Carrots belong to the Umbrella family. In the wild, it grows in America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Afghanistan is considered its homeland, as many of its species grow there. It is believed that carrots began to be cultivated as early as four thousand years ago. In Russia, it was first mentioned in the 16th century.

Carrots now grow literally on any personal plot. At the same time, it is capricious, and for a successful harvest, it is important to know the rules of its cultivation.

Autumn sowing

1. You can plant carrots in the winter, and the harvest will appear two weeks earlier. The seeds will undergo winter hardening, and in the spring, due to the melting of the snow, the root system will be strengthened.
2. In autumn, only early varieties are planted, which are not suitable for winter storage.
3. In areas with very cold winters, the beds should be covered with sawdust, leaves, spruce branches.
4. Crops should be placed on a hill so that the seed material is not washed out by melt water.

Spring sowing

The most popular planting season is of course spring. Spring can be divided into early and late periods.

1. The root crop is a moisture-loving plant, so it can be planted immediately after the snow melts.
2. You can plant at the end of April, when the air temperature is +15, and the soil warms up to +5.
3. If planted earlier, seeds will take longer to germinate.
4. The beds can be covered with foil to speed up seed germination.
5. When they appear, the seedlings are removed from the film.
6. The late spring sowing period lasts from late May to early July. In this case, the carrot harvest should be expected in late August - early September.
7. Carrots love moisture, if it is possible to carry out sowing work before prolonged rains, the seedlings will not have to wait long.

Choosing a good seed

Early varieties

Early varieties are distinguished by low sugar content. They are not suitable for long storage, but just two months after planting, they will delight you with the first root crops.

Lady. A high-yielding variety that can be completely harvested after three months. The root crop is distinguished by an elongated cylindrical shape up to 20 cm in length, bright red in color. Does not crack. Increased carotene content.

Fun F1. A hybrid from Siberia. The crop can be completely harvested after three months. It grows up to 20 cm and weighs about 200 grams. The pulp has a sweet and juicy taste.

Nantes 4. Harvest in 80 days. Orange color, up to 14 cm and weight 160 g. The shape is cylindrical. Contains a lot of useful carotene. Suitable for all climatic zones.

Sugar finger. Ripens within 65 days. Orange color, grows 12 cm in length. Sweet taste. Contains a large amount of carotene.

Medium varieties

Medium varieties are formed in 105 - 120 days. Store well in winter.

Losinoostrovskaya. The shape is cylindrical. The ripening period does not exceed 100 days. Delicate, very juicy carrots. Grows poorly on clay and sand. Requires abundant systematic watering. Good variety for long-term storage.

Boltex. A high-yielding carrot variety that fully matures in 120 days. Bright orange color, length 19 cm, thin skin.

Vitamin 6. Cylindrical shape. Orange color. Fully formed in 100 days. Up to 19 cm. Suitable for winter storage.

Late varieties

Late varieties are characterized by long growth for 110 - 130 days. Suitable for long-term storage.

Red giant. The variety was developed by breeders from Germany. It grows in 110 days. In the form of a cone. They grow 24 cm and 100 grams. The pulp is red in color. Stored for a long time.

The Queen of Autumn. Ripens in four months. 22 cm. Juicy carrots. The root crop is recommended to be sown in the winter.

Karlena. It is formed within 130 days. The variety loves loose and fertile soil and timely abundant watering.

When choosing a variety of carrots, it is necessary to take into account the climatic zone where it will be grown, the condition of the soil, the ripening period. As well as shape, size and storage capacity. Having decided, you can proceed to the selection of a suitable site and prepare the soil.

Site selection and soil preparation for planting

When choosing a place, you need to pay attention to three points:

1. location of the site;
2. the quality of the soil;
3. cultures previously growing in this place.

Carrots love sunny places without shade. The place of future sowing should be under the sun all day, otherwise the formation of root crops will slow down.

Prefers light and loose soil. But not sour. In acidic soil, it grows poorly and does not gain sweetness. Sand and old sawdust will help improve the soil, and lime, wood ash and chalk will help reduce acidity. This vegetable crop is selective to its predecessors.

Carrots should not be planted after parsley, dill, fennel, beets, sorrel. Tomatoes, pumpkin, onions, garlic, potatoes, lettuce are good predecessors for it.

It is better to prepare the soil for sowing in the fall. It is necessary to dig up with a shovel one and a half lengths of a bayonet. If the dug is shallow, the carrots will grow to a hard layer and go sideways. Therefore, instead of even long root crops, you will get ugly specimens.

Fertilizers are applied to the soil before digging. Over-matured manure is placed at half a bucket per square meter. Sawdust is added to heavy soil at the rate of 2 - 3 liters per meter. Carrots grow well if you add fertilizers with phosphate and potassium; wood ash, sand. They dig everything up and leave. In the spring, they dig up everything again, level and sow seeds.

It must be remembered that it is forbidden to use fresh manure as fertilizer. It hurts the culture. Fresh manure is rich in nitrogen, and root crops are distinguished by their ability to quickly accumulate nitrates. Carrots grow irregularly shaped, and the smell of fresh mullein attracts various garden pests.

The soil is ready, now you can approach the selection and preparation of seeds.

Seed preparation

Carrot seeds sprout for a long time, up to three weeks. The seed shell is impregnated with essential oils. They prevent moisture from getting inside. First, the seeds need to be sorted. This is done with salt water. Seed material is thrown into salted water, mixed. The floated ones are thrown away, and the settled ones can be planted.

Four effective ways to ensure fast germination:

1. Soaking seeds in biostimulants (Epin, Fitolife) for 20 hours.
2. Boiling water treatment. The seeds should be placed in a cloth and kept in hot water for 20 minutes. Then in cold water.
3. Burying seeds in the ground. Seed material is buried for 10 days. When they get it, there are already sprouts on the seeds. They can be planted.
4. Soak. Carrot seeds are wrapped in wet cloth or cotton wool for a day.

