There is no rush to harvest beets and carrots. These vegetables should ripen in the ground in autumn: beets are actively gaining nutrients at temperatures from + 1 ° C to 15 ° C, and carrots - from + 7 ° C to + 8 ° C. If you harvest them too early, then you will not get 30-40% of the harvest. The harvested root vegetables will be too small and tasteless, and such vegetables are poorly stored.
But also to delay the harvesting as well, otherwise the crop will be ruined by cold rains and frosts.
When to remove beets and carrots from the garden?
Even experienced vegetable growers will not name the exact date of harvesting - it depends on many factors. Let's list them.
Vegetable variety and agricultural technology
Carrot and beet varieties are early, medium and late. The ripening dates of vegetables are written on the seed packaging. They are taken into account when planting and harvesting root crops.
Early varieties are good because they ripen very quickly. Within three months after planting, they give a crop. But they are not suitable for winter storage.
Late varieties are well stored, but in central Russia they do not always have time to ripen before frost.
Mid-season varieties are well suited for the Russian climate. They give a good harvest, are distinguished by keeping quality and disease resistance.
The best varieties of beets:
Early- Detroit, Red Ball, Barguzin, Bordeaux, Podzimnyaya;
Average- Mulatto, Bohemia, Bona, Incomparable;
Late- Torpedo, Cylinder, Ataman.
The best varieties of carrots:
Early: Carotel Parisian, Amsterdam, Touchon, Fairy;
Average: Nantes-4, Vitamin-6, Incomparable, Samson;
Late ripening: Vita Longa, MO, Queen of Autumn, Chantenay 2461.
The timing of the ripening of vegetables depends on how well they are looked after. If the care was wrong or it was not at all, then the earliest varieties ripen late. The size of the vegetables also matters: larger roots are harvested earlier.
Weather
If autumn is rainy and cold, and meteorologists promise early frosts, then harvesting should start earlier and finish faster.
Excessive moisture leads to the germination of new roots.
Roots become watery and tasteless.
They often crack when cleaned.
If autumn is warm, dry, frosts are not expected, then vegetables can be left in the ground for a longer time.
Growing regions
Climate is the most important factor affecting the timing of harvesting vegetables.
Siberia. It is difficult to grow beets here. Before frost, only early-ripening varieties have time to ripen. To get a good harvest, you need to choose beets with a growing season of up to one hundred days and apply the correct agrotechnical methods. To increase the ripening period of root crops, the seedling method of growing beets is used.
Special varieties of carrots have been developed for Siberia. They are disease resistant and mature well in cold climates. This is Dayana, Altai shortened, Nastena-sweet.
In Siberia, beets and carrots are harvested from the garden in late August - early September. Moreover, if the cold starts earlier, then you need to clean up faster, since in September there are often strong frosts.
Ural. The climate in most of the Urals is sharply continental, with cold winters and short hot summers. Early and mid-early varieties of beets and carrots are grown here. Beets with a long growing season do not have time to ripen in cold climates. If beets and carrots have been planted in open ground since mid-May, then harvesting can be done at the end of August. If the spring was cold and the roots were planted in June, then the vegetables are harvested in September.
Moscow region and other areas of central Russia, the Volga region. Early and mid-season varieties are suitable for growing. Here, the optimal harvesting period for beets and carrots is from late September to early October. First, beets are harvested, after a week - carrots.
Southern regions of Russia. Here, in a warm climate, the crop is harvested twice - in summer and autumn. Colds come late, and all types of vegetables ripen well. Beets and carrots can be harvested until the end of October and beyond.
Preparing for cleaning
In order for beets and carrots to be stored for a long time and to be juicy and tasty, you need to prepare for harvesting in advance.
Since mid-summer, root crops are not fed with nitrogen fertilizers, but only with potash and phosphorus fertilizers.
If there was little rain in the summer, two weeks before harvesting, you need to heavily water the beds for the last time. After that, you do not need to water them, otherwise the vegetables will become watery and cracked.
How to determine when it's time to harvest
The first sign of complete ripening of beets and carrots is wilted tops. She says that the growth of vegetables has ended and they can be removed from the garden.
Ripe carrots and beets are favorite prey for rodents. Their increased activity also means that the vegetables are ripe and it is time to harvest them. In the fall, mice stock up on food and begin to gnaw hard on roots. If you hesitate, you can lose your harvest.
An important rule! Beets are dug out before frost, and carrots after.
Harvesting carrots
When it's warm, the carrots are not harvested - they will become tasteless and will be poorly stored. Many vegetable growers believe that carrots acquire real taste only after they have been picked up by a light frost. And if the carrot tops are bent to the ground and covered with lutrasil or ordinary bags, then the snow that has fallen will not damage the carrots. Root crops removed from the snow are stored much better.
Suitable time for harvesting carrots:
The first frosts come;
The ground freezes at night, and thaws during the day;
Snow falls, but the temperature is from 0C and above.
