White beets: description, features of planting and growing

White beets are exotic in domestic gardens, summer cottages and on the menu of Russians. The root crop is not inferior in terms of the content of vitamins and minerals to its red relative, it is similar in cultivation, but it tastes more tender and sweeter.

Description of white beets

Beetroot is a biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Amaranth family. In the first year of cultivation, it forms a large root crop, and in the second – a peduncle on which seeds ripen.

White beets are divided into subgroups:

  • stern – one of the components in the diet of livestock or farm animals. Both root crops and tops of the plant are used for food.
  • Sugar – This is an industrial culture that contains 18-22% sugar. The weight of the root crop, depending on the variety, ranges from 300 g to 3 kg. Beet processing is waste-free. When sugar is obtained, all by-products find their use.
  • Canteen – in agriculture, in vegetable gardens and summer cottages, this beet is planted mainly as an annual for growing root crops for sale or for their own use.

Next, we will focus on white beetroot. In Russia, mainly red beets are popular, in Europe and the USA white beets are in demand. The taste of vegetables is similar, but white root crops are more tender and sweeter, and the smell is more pleasant. External differences between white and red culture:

  • light green petioles, not crimson;
  • leaves are completely green (no purple tint);
  • light yellow skin and flesh.

White beets differ from red beets in that they lack the pigment betacyanin. Sometimes in cooking the task is to prevent the components from being stained with red pigment, then this table vegetable is used.

Varieties of white beets

There are only three varieties of white table beets on the Russian market:

  • Polar Star;
  • Avalanche;
  • Albino.

polar Star

This variety has the following features:

  • precocious. Root crops begin to be dug up for testing already 70 days after sowing. If the weather was unfavorable for the growth and development of the crop, then the vegetable is given another 10 days. During this time, he manages to ripen to accumulate vitamins and trace elements, his peel becomes thicker, and the pulp is juicier.
  • Universal. Both the root crop and young beet leaves, and fleshy cuttings are used for food.
  • Demanding care. Loves timely watering, weeding and top dressing.
  • Not amenable to long-term storage. Root crops remain suitable only in the first 1-2 months from the date of harvest.

polar star beetroot

Avalanche

This is the 2015 All-American selection winner. This variety has the following characteristics:

  • early maturing. Root crops reach technical maturity in 70-75 days after planting.
  • fruitful. The average weight of one root crop is 250-300 g. From 1 sq. m collect 6-7 kg.
  • Resistant to fungal diseases. It is resistant to cercosporosis, a fairly common disease of beets.
  • Demanding on soil fertility. Likes fertile, slightly alkaline and well-drained soil. Grows better when fertilized.

Beet variety Avalanche

Albino

This is a variety of Ukrainian selection. Differs in such characteristics:

  • Medium maturity. Harvest begins 103-107 days after planting.
  • Medium-yielding. The mass of root crops is 250-350 g. From 1 sq. m collect 3-3,7 kg of vegetables.
  • Universal. You can eat both the root crop and the tops. Suitable for canning and freezing.
  • Light-loving. It is preferable to plant in a sunny place.
  • Resistance to diseases. Not afraid of fungal diseases.

Albino beet variety

Peculiarities of growing

The culture is grown in two ways: seeds are sown immediately in open ground or seedlings are first grown, and only then they are transplanted into open ground.

The start of beet sowing is determined by weather conditions. For a friendly shoot of seeds when planting directly in open ground, it is enough that the soil warms up to + 6 … + 8 ° C. And for the transfer of seedlings, the soil should warm up to + 12 … + 15 ° C. Usually it is the end of April-beginning of May.

Soil preparation

Plan the cultivation of root crops in advance. First you need to prepare the soil for planting:

  • Select a plot for sowing beets in the fall, giving preference to sunny places. Also consider crop rotation. It is unacceptable to sow a crop in the same place for two years in a row due to soil depletion and the risk of developing diseases.

    The best predecessors will be legumes, cereals and pumpkin.

  • Clear the area of ​​the remains of fruits and plants so that they do not attract pests. Treat the soil before planting with Nematorin. It is applied in the form of dry granules and then the soil is dug up to a depth of 10-15 cm.