Any method will accelerate seed germination.

To increase the frost resistance of the seeds, they are hardened. To do this, soaked, but not yet sprouted seeds are removed to the refrigerator, on a vegetable shelf and kept for a week. Also, hardening can be carried out by alternating temperatures.

Seeds purchased from hands, grown independently and by unknown producers need to be prepared. Seeds of large and well-known producers are usually ready for planting, they are treated with both insecticides and fungicides.

Industrial-processed granulated seeds are completely ready for sowing and do not need preliminary preparation. Some seeds are sold on tape. This simplifies planting and allows you not to thin out the carrots in the future.

Manufacturers also offer seeds in the form of pills. Small carrot seed coated with trace elements and fertilizers. Such seeds are convenient for planting and they immediately receive all the substances necessary for growth. From this point of view, the purchase of seeds from large companies - producers, will reduce the time spent on preparation and provide a higher germination rate.

Seeds prepared independently or industrially can be sown.

Planting carrot seeds

Before planting seeds, it is necessary to assess the moisture content of the soil. If it's dry, you need to moisten it. In the bed, grooves are made 15 cm apart and 2 cm deep.

There are several ways of planting:

1. Small seeds are scattered by hand along the grooves.
2. Soaked and sprouted seeds are planted more accurately.
3. Seeds in the form of pills.
4. From a syringe. Kissel is cooked from flour, nutrients are added there, cooled, seeds are placed in the composition. Using a syringe, sow evenly into the grooves.
5. Seeds on strips of paper. This method will avoid further thinning.

Then the top is covered with earth and compacted by hand or with a special board. The carrots are planted. In the future, she needs systematic care.

Planting care

For a good harvest, the following care is required:

• regular watering;
• loosening;
• timely weeding;
• thinning;
• top dressing.

Watering

It is carried out after planting the seeds. It is very important. Lack of moisture affects the taste. Carrots become bitter in taste. And it begins to release side roots that seek moisture, which affects the appearance. Watered once every 7 days, taking into account the precipitation. They start with three liters per meter, increasing the volume to 20 liters as they grow.

Watering is stopped completely three weeks before harvesting.

Loosening

Conducted between the rows. Weeding is done as the weeds grow. This procedure can be combined with decimation. Thinning is carried out two times. When will the leaves appear and when the carrots will form. Ideally, the distance should be 15 cm. After the leaves appear, the plant needs to be fed. You can use 15 grams of urea. per meter. It reacts well to fertilizers with phosphorus and potassium.

Collection of grown carrots and storage

Carrots are best harvested in dry weather. Dig up with a shovel. Do not cut off the tops, but unscrew them. It will not harm the fetus. Store in a cellar at +5 degrees.

Carrots can be folded into perforated bags, boxes of sawdust and sand. Sawdust is preferable. If there is not enough moisture in the cellar, the sawdust can be moistened with water. Carrots prefer high humidity.

Diseases and garden carrot pests

To collect healthy, beautiful and tasty carrots, it is important not to let them get sick and prevent small pests, destroy the future harvest.

The plant is susceptible to the following diseases:

1. Dry rot. Fungus. There are gray - brown spots on the carrot leaves, the whole root crop is affected. The crop can rot.
2. Gray rot. Causes wet decay.
3. White rot. Also a fungus. Everything in the garden amazes. It is spread by mycelium. Can get into soil with manure.
4. Bacteriosis The reason is bacteria. First, the leaves turn yellow, then the root crop itself, ulcers are formed. The plant starts to smell bad.
5. Powdery mildew. It manifests itself as a white bloom on plants. The site of the lesion is tough, it breaks.
6. Cercosporosis. Caused by a fungus. Brown spots can be seen on the leaves. They gradually grow and rot.

To prevent disease, it is important to adhere to the following rules:

• seeds should be disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• carry out the treatment of soil and plants with biological products, in June the whole vegetable garden should be treated with immunocytophyte;
• fertilize.

In addition to diseases, there are pests that love this root crop:

• carrot fly;
• carrot flap;
• carrot moth;
• gall nematode;
• bear;
• wireworm;
• naked slug;
• winter scoops.

The struggle is reduced to spraying and watering carrots with solutions of various drugs.

Carrots are a popular plant. Rarely does a dish go without it. It is rich in carotene and other vitamins. Carotene strengthens memory and is good for vision. It is low in calories and has a lot of benefits. By growing this crop in the garden, you can get a delicious dietary product. With a little effort, the harvest will delight you.

Carrots, planting and caring for which in the open field require the implementation of certain agrotechnical measures, is a small-seeded crop from the Umbrella family. A native of Afghanistan, where the largest number of root crop species still grows today, came to Europe in the X-XIII centuries.

The diversity of the genus is divided into 2 varieties - wild and sowing carrots, used in the agricultural sector. Cultural carrots, in turn, include 2 types of varieties - feed and table.

Among the most popular varieties, which breeders are constantly working on, the following stand out:

• "Alyonka" is an early variety with a ripening period of 50 days after germination. Orange roots up to 15 cm long have an average weight of around 145 g.
• "Tushon" is an early ripening variety used for food 60-65 days after germination. The mass of the root crop is 150 g with a length of 20 cm.
• "Nantes" is a mid-season variety, represented by cylindrical blunt-pointed root crops weighing up to 165 g, which are suitable for both food and storage.
• "Vitaminnaya" - a characteristic feature of this mid-season root crop is a high concentration of carotene, good taste, and does not crack.
• "Queen of Autumn" is a mid-season variety, the roots of which are excellent for long-term storage.
• "Flakke" is a mid-season variety showing excellent yields even on heavy soil.
• "Mo" is a late-ripening variety with good yields that are stored throughout the winter. Excellent taste and juiciness.

