully, they will surely give early shoots and you will get the earliest harvest to the envy of your neighbors.

Important! In spring and summer, you need to care for podwinny beets in the same way as in spring. You just need to remember to remove the covering material and slightly loosen the top layer.

Detailed information about growing and planting beets in spring you can get by reading this article.

There are not many difficulties in sowing beets in winter, but they should be taken with responsibility. Time-tested recommendations will help you with this.

Video: sowing beets for the winter

Note! In addition to beets, you can sow before winter carrot (when sowing, they have a lot in common, but there are also significant differences), of course, winter crops garlic and onion, and dill, parsley and sorrel.

Video: sowing carrots and beets in the winter