Content
Egyptian flat beet is a Russian variety known for over 80 years. Due to its resistance to frost, drought and pests, it is recommended for cultivation in almost all regions. The yield is high and reaches 7-8 kg per square meter. At the same time, root crops are perfectly stored in the winter and can be used for any purpose.
Origin story
The beet variety Egyptian flat was bred in 1937 on the basis of the Voronezh Agrarian Scientific Center named after V.V. Dokuchaev. It passed successful tests and was included in the register of breeding achievements in 1943. Recommended for cultivation in most Russian regions:
- middle band;
- Black earth;
- Volga region;
- Ural;
- Eastern Siberia;
- Far East.
For several decades, Egyptian flat beets have been grown both in Russia and in neighboring countries, including Ukraine, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Recommended for use in the autumn-winter period.
Description of beet variety Egyptian flat
The plant is an erect shrub with rosettes of leaves growing up to 45-50 cm in height. The petioles reach 25 cm, up to 1.2 cm in diameter. The color is pink-red, which indicates a high content of anthocyanins. Moreover, as it grows, the color becomes more intense, reaching a maximum degree of saturation by the end of the season.
Egyptian flat beet leaves are colored dark green. Medium size - up to 22 cm long, up to 14 cm wide. The shape is elongated, the edges are wavy. The surface of the plate has a slight sheen, moderately bubbly. Lateral and central veins are colored red-violet.
The roots of Egyptian flat beets are strongly flattened on the sides, their shape is flat-round, which is why the variety got its name. The head is small, the axial root is long, of moderate thickness. The beets reach 6.5–12.5 cm in diameter and up to 8 cm in height. The average weight is from 200 to 300 g, some specimens up to 500–520 g. The color is typical dark red, the surface is smooth.
Beet roots of this variety have a flattened shape.
The pulp is moderately tender, juicy, moderately dense. Color from deep pink to red, slightly purple. The rings are visible, but not too pronounced, without white veins. Taste qualities are very good, moderately sweetish tones are noticeable.
Characteristics of Egyptian flat beets
Egyptian flat beet belongs to the mid-season varieties - 100–120 days pass from germination to full ripening, ie. no more than 4 months. The ripening dates of Egyptian flat beets are in late June - early July (when planting seedlings in the first decade of March). However, they may change slightly due to weather conditions, but the fluctuations are small.
The variety is quite fruitful - from 1 m2 collect 5–8.3 kg of root crops. Moreover, during the growing season, the roots are immersed in the soil by about half or a little more. Egyptian flat is well tolerated by short-term cold snaps and droughts. Therefore, the variety is successfully grown in different regions of Russia.
Egyptian flat beets are not prone to flowering (i.e.almost always gives root crops, and does not go into color), which explains the high yield. At the same time, the fruits are stable and transportable, they can be transported for sale or processing even over long distances. If the conditions are met, it is well preserved throughout the fall and winter (the degree of preservation is from 75% to 89% of root crops).
Advantages and disadvantages
Egyptian flat beet has a good taste and high yield. At the same time, the variety is not picky about growing conditions, it tolerates frost and drought normally. Therefore, it spread both in Russia and in a number of neighboring countries.
The yield of the Egyptian flat variety reaches 8 kg from 1 m2
Pros:
- pleasant taste;
- attractive presentation;
- keeping quality and transportability;
- resistance to disease, frost and drought;
- high productivity;
- unpretentiousness, can be grown in different regions.
Minuses:
- not resistant to cercospora;
- seeds sprout for a long time;
- in some cases germination is low.
How to plant Egyptian flat beets
Sowing Egyptian flat beets is possible in two ways - through seedlings or direct planting of seeds in the ground. In this case, planting can be carried out both in spring and before winter. The timing depends on the method of cultivation, as well as on the climatic characteristics of the region:
- For seedlings - from early March to mid-April, planning a transplant in the ground or in a greenhouse a month after the emergence of seedlings.
- In open ground - from late April to mid-May, when the soil warms up to at least 6 degrees Celsius.
- Podzimny sowing - from the second half of October to early November. In this case, only dry seeds of Egyptian flat beet can be sown.
Seedling method of growing
In reviews of beets, Egyptian flat summer residents often write that the seeds do not germinate well. In most cases, this is due to poor-quality selection and preparation of seed. A few days before landing, you must perform the following actions:
- Determine germination by immersing the seeds in a salt solution and waiting 5 minutes. If some come up, they are discarded.
- Immerse the seeds of Egyptian beetroot flat in warm water and hold for several hours until they swell completely.
- Place the glass in the bottom of the refrigerator and hold for a week.
After completing the preparation, you can start planting. You need to grow them according to the following instructions:
- They make a mixture of turf soil with black peat, humus and sand (2: 1: 1: 1).
- Placed in boxes or containers.
- Seeds are sown to a depth of 1.5-2 cm with an interval of 3-4 cm.
- Watered, covered with glass and grown at a temperature of 18-20 degrees.
- Seedlings appear for a rather long time - after 15–20 days, which is normal. After that, it is better to lower the temperature to 15 degrees.
Seedlings can be grown with or without a dive.
Landing in open ground
Planting Egyptian flat beets in open ground is carried out according to the following scheme:
- depth 2-3 cm;
- furrows at a distance of 15–20 cm;
- the distance between adjacent seeds is 6–7 cm.
Thinning is carried out after the seedlings grow up to 10 cm. If there is room, the "extra" seedlings are transferred to the next garden bed.
Beet Care Egyptian Flat
Caring for this variety of beets is quite simple. It is necessary to ensure watering - it should be regular, but not excessive.Water is given only at the moment when the surface layer of the soil has dried up. A few days after each watering, loosening is carried out, if necessary, weeding.
Egyptian flat beets are responsive to fertilizers. The first (complex mineral or nitrogen) is introduced at the seedling stage, after the appearance of the second pair of leaves. In the open field, fertilize twice at the stage of root crops formation with a break of 2-3 weeks. Superphosphate is used for feeding (40 g per 1 m2) and potassium salt (25-30 g per 1 m2).
To get a good harvest, beets need to be fed twice a season.
Possible diseases and pests
The variety has good resistance to most diseases and pests. But the Egyptian flat beet in conditions of improper care can suffer from diseases such as phomosis (phoma rot) and cercospora. For prevention, it is necessary to lime the soil (if it is acidic), and at the first symptoms, treat it with a fungicide:
- "Akanto Plus";
- "Rias" ";
- Benorad;
- "Sphere Max";
- Falcon;
- "Scalpel" and others.
Also, Egyptian flat beets can be affected by bears, bugs, aphids, flies and other pests. As a preventive measure, it is recommended:
- observe the watering rate;
- loosen the soil;
- weeding;
- remove damaged parts of the tops.
For treatment, folk remedies are used (infusion of tobacco dust, decoction of tops of tomatoes, potatoes, infusion of wood ash) and insecticides:
- "Medvetox";
- Biotlin;
- Aktara;
- "Confidor";
- Inta-Vir and others.
Conclusion
Egyptian flat beet is a long-known variety that is resistant to adverse weather conditions, pests and diseases. The root vegetables are delicious, they are universal vegetables. They are used fresh, in various dishes and winter preparations.
Reviews of gardeners about beets Egyptian flat