Carrots: cultivation features

Carrots are not afraid of the cold, but they cannot stand the shade.

When cultivating a representative of the umbrella, it is worth considering the following features:

• evenness of the relief on the site;
• soil composition;
• the depth of digging the beds;
• bright lighting;
• abundant watering;
• compliance with crop rotation;
• timely implementation of protective measures.

Sowing with seeds in open ground

To get a good harvest, before you start sowing seeds in garden beds, it is necessary to study the agricultural technology of crop cultivation, starting from the initial stage - sowing.

Site selection and preparation of beds

Carrots show the best harvest performance in flat, well-lit areas, where nightshade (tomatoes, potatoes), pumpkin (cucumbers, zucchini) crops, as well as garlic, onions and cabbage were cultivated last year. If small-seeded crops (dill, fennel, carrots) grew on the site, then you should not stop your choice on it because of the poverty of the soil and the risk of infection with specialized harmful organisms that have accumulated in the soil. The root crop reaches its maximum size on light, loose soils with a good fertile layer.

The soil is being prepared for spring sowing in the autumn season:

1. The selected area is dug to a depth of 30 cm.
2. For digging, fertilizers are applied in the form of 15 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of ammonium nitrate and 2-3 kg of humus per 1 m².
3. With the arrival of spring, the site is harrowed with a rake.

Attention! If you dig up only the surface layer of the soil (up to 20 cm), then the roots will grow crooked, ugly.

How and when to sow?

Carrots are planted in spring in mid-April, when the ground warms up to 4-6 ° C.

However, depending on the characteristics of the site and the selected variety, the timing may fluctuate:

• Mid-season and late varieties are sown from late April to 10 May.
• On light soils, sowing is allowed until the end of the spring season.
• In the southern regions, where the ground warms up earlier, the embedding of seed in open ground can be carried out in the second half of March.

It is known that good seeds are the key to a high yield.

To get healthy seedlings, you must adhere to the following sowing algorithm:

1. The seeds are wrapped in a cloth and placed in water heated to 50 ° C for 20 minutes, after which they are cooled for several minutes in a cold one.
2. Grooves are prepared with a depth of 2 cm with a distance of 30 cm.
3. The distance between the seeds is kept within 2-3 cm.
4. After planting the seed, the beds are mulched to prevent crusting.

You can simplify the procedure for preparing seeds: they are buried in a dense tissue in moist cold soil 10 days before sowing.

On a note! Carrots are cold-resistant crops and easily tolerate frosts down to -4 ° C.

Planting carrots in the fall, before winter

Podwinter sowing, which makes it possible to harvest the crop 14 days earlier than usual, is permissible only for early varieties, and is carried out in light soil at the end of October according to the following scheme:

1. The soil is prepared 20 days before sowing.
2. After sowing, the beds are mulched with a layer of peat 3 cm thick.
3. With the arrival of spring, a film is stretched over the site, which is removed when shoots appear.

Carrots: outdoor care and proper watering

The successful cultivation of a root vegetable rich in vitamins requires the implementation of certain care measures.

Thinning and loosening

With dense sowing, after the formation of one pair of true leaves in the seedlings, thinning is carried out, as a result of which an interval of 2-3 cm should be obtained between the specimens. The second time the crops are thinned out after the formation of two pairs of leaves. The result of the procedure is a distance between seedlings of 4-6 cm. Together with thinning, the soil is loosened and cleared of weeds.

Advice! For convenience, it is better to pull through the beds after moistening.

Watering

Timely hydration, which is carried out weekly, is the key to the full development of the plant and the formation of large, juicy root crops.

When watering, in order not to overdo it, but also not to overdry the soil, you should adhere to the recommendations:

• In the first weeks after sowing, the beds are moistened at the rate of 3 liters per 1 m2.
• When the distance between specimens increases to 5 cm, the water consumption increases to 10 liters per 1 m2.
• After the development of dense tops, which indicates the beginning of root growth, the volume of irrigation liquid reaches 20 liters per 1 m2.
• 1.5 months before harvesting, the volume and frequency of moisture is gradually reduced.

Top dressing

During the growing season, carrots are fed twice (after the second thinning and during the beginning of root growth) using a solution prepared from 400 g of wood ash, 10 g of nitroammophoska, 20 g of potassium nitrate and 15 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water.

Disease and pest control

Carrots are susceptible to damage by harmful organisms. Among the diseases, the danger is phomosis, bacteriosis, septoria, gray, white, red rot.

To avoid their development, you must:

• to carry out pre-sowing seed treatment, in which pathogens are destroyed;
• limit the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers that stimulate the development of gray and white rot during storage;
• do not feed the carrots with manure that provokes the development of red rot.

Of the pests on the representative of the umbrella, carrot fly, winter scoop, wireworm and slugs are noted, which must be dealt with:

• mechanically - in the case of gastropods;
• chemical method.

Carrot fly is hygrophilous, so it is better to sow in open beds, away from water bodies. Chamomile infusions scare her away.

Harvesting and storage of crops

Harvesting is carried out in several stages:

• During the second half of summer, roots are pulled out for food, and early and mid-season varieties are harvested.
• At the end of September, the harvesting of late varieties intended for long-term storage is carried out.

Root crops are harvested on a dry, warm day according to the following scheme:

1. Carrots are pulled out of light soil by their tops or dug out with a pitchfork in case of heavy soils.
2. The extracted vegetables are sorted.
3. In healthy root crops, the tops are trimmed, after which they are placed under a canopy.
4. After a few days, the harvest is sent to storage.

For storage, boxes are used, which are lowered into the basement or cellar, where root crops in containers are sprinkled with sand or sawdust.

