Russian Borsch is a mid-early variety of table beet, maturing in 100-105 days. The root has an oval shape, weighing from 120 to 170 grams, with smooth skin and intense dark-burgundy flesh color. This variety is distinguished by high yield, excellent appearance, and the absence of light radial rings, making it attractive for the fresh market, processing, and storage. Beet flesh is very juicy and tender, while retaining a rich color even after thermal processing, which is an important advantage for culinary use.
Russian Borsch is a light-loving and cold-hardy plant that prefers fertile loose soils. For successful cultivation, it is recommended to liming acidic soils and to maintain crop rotation with such predecessors as tomato, pepper, cucumber, peas, and beans. Sowing of seeds is carried out in late April - early May at a depth of 2-4 cm, followed by thinning at the stage of one leaf. For obtaining large root crops, the optimal planting scheme is 20x45 cm. The plant requires regular, but moderate watering and responds positively to the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and also needs microelements such as boron, copper, and manganese.
The variety is resistant to cercosporosis, which increases its reliability in cultivation. In spring, Diamophosku is recommended to be applied during digging in the amount of 25-30 g per square meter, and during the growth period, top dressings with complex mineral fertilizers are carried out. Harvesting is carried out before the first autumn frosts. For long-term storage, root crops are covered with moist sand, which allows maintaining their freshness and quality for a long period.
