Table beet of the Black Widow variety is an early-maturing, high-yielding, and high-commercial variety that matures within 85-100 days from germination to harvest. The root crops of this variety are round, uniform, dark burgundy in color, weighing up to 200 grams. The flesh, when cut, is single-toned dark red with barely noticeable ringiness, giving the vegetable an attractive appearance and high taste qualities. The yield of the variety reaches 4.0-7.0 kg per square meter, making it an excellent choice for home growing and commercial use.
For successful cultivation of Black Widow beet, it is recommended to prepare the soil with neutral acidity, avoiding fresh manure and shaded areas, as the crop loves light. Before sowing, the beds are dug or loosened, adding well-rotted plant compost and mineral fertilizers such as potassium chloride and borofoska. Sowing is carried out when the soil warms up to +10…12°C, placing seeds at a depth of 2-3 cm with an interval of 10-15 cm in furrows treated with Trichodermin or Fitosporin solutions for disease protection. Care of the plants includes loosening, weeding, pest control, and several top dressings, starting from the 3-4 leaf stage, using carbamide, baking soda, and complex mineral fertilizers, adding potassium preparations if necessary to improve the sweetness of the root crops.
Harvesting is carried out before the onset of frost, as even light frosts reduce the storage capacity of beets. One day before harvesting, the bed is well watered, and the foliage is carefully cut off together with the stem to avoid rotting. Root crops are cleaned of soil, dried in the shade for 2-3 hours, and stored in polypropylene bags at a temperature of +2…4°C, which ensures long-term freshness. Beets can also be frozen in a grated form for further use. The Black Widow variety is excellent for home cooking, canning, processing, and long-term storage.