The nuances of growing in the Moscow region, in Siberia

Two main parameters depend on the climatic zone of crop cultivation:

• the timing of sowing seeds in open ground;
• variety selection.

In the Moscow region, varieties of different ripening periods are grown, and seeds are sown from the second half of April to the end of spring, while for Siberia with a colder climate, the range of varieties is rather limited and comes down to several mid-season ones - for example, "Nantskaya", "Vitaminnaya". The rest of the cultivation technique for carrots is no different.

So, knowing the nuances of growing carrots, even a novice gardener will be able to achieve high rates when harvesting a vitamin vegetable.

Our article will help you to harvest a rich harvest of large crunchy carrots. By following the tips below, you will learn how to choose the right varieties for outdoor cultivation.

We have collected all the information necessary for summer residents and gardeners. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with tips for preparing seeds and beds, as well as learn about the features of sowing and caring for carrots.

Growing carrots outdoors

When planting seeds, the correct sowing time is important, because the yield of root crops depends on this. You also need to take into account that the ripening of varieties occurs in different ways and the timing of harvesting depends on this.

To obtain early production, the so-called "beam", carry out winter or spring crops. It is better to give preference to early spring crops, since in the harsh winter the seeds can freeze.

This vegetable is grown in a seedless way. But it is better to sow seeds after stable warm weather is established. In spring, sowing is carried out in late April or early May, but you can sow in the first decade of June. For the winter, it is sown in late October or early November. So that the crops are not too thick, a teaspoon of seeds must be mixed with a glass of sand.

Carrot varieties

There are many varieties and hybrids of carrots. Some varieties are sown for the winter, others in the spring, they differ in yield and storage duration.

Figure 1. Early varieties: 1 - Amsterdam, 2 - Carotel Paris, 3 - Parmex, 4 - Dragon, 5 - Finhor

Early varieties are fast germinating, but root crops do not have a pronounced sweet taste and are not intended for long-term storage. Popular early varieties include (Figure 1):

1. Amsterdam: high-yielding variety. The roots are bright orange with a blunt tip and do not crack when grown.
2. Carotel Parisian: orange short and rounded.
3. Parmex - roots of bright orange color, globular and medium in size.
4. Dragon - an unusual early variety with bright orange flesh and purple skin.
5. Finhor - the first crop is harvested within 2.5 months after planting. Root crops are large, contain a lot of carotene and are highly resistant to diseases.

Mid-season varietiesripen by early autumn and can be stored for several months(picture 2):

1. Nantes- fruits of a cylindrical shape, which can be stored until mid-winter.
2. Vitamin - differs in rather large fruits with a high carotene content.
3. Moscow winter - root vegetables are elongated, with a blunt tip, disease resistant and can be stored for a long time.
4. Red giant- a high-yielding variety with brightly colored fruits that can be stored for a long time.

Figure 2. Mid-season varieties: 1 - Nantes, 2 - Vitaminnaya, 3 - Moscow winter, 4 - Red giant

Late-ripening varieties are intended for long-term storage and consumption in winter, fresh or cooked. The most popular varieties are considered (Figure 3):

1. Vita Longa- elongated fruits with a high sugar and potato content. They do not crack when grown and can be stored until the next harvest.
2. Yellowstone- an unusual yellow fusiform carrot with a sharp tip.
3. Autumn queen is a high-yielding and disease-resistant variety. Can be sown both in spring and winter.
4. Shantane- Roots are short and thick, bright orange, rather large. They can be stored all winter, until a new harvest is obtained.

Figure 3. Late varieties: 1 - Vita Longa, 2 - Yellowstone, 3 - Queen of Autumn, 4 - Shantane

Experienced gardeners advise sowing several varieties at once with different harvest dates.

For sowing, fresh seeds are chosen to ensure high germination of plants. The first shoots appear approximately 3-4 weeks after sowing. The seeds of the culture need preliminary preparation, which is carried out immediately before sowing, in order to accelerate the germination process.

The ways pre-sowing seed preparation(Figure 4):

• Soak: cloth bags with seeds are immersed in warm water (+ 30ᵒC) for a day, changing it every 4 hours. For soaking, a solution of wood ash with water is also used. After that, the seeds are rinsed with clean water.
• Hardening: For a good result, soaking is combined with hardening. To do this, wet bags with seeds are kept in the refrigerator for 2-5 days.
• Heat treatment: bags with seeds are immersed in hot water (+ 50ᵒC) for 20 minutes, then in cold water for 2 minutes.

Figure 4. Seed preparation for sowing

Also, the seeds can be folded into cloth bags and buried in the soil for 10-12 days to harden them and accelerate germination. Alternatively, they can be mixed with peat and transferred to a warm place for germination.

When to plant carrots

In the spring, on the prepared bed, furrows are made at a distance of 20 cm from each other, watered with water, sprinkled with ash and sown seeds. Depending on the time of planting, seeds are also prepared: in the spring they should be swollen, and the sowing depth should not exceed 4 cm. From above, the bed is covered with earth, mulch and covered with a film (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Selecting a site for sowing carrots

For winter sowing, dry seeds are used, which are immersed in the ground by only 2 cm.In addition, the bed can be sprinkled with snow to increase yields.

Planting: site selection, preparation and fertilization of the soil

To grow carrots, you need to choose well-lit areas where the sun shines throughout the day. In addition, you need to take into account the order of growing crops in a certain area. It is impossible to plant a crop on the same bed annually, since a violation of crop rotation will lead to a decrease in yield. Also, it is not planted after parsley, dill, parsnip and celery. But cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cabbage and potatoes are considered good predecessors (Figure 6).

This crop has a number of specific cultivation characteristics. She is very fond of light and hates shading. Drought-resistant and frost-resistant at the same time.

