Autumn planting of beets before winter: in the Moscow region, Siberia, and the Urals

When is it time to plant beets before winter?

The timing of planting beetroot depends on weather conditions. Sowing is carried out in October and November, when the average daily temperature is minus, but not lower than -5 degrees.

It should be taken into account that beet seeds germinate at a temperature of about +4 degrees, and monitor the weather forecast. If a thaw occurs after frost, the seeds will germinate, but with the onset of cold weather the sprouts will die. Therefore, you can’t plant beetroot too early, but you shouldn’t delay it either.

The approximate timing of pre-winter sowing of beets in the Moscow region is from mid-October and during November; in the Urals and Siberia, you can start sowing from the beginning of October, in the southern regions - no earlier than November. But we repeat once again that you need to monitor the air temperature in the open ground.

Pre-winter sowing

This is the main stage of planting beets. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the prescribed instructions.

Autumn planting dates in different regions

Work should begin before the ground is too frozen and can be dug up.

For each climate zone, the sowing period is different:

• North. Cold weather sets in much faster, so it is recommended to start activities in late September to mid-October.
• Middle lane. Planting is done after the first frost, around mid-November.
• South. Winter comes much later, so sowing can be done from November to early December.

Technology and scheme for sowing beets before winter

It is recommended to sow during the period when the threat of thaws has passed.

Instructions:

• make grooves 3-5 cm deep;
• place the seeds at a distance of 4-6 cm from each other, keeping gaps between rows of 30-40 cm;
• sprinkle with a layer of warm garden soil or a mixture of soil, sand and compost in equal proportions;
• mulch with peat.

Watering crops is not recommended.

You can learn the detailed process and features of planting beets in the autumn while watching the presented video:

Favorable days for planting beets in autumn 2020

Today, more and more summer residents are engaged in sowing strictly according to the fertile signs of the Zodiac, observing the phases of the Moon. Therefore, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with when to plant beets in the fall before winter in 2020 according to the Lunar calendar:

• in September: 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13 (in case the autumn is cold);
• in October: 4, 5, 9, 10;
• in November: 1, 5, 6, 12, 13.

You will be interested to know: How to feed carrots in July for the harvest: fertilizers and folk remedies

Since this year there are favorable days for autumn planting of beetroot only in the first half of each month, you can sow on neutral days : September 25, 29, 30, October 22, 27, 28 and November 18, 19, 23, 24.

Terms and rules of winter sowing

• It is important to determine the time correctly and wait for stable cold weather, checking the weather forecasts. Sowing should be done with the onset of permanent frosts, when a frozen crust forms on the bed, and according to forecasts, warming is not expected;
• The main thing is not to make the mistake of sowing too early, because the seeds, when the heat returns, may hatch and disappear;
• If the beds and previously prepared furrows are covered with snow, it must be swept away with a hard broom before sowing;
• Seeds are sown only completely dry, the soil is not watered. The grooves are filled with previously prepared dry and unfrozen soil, which was stored indoors.

#photo 4. Seeds must be dry when planting; do not water the ground either before or after sowing

• The top is mulched with peat and covered with spruce branches or leaves, preserving the beds from severe frosts;
• In the spring, when the ground thaws, covering materials and mulch need to be removed. When the weather warms up and shoots appear, the soil is carefully loosened and watered with warm water with the addition of urea (1 tablespoon per bucket). Further care is the same as for spring sowings.

Tip #2. When sowing before winter, sow enough beds so that the early harvest from them can be sold or processed. Remember that such products cannot be sent for winter storage. Leave some of the beds for spring and summer sowing.

How to care for seedlings in spring

In the spring, caring for winter beetroot crops involves removing the cover. To protect young plants from frost, arcs are installed over them and a film is stretched. A greenhouse is made if temperatures below -2 degrees are expected, which young beets do not tolerate well.

In the spring, the seedlings are watered with heated water, after which the soil is carefully loosened. In the future, the plantings are cared for in the same way as sown plants in the spring.

Pre-sowing preparation at a summer cottage

1.. Choosing a place for beds

• First of all, we choose a place. It should be well lit; close proximity to groundwater is undesirable. If the water is close, then the beds need to be formed high, up to 20-25 cm;

#photo2. The beds are prepared in advance, choosing a well-lit place

• For the beds, you need to choose an area that quickly warms up and dries out in the spring. An area flooded with melted spring waters is not suitable, the seeds may begin to rot;
• The soil should be neutral or slightly acidic, but not clayey;
• Vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and potatoes can serve as predecessors. Not recommended: carrots, spinach, chard, beets, cabbage.

