Red Mario beetroot is the perfect choice for beet lovers and chefs. This variety boasts a sweet aroma and delicate texture, making it the perfect complement to a variety of culinary delights. Its high yield and marketability make it attractive not only to gardeners but also to commercial farmers.
Introduction to the variety
The Red Mario hybrid beetroot variety was developed by Nutritech Yug and officially approved for agricultural use in 2019. It is included in the State Register for the North Caucasus (zone 6), Middle Volga (zone 7), and Lower Volga (zone 8) regions.
There are other varietal characteristics that are important to know before starting cultivation on your plot:
- Recommended for hot and cold dishes and long-term storage. Can be used raw or cooked.
- It has a medium ripening period, making it ideal for both early harvesting and subsequent winter storage. Ripening begins 55-60 days after summer sowing and 100-110 days after spring sowing.
- The hybrid's distinctive feature is the highest sugar content in the pulp – over 18%, which is unparalleled and ensures a rich taste and stable preservation of the product's quality.
- It is characterized by good resistance to diseases such as cercospora, downy mildew, powdery mildew and rhizoctonia.
- It is known for the uniformity of its fruits – the color of the root crop is a rich dark red without any markings.
- To obtain a standard root crop, it is recommended to sow 600-800 thousand plants per hectare, and for an early root crop - 450-550 thousand seeds per hectare.
- Commercial productivity is 409-460 centners per hectare, which is 34-85 centners per hectare higher than the standards of many varieties and hybrids.
- The maximum recorded fruit yield reaches 855 centners per hectare (Volgograd region).
Features of the plant and taste
The bush has a semi-open rosette structure, with oval-shaped leaves, green in color, and slightly wavy edges. The reddish color of the petiole is visible on the underside of the leaf blade.
Other indicators:
- The root vegetables are round in shape and small in size, weighing from 160 to 290 g.
- The skin covering is smooth and the rind is thin.
- The shape of the head is even, and the corkiness and ringing are very weakly expressed.
- The flesh is red and juicy.
- Beetroot has excellent taste qualities – a delicate texture and sweetness.
How to grow and care?
Growing Red Mario requires fertile, well-drained soil and a sunny location in the garden. To achieve maximum yield, you'll need to closely monitor moisture levels and regularly irrigate the plants.
- • Watering should be done early in the morning or late in the evening to minimize water evaporation.
- • Use drip irrigation to evenly moisten the soil and save water.
The technology of sowing and subsequent care is standard, but take into account some varietal subtleties:
- Plant the seeds after the last frost, when the soil temperature reaches 8-10 degrees Celsius and the air temperature reaches 12-15 degrees Celsius. This is approximately from April 20th to May 10th.
- Sow Red Mario seeds at a depth of 2-3 cm in rows with row spacing of 25-35 cm and seed spacing of 8-10 cm. Thinning is not required with this seed spacing.
- ✓ Optimum soil temperature for sowing: 8-10°C, air: 12-15°C.
- ✓ Seed sowing depth: 2-3 cm, with row spacing of 25-35 cm and seed spacing of 8-10 cm.
Reviews
Red Mario beetroot is characterized by its versatility, uniform medium-sized roots, vibrant color, and exceptional sweetness. It requires little care, but it's important to keep it from drying out and plant it in sunny areas.