Figure 6. The order of sowing carrots

For cultivation, choose fertile soils with good drainage. However, it is not recommended to grow a crop for more than 3 years in one place.

Note: It is better to sow radishes around the edges of the garden. After emergence, the rows will be more clearly marked and it will be easier to loosen the plants.

It is useful to plant onions near the garden, as its smell drives away pests. Watering should be abundant before the first shoots, then reduce watering to twice a week. After the formation of the first leaf, the seedlings must be thinned out.

To obtain a good harvest, it is necessary to loosen the row spacings, especially after watering and rains, regularly destroy weeds, carry out top dressing and fight diseases and pests.

Extra and weak plants are pulled out, and strong ones are lightly sprinkled with earth. During cultivation, thinning is carried out several times (Figure 7):

• The first, when several leaves appear, when the plant height reaches 7 cm;
• The second time, when the diameter of the fruit reaches one and a half centimeters. In this case, the distance between plants should be 3-6 cm, depending on the variety (for early and late ones, respectively).

Figure 7. Watering, fertilizing and loosening carrots

Water the garden regularly, about once a week. Before watering, the soil must be loosened. Excess moisture leads to a delay in root growth and increased tops growth. With a sharp transition from dryness to high humidity, the roots crack. If there is a delay in watering, then resume it gradually. The last watering is carried out no later than three weeks before harvesting.

Note: For irrigation, use water heated throughout the day in barrels or other containers. It is better to water in the evening.

After a large amount of precipitation falls on heavy soils, a crust forms, which prevents the germination of weak plants, and also impairs gas exchange and increases moisture evaporation. To destroy it, the soil is treated with a flat cutter or a homemade ripper. It is impossible to be late with loosening, since the first shoots develop slowly and the weeds overtake them in growth. Loosening is carried out neatly between the rows, best of all in sunny weather.

Plants are fed in the phase of 3-4 leaves. Fertilizers are applied at a distance of 10 cm from the rows into wet soil. During the first feeding, nitrogen fertilizers are applied, the second time - potash and phosphorus fertilizers. Weak plants are fed with slurry solutions, bird droppings or mineral fertilizers. Top dressing from the infusion of wood ash and plant compost is also considered effective.

The author of the video will tell you how to properly care for carrots at all stages of growing.

Pest and disease control

The most common diseases in carrots are fungi. They attack the leaves, cause root rot and change their taste. Major diseases include (Figure 8):

• Phomoz (dry rot)

Ripe roots are affected, but the first signs can still be seen on the stems. Elongated gray-brown spots appear on the petioles and leaves. Dark depressions form on root crops.

The fungus quickly spreads through other root crops during winter storage, so the crop must be regularly sorted out and stored at a temperature not higher than +10 degrees. To combat the fungus, the tops are destroyed after harvest and potassium-phosphate fertilizers are applied.

• White rot

The fungus enters the soil along with the manure. The development of the fungus is facilitated by the presence of weeds, dense planting and improper storage.

The fungus begins to manifest itself during storage, the roots gradually become soft. A fluffy white mycelium with drops of moisture appears on the damaged areas. The disease can be prevented by spraying the stems with products containing copper and potassium dressings. The cellar must be disinfected before storing vegetables.

• Brown spot

A fungus that affects all parts of the plant. Dark stripes appear on young shoots at the base of the stem. This can lead to the death of the plant at the beginning of the growing season. When adult crops are affected, yellow patches appear on the leaves, which gradually darken. The affected areas of the lower part of the stem dry out, the plant dies. You can prevent the disease by spraying with a decoction of horsetail, nettle or celandine.

• Powdery mildew

White bloom that looks like a fly from a distance. Plants of the first year and testes are most often affected, as well as specimens with a lack of water and growing on infertile soils. The affected areas become rough and brittle. Various complex fungicides are used to combat.

Figure 8. Diseases of carrots: 1 - phomosis, 2 - white rot, 3 - brown spot, 4 - powdery mildew

In addition, pests can destroy the crop, such as (Figure 9):

1. Carrot fly - at the end of May, they lay eggs in the ground next to the plant, and the larvae begin to eat the root crop and leaves, which leads to the death of the plant. Flies are especially attracted by bare semi-ripe roots. A spoiled root crop cannot be consumed. To protect the crop from flies, you need to thin out the seedlings and remove weeds in time, and also treat the plants with insecticides several times per season. You can also mix ash, tobacco powder, and hydrated lime and sprinkle over the rows for prophylaxis.
2. Lisoba - it multiplies on leaves and feeds on the juices of the stems, which causes the ground part to die. To protect plants from insects, it is recommended to cover young seedlings with a non-woven cloth. Do not sow seeds next to conifers. To scare away leaf beetles, infusions of tobacco dust and orange peels are used.
3. Winter scoop - a gray-brown butterfly that infects stems and roots. To combat caterpillars, spraying with infusions of chamomile, yarrow, burdock is carried out.
4. Naked slugs gnaw holes in ripe roots, leaving a shiny mark. Wet weather contributes to reproduction.

Figure 9. Pests of carrots: 1 - carrot fly, 2 - flies, 3 - winter scoop, 4 - naked slugs

Collection and storage

It is important to determine when to dig up the carrots, as they must be in the soil for at least 80 days. If you dig it out earlier, it will not have time to absorb all the nutrients. If you overexpose, the roots will pick up excess moisture, begin to crack and deteriorate.

Figure 10. Collection and storage of the crop of root crops

Early varieties can be dug up in the second half of summer. The harvest time of mid-season varieties can be determined by the yellowed tops. Late varieties are dug up in late September - early October.

After collecting the root vegetables, they need to be dried. Small ones can be stored in the garden. They dig a hole, pour clean sand on the bottom and lay carrots without tops, sprinkling them with sand. They cover it with earth and throw leaves on top.

