Description
Description For Beetroot Seeds
Beetroot can be converted into sugar and comes packed with calcium, iron, vitamins, A and C. Beetroots are an excellent source of folic acid and good source of fibre, potassium, and manganese. Best time to grow beetroots are from April through July. For winter storage, it can be grown all year round.
How To Grow Beetroot From Seeds
Introduction and Uses: Beetroot makes an attractive addition to the vegetable garden. Favoured for its edible roots the plant produces ornamental leaves with red, yellow or white veins are used for various culinary purposes. Beetroot can be classified into two main types – globe and long rooted. Once only blood-red root was available, but now we have orange, yellow, gold, white and even concentrically ringed roots of varying shapes. It is a versatile vegetable that is easy to grow.
Beetroots contain nitrates, chemicals that are converted to nitrites and hence it is excellent for the brain. Research has proved that nitrites help the blood vessels stay supple and flexible, which keeps the blood pressure maintained. The brilliant hue of Beetroot comes from pigments called Betalains; these protect the body from certain cancers.
Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris.
Sowing Season: Winter
Sowing method: Sow the seeds directly in raised beds or in containers.
Growing container: Choose a container with a minimum depth of 12-14 inches & bigger spread area (according to available space & your requirement) like the deep rectangular containers.
Growing medium: 1 part Garden Soil + 1 part Coco Peat + 1 part Vermicompost or 2 part Garden Soil + 1 part Organic Manure.
STEPS FOR SEED SOWING (SEED STARTING) IN A CONTAINER:
· Take a container of your choice with uniform drainage holes at the bottom.
· Fill the container with selected (i.e Coco Peat, Pot-O-Mix, Soil Mix etc.) growing medium.
· Spacing: Make shallow holes (1 cm) with a distance of 1 x 1 feet throughout the surface of soil medium.
· Sow 2-3 seeds per hole.
· Push the little seeds 0.5cm deep in soil medium with your fingers & completely cover them with surrounding soil.
· Water the sown seed bed immediately by a light shower with a watering can.
GROWTH STAGES OF BEETROOT SEED:
Germination:
· Seeds will germinate within first six days or even much earlier & tiny seedlings will be visible with first leaves.
· Baby seedlings will be visible in 10-15 days.
Thinning:
· If more than one seed has germinated per hole, cut off the smaller seedlings & only keep one seedling per hole.
· Harvestable Beetroots will gradually develop.
HOW TO TAKE CARE FOR BEETROOT PLANT:
Sunlight: Beetroot plants require full sunlight (6-8 hours) in winter, so place your containers accordingly.
Watering technique: Water your Beetroot container / raised bed every day in the form of a light shower with watering can. Use sprinklers for watering the Beetroot plants outdoors.
Manuring: Add optimum quality organic manure with 2:1 ratio before sowing the seeds. Use organic manure like the well rotten cow dung manure, farmyard manure, Compost or a Vermicompost.
Tip: Avoid adding nitrogen fertilizers in the later stages of plant growth for better root formation.
Plant care: Look for the early signs of fungal / insect infestation. Spray appropriate medicines as soon as any symptoms are visible.
Harvesting: About 80-90 days after sowing, Beetroots can be harvested by uprooting. You need to uproot them from the soil along with the whole plant.
Microgreens: Grow microgreens Beetroot indoors in flat containers. Sow-scatter the seeds in a crowded manner. You can harvest it in 10-15 days by uprooting the baby plants.