2.. Preparing the land

• In autumn, weeds are removed from the soil so that they do not interfere with the sprouting of sprouts;
• The soil is dug up to 25-30 cm, introducing rotted humus, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers (25-30 g / sq.m.), and nitrogen fertilizers are applied in the spring;
• For beets, it is urea that is most useful, and among potassium fertilizers, chlorine-containing ones, since they do not allow nitrates to accumulate;
• The beds are well leveled using a rake and grooves are formed with a depth of 3-4 cm and a distance between lines of 15-25 cm;

#photo 3. The grooves should be 3-4 cm deep

• It is not recommended to extend the furrows to the very end of the bed so that they are not washed away when the snow melts.

3.. Soil preparation

• To fill the seeds, you need to prepare dry soil in advance. You can mix the soil using some compost and sand. This mixture is stored in a barn, under a shed or in a garden house so that it does not get wet or freeze;
• You will also need dry peat for mulching, spruce branches, straw or fallen leaves to cover the beds if very severe frosts are expected in the future.

Aftercare

It is necessary to properly care for the beds to ensure better germination and productivity. More on what can be done.

When and what to cover for the winter?

The procedure is necessary to protect crops from premature germination and death. It is carried out immediately after sowing.

What to do with the garden bed in spring?

There is no need to rush to remove snow, as it contributes to additional heating of the beds.

• sprinkle the snow cover with coal dust or wood ash;
• install arcs on which to stretch film or non-woven fabric at night or in cloudy weather.

As the weather warms up, remove the cover and move the mulch layer.

After the sprouts have 2 true leaves, thinning should be done to avoid crowded planting. To do this, the plants are removed, leaving a distance of 4-5 cm between the shoots. Root crops that survived the winter take root well in other areas, so the shoots can be replanted.

Choosing the right variety

You need to choose seeds according to their qualities, which are suitable for planting before winter. First of all, it is resistance to low temperatures. The cold will affect the soil, which will lead to insufficient warming and flower stalks will form on the root crops. Good germination, size and coating of seeds also play a role here. Therefore, proven purchased varieties are more likely to produce the desired harvest than your own harvested last year.

These include:

• Podzimnyaya A-474 – ripens at the end of June, weight reaches 400 grams, has excellent taste, and is stored for a long time;
• Cold-resistant 19 – mid-early variety, weighing up to 220 grams, juicy and delicate in taste, long-lasting;
• Red Ball - ultra early ripening, weight reaches 250 grams, suitable for dietary and baby food, productive;
• Detroit - mid-season, weight up to 250 grams, has high yield;
• Gaspadynya – mid-season, weighing up to 400 grams, good taste;
• Egyptian flat - early ripening, weight reaches 400 grams, resistant to drought, widely used in cooking;
• Polar flat K-249 – early ripening, resistant to cold.

They are the most popular, designed specifically for the winter season, have increased cold resistance, have excellent taste, and do not form flower stalks.

Pre-winter planting of beets using these varieties will be successful. After selecting and purchasing seeds, you need to figure out what day to start working in the garden.

Spring planting care

Caring for winter carrots involves timely implementation of a number of activities:

1. When the snow begins to melt, remove the spruce branches from the garden bed. You can also rake some of the snow to melt it faster.
2. After the snow has completely melted from the garden bed, remove all branches and grass from it. Next, install low arcs along the perimeter of the area, and stretch film or non-woven material over them. This is done in order to protect the seeds from night frosts and speed up their germination.
3. When the first shoots appear, remove the covering material. In this case, the weather should already be consistently warm with an average daily temperature of +15°C and above.
4. When dense and friendly shoots appear, it is necessary to thin out the plant, leaving a distance of 1.5-2 cm between them. After 2-3 weeks, remove the excess shoots again to increase the interval to 4-6 cm, otherwise the root crops will grow very small. However, when sowing seeds using a seeder, the need for thinning may disappear altogether.
5. When the first greenery appears on the surface of the bed, you need to start weeding. Remove weeds only by hand, since when herbicides are applied, root vegetables cannot be eaten for the next 4 months.
6. Treat the crop against carrot pests on the 15th day after emergence. To combat snails and slugs, you can use Thunder or another drug.
7. During the period of intensive plant growth and when 3-4 true leaves appear, carrots need to be fed. To do this, it is enough to apply a complex fertilizer once, for example, nitrophoska or Fertika, marked “universal,” into the inter-row spacing.
8. If a dried crust appears on the ground, the soil must be watered so that it becomes evenly moist. Under no circumstances should it be allowed to become over-watered, since even with slight stagnation of water, the plant can rot. After watering the soil, it is also worth loosening the row spacing.