In storage facilities, carrots are kept in open plastic bags, boxes or boxes, sprinkled with moistened sand (Figure 10).

It is very difficult to find at least one summer resident who did not grow such a popular and useful root vegetable as carrots on his plot. This vegetable widely used in cooking along with potatoes and onions, it is easy to care for and resistant to low temperatures. However, to get bountiful harvest orange root, some basic rules of planting and care are required, as well as some basic nuances that affect obtaining a high-quality harvest.

So, before you start planting and growing carrots, you first need to figure out what factors lead to a decrease in yield.

• Poor soil composition can have a bad effect on the quality and abundance of the future crop. Carrots planted in clay soil or in dense soil will never grow well. Also, do not wait for a high-quality harvest if the seedlings are planted in soil with a high content of stones, rhizomes, gravel or acid. If you ignore these conditions when choosing the soil, the carrots will not grow well, they will have a very unpleasant taste and will have a disproportionate shape.
• When choosing a planting, the place should not be in the shade, since the lack of stable illumination by the sun's rays will lead to inhibition of the growth of root crops.
• Improper feeding and planting can also adversely affect the quality and quantity of the crop.
• It is necessary to very carefully water the carrots, since the excessive presence of moisture in the soil can cause the opposite effect - despite the fact that the seedlings will grow rapidly, the fruits from an excess of liquid will begin to coarsely and lose their taste, as a result of which the roots will become unusable.
• Excessively dry soil is also not suitable for carrots, as prolonged drought can deprive root crops of their juiciness and taste.
• Frequent changes in temperature conditions always lead to cracking of carrots, often this happens with a sharp change in heat with prolonged rains and a cold snap.
• In order for the carrot to grow well, it must be thinned out. But, if this process is carried out inadvertently, it can lead to damage to the roots of the root crop and the death of the root crop.
• An excess of nitrogen fertilizers, top dressing with a high content of trace elements, manure can also have a bad effect on the future harvest. It should be remembered that carrots love measure in everything.

Carrots are quite supportive of other plantings near it and tolerate the soil on which vegetables were planted last year. It is especially good to plant roots in soil in which cabbage, onions, tomatoes or garlic previously grew.

Thus, it is possible to plant a root crop in mixed plantings without the fear that the harvest will be scarce.

However, in addition to this, the root crop also has incompatible crops, next to or after which, it is not recommended to plant carrots in the soil: horseradish, dill, apple, anise, beets and celery.

Before you grow carrots, you must first tackle the choice of suitable soil for sowing seeds. The productivity of the crop will depend on this stage in the future.

• Prepare the soil necessary in advance, in the fall. To do this, at the end of September, the earth is thoroughly dug up and all foreign objects are removed from the soil: old roots, stones, sticks, etc. This approach will help to get a high-quality harvest next year without any deformations.
• During the digging process, it is recommended leave large lumps... This approach will help to delay the penetration of moisture deep into the soil and contribute to the freezing of harmful insects.
• For planting seeds, you should choose a place well-lit by the sun's rays. As mentioned above, if the carrots are planted in a shady place, this will lead to a loss of sugar content and taste of the root crop.
• The best soil for carrots would be sandy loam and slightly clayey soil... If this is not possible, then you can choose a slightly acidic soil. Moreover, you can neutralize the acid yourself, by sprinkling the soil with chalk or ordinary lime. If the soil is heavy, it can be softened by using sawdust, peat or sand.
• Experts advise against use manure to feed the soil, since it leads to the fact that the crop is deformed, and the roots are very poorly stored.
• If the soil is not rich in nutrients and trace elements, it is recommended to season it with humus in the fall. And to create a normal soil structure, it is recommended to create an arable layer by planting green manure roots in the fall.
• Already in the spring, before planting seeds, it is recommended to level the soil with a rake... Also, 1-2 weeks before planting, the soil should be fertilized with a 0.3% solution of vitriol. After that, two weeks before the immediate planting of seeds, the soil should be well watered and covered with a film to create a greenhouse effect and warm up the soil a little.

The quality of the carrots and the amount of the harvest depends on many factors. However, the fundamental success is the choice and proper preparation of the seeds.

There are several basic technologies for planting seeds, each of which is effective and reliable in its own way.

After the seeds are planted in the ground, they must be lightly sprinkled with loose earth and fertilized. For this, peat, which is pre-mixed with soil, is most suitable.

Since carrots grow for a very long time - about three months, planting seeds is best in May... In this case, the first harvest can be obtained in early to mid-September. The most suitable date for planting seeds is considered to be until May 5th.

To get a wonderful harvest with large, sweet and crunchy carrots, the root crop must be systematically looked after. This process includes several mandatory steps.

The first shoots, seeds can give at a temperature of three degrees Celsius. But insofar as carrots belong to those varieties of root crops that tolerate small frosts well(up to minus four degrees), and dies at minus eight, you should monitor the maintenance of the desired temperature regime.

Systematic watering Is an integral part of carrot growing. If there is not enough moisture, the root crop may die. Therefore, watering the seedlings should be at least three times a week - half a bucket of water per square meter of soil is enough. As soon as the seeds germinate well and the root system is strengthened, it should be watered no more than once a week - a sufficient amount of water per square meter is no more than 20 liters. Watering should be stopped a couple of weeks before harvest.

After disembarkation, first after 10 days, and then after 20 days, it will be necessary transplant seedlings to thin out the beds. This must be done if the sprouted shoots are very close to each other. If you do not thin out, you will not be able to grow large root crops, since they will interfere with each other and develop fully. In the first case (after 10 days) the distance between the shoots should be at least three centimeters, and in the second (after 20 days) - at least five centimeters. It is recommended to do thinning in the morning, and at the end of the procedure, you should water the soil where the seedlings were planted and the area where they remained to grow.

