THE BENEFITS OF CROPPING BEETLE IN OUR GARDEN

Hello friends of the farm I am going to talk about a rich vegetable that if we grow it in our garden will provide us many benefits, and most importantly, it is very easy to grow. Its flavor is as attractive as its color. The beet is a breath of fresh air in salads and sauces because its sweet flavor adds that special touch that makes it as distinctive as it is delicious. The beetroot is a vegetable of reddish or pink color with a size and a rounded shape very similar to the radishes.
From the beet you can consume everything, roots and leaves. The leaves can be consumed as if they were Swiss chard or spinach. The flavor of the roots of the beet is soft, consistent and very sweet, it is only necessary to say that the sugar can be made from the beet. It is a food considered high nutritional level, this gives us great benefits in our body.

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WHAT NUTRIENTS AND BENEFITS DOES THE BEET PLANT HAVE?

The beet contains a large number of benefits and nutrients for our body:

Vitamin A, B, C and folic acid: Essential to strengthen the immune system.

Amino acids: Provides proteins to the body for better muscle recovery.

Minerals: Magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus and copper.

Antioxidants: Helps and prevents cell aging.

Digestion: Improves the appetite.

Blood pressure: Beneficial to take care of our tension, include it in your daily diet to have less risk of hypertension.

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WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF BEET
Of the botanical family Beta Vulgaris, is in its origins in the Greek Literature around 420 A.C. Little by little it spread to France and Spain, it was cultivated mainly in the monasteries but it was also well known among the peasants. The most consumed were its leaves. About the year 1700 it was found that the juice obtained from the roots of the beet was sweeter than that of the sugar cane. In the year 1811 the French made known the sugar extracted from the beet to Napoleon, he was so impressed that it helped in its preparation. At present it is produced throughout Europe but France and Germany continue to be the largest producers of this root.

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STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED TO GROW BEET IN THE GARDEN

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PREPARATION OF THE TERRAIN AND SOWING
It is a kind of easy growth that does not require very specific soils. It is enough that these are rich in nutrients such as potassium and light. In fact it resists clay soils although they are not recommendable for their negative incidence on the roots.
The planting season will depend on the area in which we are located. In some it is possible to grow throughout the year while in others, cooler, the planting period is usually concentrated between February and April.

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The seeds can be planted 2 by 2 directly in the final soil, 2 cm deep or in seedbeds and transplanted later the seedlings. In any case it is important to soak the seeds prior to planting to facilitate germination and avoid excessive depth that weakens the subsequent growth of the stems. If we carry out the sowing directly in the field we will be eliminating some seedlings from a month and a half, when they already have more than 4 or 5 leaves, to select the strongest and allow their development by providing more space. The distance between them will be between 10 and 25 cm depending on the size.

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CARES TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT
When choosing the area in which we grow our beets, we must bear in mind that the incidence of direct light will be negative for our crops, providing a semi-shaded area better.
Beets are relatively sensitive to cold. Therefore, it will be important that we wait until the end of the frost season to carry out the planting.
Like other vegetables, it is advisable to hollow them, that is, add soil in the surrounding areas to prevent the growth of weeds. This process must be done with care to avoid damaging the roots of our beet plants.
If we want to add some compost or fertilizer we must make sure that it is sufficiently decomposed. Otherwise, our beets may be damaged.

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IRRIGATION AND TREATMENTS
It is a plant that needs permanent moisture in the soil. They recommend an abundant irrigation without getting to flood the land. Therefore it is useful to use drip irrigation to moisten at regular intervals. One important aspect is to avoid wetting the leaves as it causes a hardening of the roots and the loss of sweetness. To prevent excessive evaporation and reduce the use of water, the land can be quilted.

PRUNING
To care for your plants you can hunt them, that is, add dirt next to the plants. In this way you will avoid weeds. It is recommended to do it frequently and, in case these enemies appear, try to remove the earth with care avoiding damaging your beets because they grow very close to the surface.

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HARVEST
A good time for harvesting and harvesting our beet leaves is 60 days after planting. It is a plant that can be collected, in general, at any time of the year as we need it. If we are interested in the root of the beet we will have to wait 3 or 4 months, carefully remove the leaves about 0.5 cm from the surface of the root.

PESTS AND BEET DISEASES

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PESTS

PULGONES
Weaken the plant. The aphid that most attacks the beet crop is the black aphid.
The aphid can endanger the crop in the course of very little time.
To combat them, potassium soap can be applied on the underside of plants.
If the plague persists or is very abundant, after cleaning the leaves with soap, we will apply neem extract, which will act as an insecticide.

BEET FLY
Whose larvae pierce the leaves.
It does not usually cause serious damage, although in favorable climatic conditions the larvae reproduce quickly and can put the crop at risk. Potassium soap can be applied on the underside of the plants and Neem extract.

BEVEL SILHO
They are very small beetles.
For control, the plant can be washed with water and nicotine.

NEMÁTODOS
The nematodes penetrate the root tissue, suck the cell juice and lay their eggs in the root cortex.
They are treated with steam sterilization and solarization, which involves raising the temperature of the soil by placing a transparent plastic sheet on the ground for a minimum of 30 days.

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DISEASES

RUST
This disease usually appears at the end of summer.
Its symptoms are easy to recognize, because pustules appear on the leaves, 1 mm in diameter and brown.
For its control it is recommended the use of resistant varieties and the excess of nitrogen fertilizers.
In order to prevent its appearance, the Berberis vulgaris shrub should be found and eliminated in the nearby growing areas.

MILDEW
To combat it, it is recommended to eliminate weeds and crop residues, as well as to avoid excess moisture by promoting adequate ventilation of the plant.
The affected leaves must be removed. You can also apply horsetail extract.

FAVORABLE BEET ASSOCIATIONS
They are well associated with garlic and onion, because these, among other things, help repel slugs.
Other good combinations are: escarole, spinach, cabbage, celery and lettuce.
It is not recommended to plant beets with beans and other legumes.

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HOW TOUCH CAN BE CONSUMED
The beet can be consumed in many recipes in your kitchen. You can apply raw in salads, make juices, rich stews of rabbit, pork or fish ...

TIPS.
It never hurts to know some tricks and secrets that will facilitate the task of growing beets:
To combat the fly of the beet, the infected leaves must be torn out and burned.
To avoid shrinking the beet, it is recommended to wash the plant with nicotine water.
Be careful not to plant too deep to avoid weak stems.
Plantations are recommended in scale, with intervals of 3 or 4 weeks until the middle of summer, to have beets at all times.

CONCLUSION
It is a vegetable rich in potassium, calcium and beta-carotene, the latter pigments that provide the beet table with its characteristic color and that can be used as colorants in food products. Its use is not limited to human consumption, it is also a potential resource to obtain biofuels due to its high pectin content and also in cattle feed.

SOURCE:
https://www.todohuertoyjardin.es/blog/la-remolacha-y-sus-beneficios
https://www.agrohuerto.com/cultivar-remolacha-huerto/
https://ecohortum.com/como-cultivar-remolacha/
https://www.sembrar100.com/hortalizas-de-hoja/remolacha/

I hope you liked my article.