Harvesting

When planting carrots before winter, the root crop can be harvested already in the first ten days of June. They can be collected even before they reach technical maturity. The fact is that even fruits whose diameter does not exceed the thickness of a finger can be eaten.

When harvesting, root vegetables should be dug up or carefully pulled out, separated from the tops and stored in a dark, cool and dry place. Carrots should not be left in the garden, because under the pressure of sunlight they will become lethargic and lose some of their nutrients.

Winter varieties of carrots are not suitable for long-term storage, so they should be eaten in the summer.

Selecting a landing site and preparing the soil

You will be pleased with the harvest of winter vegetables if you choose the right place for planting. It should:

• Have good lighting;
• Ensure sufficient watering;
• Sit on a hill.

Snow in beds where the soil does not reach the required height does not melt for a long time in the spring and contributes to stagnation of water. This is not a suitable option for winter crops. In addition, the higher the bed, the faster it will warm up and dry out.

The soil on the site should not be clayey and prevent the germination of seeds. Also, the place where the plant is planted in the fall should be changed as the soil becomes depleted. You can grow the root vegetable after vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes or onions. Not recommended after carrots and cabbage.

Soil preparation begins with removing weeds and digging. Fertilizers promote the growth of vegetables, so they are applied under the dug up soil. It could be:

• Humus;
• Ash;
• Mineral-based fertilizers.

The lack of fertilizers is not a problem - fertile and light soil along with good care does not need them. Heavy and sour vegetables should be avoided - it is better to process them and generously fertilize them with fertilizers.

Next, the beds are formed with your own hands, their surface is leveled with a rake. The furrows should extend away from the edges and be several centimeters deep. The distance between them reaches approximately 20 centimeters. You can fill the top with the same soil or another one containing sand, fertilizers, or garden soil. It should be dry and not frozen.

It remains to figure out how to plant the seeds correctly.

Advantages of sowing beets for the winter

• Winter sowing of this vegetable has many advantages:
• Natural hardening of the seeds occurs without your participation, and they get sick less often;
• seedlings become more resistant to spring temperature drops;
• faster harvesting;
• there is no need to treat seeds - they are sown directly into the soil without preparation;
• saving time in the spring, since there is less work on the beds in the fall;
• There is no need to wait for the right time in the spring for early sowing.

Advice from experienced farmers

To get a generous harvest of winter beets, you need to follow the rules of agricultural technology, take into account the nuances of sowing and listen to the advice of experienced farmers.

Basic recommendations:

• give preference to seeds intended for winter planting;
• choose the right time for sowing (optimal air temperature - 0° C, soil temperature - -4° C);
• don’t be afraid of early snow, just sweep it away from the garden bed;
• sow 25–30% more seeds than when planting in spring;
• The landing site should not be in a low place or on a slope;
• in the spring, do not forget to remove the covering material and loosen the soil.

Preparing seeds for sowing

Not all carrot varieties are suitable for autumn planting. Therefore, when purchasing seeds, you need to ensure that the packaging indicates that this crop is suitable for sowing before winter. It is advisable to purchase seeds immediately from a specialized store, since their high quality significantly increases the chance of getting good seedlings.

There is no need to treat seeds with growth stimulants before planting, since when planting in autumn, the goal is not to achieve rapid germination. On the contrary, this should not be allowed, since with their rapid germination there is a high probability of losing the entire crop.

As a last resort, the seed can be dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect it from possible diseases. After soaking, they must be thoroughly dried, since seeds for winter sowing must be dry.

When sowing carrots before winter, the seed rate should be increased by 20-25% in order to insure in case of snowless weather and thaw.