The required procedure is systematic soil weeding where the carrots are planted. Weed grass with strong roots interferes with the normal growth and development of root crops, therefore, weeds must be fought constantly, at least once every ten days.

In order for the tops to germinate normally, it is required periodically loosen the soil... Since the presence of a thick crust of soil leads to poor germination of seedlings.

A beautiful and tasty carrot can appear only if it feed periodically... Therefore, an important step in the care is the introduction of useful components into the composition of the soil. For these purposes, chicken droppings, ash, mullein or humus, previously diluted in water, are perfect. It is necessary to feed the plant at least twice in one season. The first time it is best to do this three to four weeks after the appearance of the first shoots, and the second time only after a few months. Frequent feeding of carrots can lead to the opposite effect, so a measure is needed in this matter.

Of course, to get a good harvest, you need to carry out the prevention of insect control... The most common problem for carrots is the carrot fly. Well, in order to prevent its appearance, it should be after planting the seeds - approximately at the beginning of May, sprinkle with ash, tobacco ash or hot pepper between the ridges. You can also prevent the development of various diseases. To do this, you need to plant carrots in the beds where cabbage or onions previously grew. You should also change the location of the beds in a timely manner, and it is better to do this every year.

To grow a decent harvest, you should adhere to the following rules:

As you can see, there are no special tricks and difficulties in the process of growing carrots. This variety of root crops is unpretentious in care and does not require increased attention. The main thing is to water, feed on time and prevent pests from infesting carrots.

Carrots are a popular and favorite vegetable crop in every summer cottage. Rich in trace elements, carotene, vitamins, substances that increase immunity and help to heal many ailments. Carrots are one of the main crops in baby foods. And it is very sad when the labors spent on its cultivation end in crooked, ugly squiggles of dubious taste, because in the case of carrots, the external corresponds to the internal content. How to grow carrots even, large, tasty, with a high content of nutrients? We'll figure out.

Conditions for a good harvest of carrots

Carrots are a frost-resistant crop that can be sown before winter and at several times from early spring. In the southern regions, it is sown in warm winter (February) windows and an early harvest of a delicious vegetable is obtained. Carrots are not afraid of frost.

To grow a decent harvest, you need to pay attention to:

• biological characteristics of carrots,
• compliance with the requirements of growing technology,
• soil structure and fertility, its preparation for sowing,
• acidity of the soil,
• features of providing moisture.

The main causes of small carrots

• Carrots do not tolerate swampy lowland areas, closely located fruit and forest tree crops. It will not be smooth and graceful, and even more so when grown in the shade, under the canopy of the garden.
• The culture needs a deeply loose nutrient soil, air and permeable. The presence of fine gravel, pebbles, rhizomes and other inclusions in the soil causes curvature and crushing of the carrot root crop.
• The root crop needs bright lighting. The carrot beds are positioned so that each plant receives adequate lighting. Tall crops (tomatoes, eggplants) should not shade the carrot tops. Carrots are best located south of tall neighbors.
• Carrots will not bear fruit in acidified soils. Therefore, a year before sowing crops, the soil is deacidified by the introduction of humus, chalk, lime, dolomite flour. The soil under the carrots should be neutral with zero acidity in the range of pH = 6-7.
• Ugly, branched, burst carrot root crops and small root crops are obtained with poor soil preparation, spring pre-sowing soil deoxidation, the use of chlorine-containing fertilizers, with an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, thickened crops.
• The value of carrots is determined by the amount of nutrients that are formed in the root crop as a result of metabolic processes with timely receipt of moisture and nutrients. Therefore, the lack of moisture and nutrition at the beginning and their excess at the end of the growing season of carrots will change not only the external forms and characteristics, but also significantly reduce the taste.

How to get large carrots?

Choosing a site for sowing carrots and predecessors

The plot must be leveled, without a slope, and evenly lit. Good predecessors and neighbors are zucchini and other pumpkin seeds, legumes, onions for turnips, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants. Celery, parsley, dill, and other umbrella plants are unwanted neighbors and predecessors. In the culture rotation, carrots return to their original place in the 4th – 5th year.

Healthy carrot tops. © Bill Heavey

Preparing the soil for sowing carrots

The soil for sowing carrots is prepared in the fall. After harvesting the previous crop, the tops are removed from the site, watering is provoked to obtain an autumn wave of weed seedlings. If the site is unsuccessful, they clean it of stones, rhizomes, dig it onto a shovel bayonet. Spread a mixture or complex fertilizers that do not contain chloride forms. Fertilizers are embedded in the soil with simultaneous crushing of coarse clods of earth and leveling the surface of the site with a rake.

Important! Do not apply deoxidizers (dolomite flour or lime) and fertilizers at the same time. These two preparation techniques are spaced apart in time. You can add deoxidizers in the fall (if necessary), and in the spring - fertilizers, 2-3 weeks before sowing.

In the spring, the bed for carrots is once again dug deeply, especially if the soil is heavy clay and loamy in composition. To fluff them, perlite or vermiculite, sand can be added to the root layer.

Fertilizing carrots

From mineral fertilizers during the basic preparation of the soil, nitrogen-phosphorus fats are applied at the rate of 50-60 and 40-50 g / sq., Respectively. m. on medium-fertile soils. You can add nitrophos, ammophos at a dose of 60-80 g / sq. m. or a fertilizing vegetable mixture in the same dose. Fertilizers can be applied for digging or during the final preparation of the site (for raking).

On highly fertile soils, 1 / 2-1 / 3 of the above-mentioned doses of fertilizers are applied under carrots, sometimes they only manage by adding ash - a glass per square meter. m. and subsequent dressings during the growing season. On marginal soils, the main dose of fertilizers is not increased, but reinforced top dressing is used in the first half of the carrot growing season.

