Beets - one of the main vegetable crops, without which it is impossible to do in the kitchen. Everyone knows about its beneficial properties, and in Russia it is considered the indigenous "resident" of all vegetable gardens. In fact, Byzantium is the birthplace of beets, and in Russia it appeared in the 10th century. The culture is quite hardy and grows throughout the country, even in Siberia. In the middle lane, Bordeaux's beets were perfectly adapted.
External characteristics
Dark red fruits of a rounded shape in diameter are 12-15 cm. Sometimes the root crop is peculiar, typical for beetroot shape - slightly flattened at the aerial part. As it develops in the soil, almost half of its mass comes to the surface. The beet pulp of Bordeaux has a rich color, with barely noticeable banding. The mass of the fetus is up to 500 g. Root crops reach the technical maturity 100 days after sowing the seeds.
Grade Benefits
Bordeaux beet variety is very popular and has found its application among many gardeners. The following differences are listed below:
- mid-season;
- possesses high commercial qualities;
- resistant to diseases, with the exception of cercosporosis and peronosporosis;
- hardy to high temperature and drought;
- has good taste;
- differs in a high degree of keeping quality.
The variety is intended for growing crops in the southern regions of the country, but it adapts well in the northern regions. And because of the short ripening period of root crops, beet seeds can be sown in two stages and get double returns.
Some subtleties of mid-ripening varieties
As a rule, mid-early root crops are distinguished by excellent taste and do not keep themselves waiting for a harvest. But since the seedling method is practiced more when growing Bordeaux 237 beets, inexperienced gardeners may encounter some difficulties.
If, during transplantation, the root is even slightly injured, then an extra root forms in the exposed area. There is a possibility that instead of a beautiful round head you can get an ugly root crop of several fruits. However, if the gardener has no desire to scrupulously mess with the roots, then it is better to plant beets with seeds.
When transplanting seedlings, the main thing is not to damage the core, which moves away from the center of the fetus and is inside the green mass. Lateral leaves need to be cut off and the plant should be watered well during the first days.
Agricultural Engineering Rules
When cultivating Bordeaux 237 beets on farms, it is recommended that certain requirements are listed, which are listed below.
- Seeds are sown in open ground from April to June, in an ordinary way with a row spacing of 45 cm. Two-line sowing is also used, in which the distance between the rows remains the same as in the first case, and 20 cm are left between the tapes. In the same way, you can produce and a three-line seeding method.
- Beets are sown simultaneously with early spike crops. Cultivation is preliminarily carried out on 5 cm. Seeding rate: on 10 m 2 - 10 g, or on 1 ha - 7-10 kg. In the southern regions, the number of seeds is increased to 16 kg per 1 ha. The embedment depth is 3 cm. The land is harrowed in two tracks.
- Preliminary soil preparation: 600 g of ammonium nitrate, 630 g of potassium salt and 750 g of superphosphate are added per 10 square meters.
This variety is intended for processing, not used for fodder.
Growing beetroot Bordeaux 237 on a personal plot
Beets take root on any soil, even heavy. But there is a point that you should pay attention to when harvesting beets. On structured light soil, the beets are pulled out by hand to less injure root crops. On heavy and moistened ones, lightly dig in with a shovel or pitchfork.
Like any unpretentious crop, Bordeaux beets will yield the maximum yield if optimal conditions are created for it. Despite the fact that it grows on dense soil, if good permeability is created, the yield of root crops will become richer. Heavy soil is structured with organic matter, peat and sand.
Soddy soil, compost and humus are used to compact sandy soil.
If the land is depleted, then in the fall, double superphosphate (40 g per 1 m 2) and potassium salt (60 g per 1 m 2) should be added . In spring, the soil is enriched with ammonium nitrate, 30 g of fertilizer is applied per 1 m 2 .
In the acidified soil make lime - 500 g per 1 m 2 . Two stages of liming are carried out - in autumn and early spring.
Neutral loamy soil is the best option for growing beets.
Bordeaux seeds are recommended to be sown in places where nightshade crops, onions and cucumbers previously grew. An undesirable precursor for beets is cabbage.
Seeds are sown in longitudinal grooves, the distance between which is 0.5 m. If the rows are prepared across the beds, then 30 cm are left between the rows. On heavy soils, the seeds are deepened by 2 cm, on light soils by 4 cm.
Beet Care
Soil preparation and proper planting are only part of the work required to grow Bordeaux beets. Of all root crops, this variety needs more scrupulous care and the necessary nutrition.
Loosening the soil between the rows should begin even before the first seedlings appear. Bordeaux beets are very demanding of this condition. In addition, weeding should be done after each watering and rain.
When the first shoots appear, you need to immediately thin out. Along with this work, timely weeding and loosening of row-spacings continue.
When root crops begin to be tied, one should determine the final distance between beets. In this case, an individual approach is applied. Some gardeners deliberately leave more thickened plantings, then the nearby root crops grow small and beautiful. For good fruit, the optimal distance should be 20 cm.
As the beets gain green mass, the necessary trace elements are actively consumed from the soil. Therefore, some gardeners during the growing season make nitrogen fertilizers.
After the formation of fruits, beets need calcium top dressing. It is carried out using calcium nitrate or wood ash.
The need for moisture in beets appears during the intensive growth of green mass and at the time of the appearance of the fruit. While the plant is small, it is better to water it little by little, but more often. In hot weather, you can not do this during the day, as beets have delicate leaves, they can get burns. When the culture grows, it is watered more abundantly once a week. Before digging up beets, watering should be stopped two weeks later. Otherwise, it will affect the shelf life, and the beets will begin to rot ahead of time.
Reviews
From reviews of Bordeaux beets, it can be seen that this variety is quite famous, most gardeners use it. Root vegetables are tasty and well stored in the winter. It is noticed that when the watering is too plentiful, the fruits crack. Sometimes it is a hassle for vegetable growers to have several sprouts from one seed and more work to thin out the seedlings. Those who allocate more extensive areas for root crops are recommended to pay attention to Bordeaux beet 237. According to people, this variety is more hardy and high-yielding. Another positive feature is that it is not susceptible to flowering, which does not create obstacles to the development of the fetus.
Output
It is unlikely that any gardener who carefully cares for complex crops does not grow such an unpretentious plant as beets. And if the beds are set aside for growing this crop, then why not plant a more productive variety? After familiarizing yourself with the description of Bordeaux beets, you can acquire its seeds and have no doubt that the work of the farmer will be rewarded with good returns.