Application of fertilizers

It is permissible to fertilize the soil both in advance and immediately before planting itself:

  • if planting is planned in the spring, then in the fall, add dolomite flour (2 tablespoons per 1 sq. M) and rotted manure (1-1,5 buckets per 1 sq. M), and mix clay soil with sand;
  • if there was no pre-treatment of the soil in the fall, then in the spring, 2 weeks after planting, use complex fertilizers (according to the instructions on the package), and also add ash (0,5 kg per 1 sq. M);
  • if the deadlines are already running out and there is no time to wait 2 weeks, then immediately before planting, pour nitrate, potassium sulfate and superphosphate into the furrows formed for sowing, 10 g per square meter. m (sprinkle fertilizer with earth and only after that sow or plant seedlings);

Fertilize sandy and sandy soils twice – in spring and autumn.

Landing

When the earth warms up to the optimum temperature, start sowing beet seeds in a row way:

  1. Dig up the bed to the depth of a bayonet shovel.
  2. Level the surface layer with a rake, break up large clods of earth.
  3. Mark the rows, keep a distance of 25 cm between them.
  4. Lightly moisten the soil.
  5. The distance between seeds in a row is 10 cm. The depth of placement is 3-4 cm.
  6. Cover the crops with soil.
  7. Cover the beds with a film when threatened:
    • frosts;
    • washed out by rain;
    • pecking by birds.
  8. Open plantings when shoots appear.

Sowing and seedlings of white beets

In seedlings, plant beets in pots or under film tunnels. Remove the shelter or plant outdoors when the danger of frost has passed and the air temperature no longer drops below +12°C.

Do not forget to actively weed plantings from weeds. Start doing this from the appearance of sprouts and until the moment when the beets form abundant foliage.

Watering

As your culture grows, follow these simple guidelines:

  • Water the beets with water warmed up in the sun, depending on the growth phase of the plant:
    • seedlings at the rate of 4 liters per 1 sq. m;
    • grown sprouts with 4-6 leaves – up to 10 liters per 1 sq.m;
    • mature plants – 20 liters per 1 sq. m.
  • Avoid surface watering, moisten the soil in 2-3 stages.
  • Use a watering can so as not to erode the soil and expose the root crops.
  • Loosen the soil and mulch after each watering to avoid soil crusting.
  • Mulch beds to prevent waterlogging. Use hay or sawdust as a surface protective coating.
  • Stop watering 3 weeks before harvest.

More information about the rules for watering beets, look here.

Feeding

To feed plants and get a good harvest, use:

  • Nitrogen fertilizers – at the stage of increasing the green mass. Suitable ammonium nitrate or urea.
  • Potassium-phosphorus fertilizers – when forming a root crop, use superphosphate, potassium sulfate, potassium chloride.
  • Boric acid – 0,5 g per 1 liter of water at the stage of development of the underground part of the plant.
  • Table salt as a source of sodium – take 1 tbsp. l. salt per 10 liters of water. Water the planting saline solution three times:
    • at the stage of formation of the 6th leaf;
    • after the elevation of root crops above the ground by 3 cm;
    • 2 weeks after the second feeding.
  • Margantsov – dilute a slightly pink solution, spray the plant up to 5 times per season.

You can read more about the secrets of feeding beets here.

Disease Control Measures

Beets are most often affected by fungal diseases. White beets are resistant to them. But still, if this happens, then use fungicides:

  • chemical – Bordeaux mixture, HOM, Rovral, Propiconazole;
  • biological – Aktofit, Planriz, Mikosan, Trichodermin, Bitoxibacillin, Phytodoctor.

Do not forget about safety when handling plants.

Carry out the treatment of the affected beets twice, with an interval of 2 weeks. 20 days before harvest, any processing should be stopped.

Harvesting and storage of crops

Harvesting starts from late August to mid-October. White beets are not dormant, so eat them within the first few months after picking.

white beet harvest

You can keep vegetables fresh for as long as possible if you place the harvested crop in the basement or cellar. A small amount of root vegetables can be kept in the refrigerator.

White table beet is worthy to be grown in summer cottages everywhere. The short shelf life of root crops is compensated by a delicate taste, sweet juicy pulp and a more pleasant smell.

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Anna Evans

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