Sowing dates for carrots

Carrot is a frost-resistant culture. Seedlings can withstand temperatures down to -2 ° C. Developed plants do not die in short-term frost down to -4 ° C. Using these properties, some gardeners sow the crop as soon as the soil warms up to + 3 ... + 4 ° С. But for such early crops, as well as for subwinter crops, you need to choose early ripening varieties of carrots. And they get seedlings on the 20th - 30th day.

It is still considered the best for sowing carrots to warm up 10-15 cm of the soil layer to + 8 ... + 10 ° С. In this case, seedlings appear on the 12th - 15th day. If the initial period of carrot development takes place at low temperatures, the plants will bloom in the first year, and the root crop will be rough and tasteless. The optimum temperature ranges from + 17 ... + 24 ° С. With an increase of more than + 25 ° C, metabolic processes in the root crop slow down, the carrot root crop becomes fibrous. It is necessary to reduce the temperature of the soil by irrigation and mulching, and the temperature of the air - by fine spraying (fog-like irrigation).

Thinning carrots. © Terese

How to improve the taste of a root crop?

With a properly prepared plot, the taste of carrot root crops depends on the supply of basic nutrients (and their proper ratio), microelements, moisture, stand density and varieties during the growing season.

Top dressing carrots

Carrots do not tolerate overfeeding and reacts to it with a decrease in the quality of root crops, especially when there is an excess of nitrogen fertilizers. The root vegetable pulp becomes tasteless. But carrots need a good supply of potassium, which contributes to the accumulation of sugars in root crops, increases the shelf life and overall yield. Of potash fertilizers, it is better to use kalimag. It is chlorine-free.

During the warm period, carrots are fed 2-3 times, sometimes on depleted soils - 4 times.

The first feeding of carrots

3 weeks after carrot germination - with a solution of kalimag and urea (15 g / 10 l of water each). You can add 20 g of superphosphate to the solution. With sufficient filling of the soil with fertilizers in the autumn-spring preparation, the first top dressing can be carried out later, in the phase of 5-6 leaves.

Second feeding of carrots

After 2-3 weeks, the second top dressing is performed by introducing kemira-wagon (50-60 g / sq. M), nitrophoska, Rost-2, soluble in the same dose.

The third feeding of carrots

The next top dressing is carried out after 2-3 weeks (in the growth phase of the root crop) with ash (on wet soil) at the rate of 20 g / sq. m or a mixture of trace elements. The growth phase of the root crop occurs at the end of June – July.

For the fruits to be sweet with tender pulp between 2 and 3 feeding, foliar boric acid solution (2 g / 10 l of water) is effective. Potassium is very important in the composition of elements, which contributes to the delivery of nutrients to root crops. Therefore, 3 top dressing can be carried out with phosphorus-potassium fats at the rate of 30 and 40 g / sq., Respectively. m.

Fourth feeding of carrots

On depleted soils, if required, the 4th top dressing is carried out, which falls on the ripening phase of the root crop. It is, most often, carried out with the aim of enlarging the fruit. It is usually carried out in early to mid September (depending on the ripening period of the variety). This top dressing can be carried out with the same fats and doses as the third, or in a different combination, but excluding nitrogen fertilizers.

Dense planting of carrots. © Dorling Kindersley

Watering carrots

Small, bitter, woody fruits of carrots are obtained with a lack of moisture, especially during the period from sowing to germination, and in the phase of intensive growth of root crops. Before germination, the topsoil is made constantly wet. Watering during this period is best done in the evening, mulch aisles with fine mulch no higher than 2–3 cm. If the humidity regime fluctuates and excessively abundant watering, carrots can form a large root crop, but it will be tasteless and full of cracks.

After germination, the culture is watered weekly until the root crops grow, and then they switch to watering 2-3 times a month, but the irrigation rate is increased. Mulching the carrots is mandatory after each watering. It prevents crust formation and reduces the temperature of the topsoil. Watering is stopped 2 weeks before harvesting.

Carrot thinning rules

Aligned carrot roots grow with the correct 2-3-fold thinning. The first thinning is carried out after the appearance of the 3rd leaf. Before thinning, the aisles are loosened and watering is carried out. The sprouts are removed with plucking or tweezers, but do not pull out, so as not to disturb the root system of the remaining plants.

Waste is removed away from the garden so as not to attract carrot flies. To scare it away after thinning in the aisles, you can scatter onion arrows or cover the plants. After 2.5-3.0 weeks, the crops are thinned again, increasing the distance between the plants from 2 to 6 cm.

The 3rd thinning is actually the sampling of the first crop. Carrots are demanding on the air regime of the soil. Once every 7-10 days, the aisles of the carrots are loosened, stirring up the mulch.

Carrot varieties

To grow sweet carrots, you need to pick up a zoned variety with a certain quality of the root crop. Breeders offer a wide range of seeds of early, medium and late ripening periods with a high content of sugars, characterized by dessert taste, long shelf life and other qualities.

For growing in the country, you can recommend universal varieties: Chantane, Nantes-4, Karotelka. Resistant, unpretentious varieties. Nantes-4 can be used for winter crops. For all regions of Russia, the Moscow winter A-545 variety is suitable. The early ripening variety Polar cranberry forms a harvest in 2 months and is recommended for cultivation in northern latitudes due to its qualities.

In families with small children, the following varieties are irreplaceable: Vitamin-6, Viking and Sugar gourmet, Children's sweetness, which are characterized by a high content of carotene and sugar. Sugar gourmet is one of the sweetest varieties of carrots. Baby sweetness keeps well until the next harvest. If necessary, in the annual catalog of varieties and hybrids, you can pick up a root crop with the desired quality.