A step-by-step guide on how to thin out beets correctly: the stages of manipulation and advice from gardeners with experience

Beauty-beet not capricious and willingly gives a rich harvest. Still, there is a trick in growing this crop - thinning. This procedure is necessary to increase yields.

How to properly thin out beets to get large, even root crops, and when to thin out, you will learn from our article.

Why thin out beets

The seed of the beet sprouts several shoots, because the usual light brown seed is a seed of 2-6 dry single-seeded fruits. Often, to insure against unfriendly germination and death of sprouts, seeds are planted denser than necessary. In such conditions, the subsequent thinning of excess seedlings is inevitable.

The advantages that this simple procedure will give:

• larger root crops grow, thanks to free space in the garden;
• seedlings do not shade each other and receive more sunlight and nutrients;
• the strongest and most viable seedlings remain, which will give a large harvest.

How to eat boiled beets for weight loss, read here.

When is it necessary

Beet thinning should be done if 2-3 plants have grown in one "nest". Thickened plantings should be processed when the distance between plants is less than 2-3 cm at the beginning of growth and less than 5-6 cm at the stage of 4-5 true leaves.

What will happen if you do not thin out

The tightness in the garden will create competition for plants for nutrients, the struggle for the sun's rays will lead to stretching in height, which will weaken the root system.

Non-thinned beets have small crooked roots, the yield is reduced by 30-50%.

For information on the beneficial properties of beets for women, you can find here.

Timing of the procedure

Beet thinning is carried out at least twice a season. This is due to the fact that the sprouts do not hatch at the same time.

The first thinning is carried out during the period when two true leaves appear.when it is convenient to grasp them with your hands.

The second time is thinned out in two or three weeks, when the plant has 4-6 leaves. If necessary, if the distance between roots is less than 8-10 cm, a third thinning is performed about three weeks before harvest.

It is important not to delay the procedure, otherwise the plant will grow and the yield will decrease.

Council. A healthy salad can be prepared from young beets removed during thinning.

Thinning beets correctly

When thinning, it is important to follow simple rules:

1. The procedure is carried out after watering or rain, since in moist soil the shoots are better separated from each other.
2. In each nest, the largest and strongest plant is left, the rest carefully pull out or cut the leaves at the soil level (the remaining root will then die off).
3. After the first thinning, the distance between the shoots should be 4-6 cm, after the second - 6-8 cm.To obtain a large vegetable (from 10 cm in diameter), the distance is 10-13 cm, but it should be remembered that the quality of root crops deteriorates , the pulp becomes loose and fibrous.
4. If necessary, soil is added to the place of the removed plants; the remaining sprouts do not need to be hilled.
5. After thinning, the bed is watered so that the disturbed soil settles.

Transfer

After thinning, strong shoots with intact roots can be planted in a new bed or in a place where no shoots have appeared, as well as along the plantings of onions, carrots, and potatoes. Young beets tolerate transplanting well and quickly catch up with plants from the main bed.

Transplanting seedlings is carried out as follows:

1. A place for a future planting is prepared in advance: the soil is watered, potassium and phosphorus are added. If planted next to other garden crops, feeding is not required.
2. Small holes are made with a stick or finger at a distance of 10 cm from each other, about 25 cm are left between the rows.
3. Thinning is carried out carefully. To avoid damaging the roots, it is best to use a narrow garden trowel.
4. The shoots removed from the main bed are immediately transferred to the transplant site. Pinch the long root by a third, remove tops, except for the youngest leaf.
5. The root is lowered into the hole, straightened so that there are no bends and creases, add soil and compact it a little.

Planted beet care

After transplanting, the plants are recommended to be shaded: stick branches of a maple or other tree with large leaves nearby. The next day, the seedlings are watered. Otherwise, caring for transplanted beets is no different from usual.

Council. Thinning and replanting beets are best done on a cloudy day.

How to plant so as not to thin out

You do not need to thin out the beets if you plant them in seedlings. Seedlings are sown in mid-April. At the stage of two cotyledonous leaves, a pick is made. Sprouts are planted in open ground in mid-May, when the soil warms up to + 10 ° C.

To facilitate thinning work, single-sprout beet varieties are planted, for example:

• One-sprout - mid-season high-yielding grade with juicy delicate flesh of maroon color; suitable for conservation and long-term storage; there is only one seed in the seed, therefore it almost does not require thinning;
• Bordeaux single-seeded - mid-season, excellent taste of root crops, used for winter storage.

Tips from experienced gardeners

In order for the beets to delight with the harvest and the sweetness of the fruit, experienced vegetable growers use little tricks. Beets will grow unusually sweet if you water them with a solution of trusted salt 2-3 times during growth. For 10 liters of water, take one tablespoon of salt, the consumption of the solution is about 5 liters per 1 sq. m.

The vegetable grows poorly on acidic soils, so summer residents recommend liming the area intended for planting root crops in the fall. Scatter 300-500 g of lime per 1 sq. m and mixed with the top layer of soil using a rake or hoe.

To scare off parasites (beet flea, beet weevil), young beet leaves are sprinkled with a mixture of wood ash and tobacco dust in a 1: 1 ratio.

Conclusion

One seed-beet seed gives from two to six sprouts, which leads to the need for planting thinning. This technique allows you to leave the strongest plants in the garden, provide each of them with sufficient nutrition and light.

The answer to the question of whether it is necessary to thin out beets is obvious. To obtain tasty, beautiful, large root crops, thinning, together with other care measures, is a mandatory procedure.