Carrots collected from under the snow are not dried, but immediately placed in boxes. The moisture that remains on the vegetables will prevent them from drying out. Carrots have a fairly strong skin and will not rot if ventilated. If the carrots were harvested in damp weather or from under the snow, then holes need to be made in the bottoms of the storage boxes.
Harvesting beets
Beets tolerate the cold much worse: the tops of the root crops are uncovered by the earth and suffer greatly from frost. Therefore, it is harvested before frost. However, you should not rush to harvest either: at the end of the ripening period, sugar and other useful substances accumulate in the root crops.
A sign of beet ripening - bumps appear on its surface. If it is warm autumn weather outside, there is no rain, then you can wait with harvesting: the beets will be preserved in the ground better than in the cellar.
In central Russia, beets are harvested from mid-September to mid-October. It is necessary to be in time before frost and heavy rains, since the roots that are slightly frozen and too wet rots quickly. Frost-resistant beet varieties have appeared on the market, but it is also better to remove them before snow falls.
How root vegetables are dug
Experts advise pulling vegetables out of the ground with your hands so as not to damage them. Damaged roots will rot and will not survive until winter.
Round beets like Larka and Bordeaux 237 are easy to pull out. Cylindrical beets and carrots with long fruits are harder to pull out. To extract such roots from the ground, use a pitchfork with flat teeth. It is not recommended to dig up carrots and beets with a shovel - vegetables can be easily cut.
The tops are immediately removed from the harvested beets and carrots. If you leave it, then it will pull nutrients from root crops. Carrot tops are simply "unscrewed" by hand. Sometimes the heads of root crops are cut off half a centimeter so that the carrots do not germinate in the spring.
The beet tops are trimmed, leaving one centimeter long hemp. If you leave more, the tops will begin to grow in the spring and dry out the root crop. Use scissors or pruning shears to trim the tops.
The harvested vegetables need to be dried a little in the sun. Carrots cannot be left in the sun for a long time, as they quickly begin to wither. You can hold the beets longer. It is even better to spread the vegetables under a canopy for a day or two. Root crops will dry out, their wounds will heal.
Lumps of earth are shaken off the dried vegetables with their hands. Root crops cannot be scraped with a knife, beaten against each other or on the ground - this can damage them.
Then the vegetables are sorted. Small and damaged fruits are processed. I put undamaged carrots and beets of varieties intended for winter storage in cellars and cellars.
Root storage methods
The harvested crop is stored in a basement or cellar - there is the optimum temperature and humidity. Vegetables should not be left on an unglazed balcony - they will freeze in winter.
If mice are taken into the cellar in winter, then beets and carrots should be stored on shelves raised above the ground. If there are no rodents in the basement, then vegetables can be left in boxes for the winter. Some vegetable growers sprinkle root crops with sand or coat them with clay, but if the temperature in the cellar does not rise above + 3C, then this is not necessary.
If the air in the basement is too dry, then carrots and beets can be stored in plastic bags. To prevent the vegetables from rotting, sawdust is poured into the bags.
When autumn comes, many ask the question: “When harvest carrots and beets from the garden? " These vegetables have the latest ripening dates and decorate the backyard with their tops when there is practically nothing left on it. It is very important to determine the correct harvest time for beets and carrots, as their taste, nutritional value and ability to store well in winter depend on this.
Each variety of carrots and beets is harvested at its own time
The person who, when asked about the correct time for harvesting the aforementioned root crops, will indicate in which month it should be done, and even more so will mention specific numbers, will not be right. The exact time cannot be established due to the fact that several factors affect this at once.
One of them is the varietal accessory of the vegetable crop. Early and middle ones are usually harvested in summer or at the very beginning of autumn. The approximate timing of their ripening is indicated on the packaging of the seeds, so it will not be difficult to determine with them. However, in order to send the harvest of carrots and beets for storage during the winter, only late varieties are suitable. Let's talk in more detail about when it is better to remove varieties of these root crops intended for long-term conservation from the beds.
Climate is a decisive factor in determining when to harvest late varieties
First of all, the time of the late harvest of carrots and beets is determined by the climatic features of the region. The further south the suburban area is located, the earlier this should be done. Another, more volatile factor is the weather conditions of the current year. If the autumn was warm and not rainy, then it is better to postpone the harvest. Such a delay will enable vegetables to accumulate the maximum amount of nutrients, to fully show their taste and fully ripen in order to winter well in the storage area. In most regions, these processes are active almost throughout September.
If autumn does not please with good weather, then you should not hesitate too long with the extraction of carrots and beets, otherwise they will freeze and cannot be well stored. The following circumstances should serve as signals for cleaning:
The air temperature does not rise above +10 and does not drop below 0 degrees.
The lower leaves of carrots and beets turned yellow (with the exception of dry summers).
Active hunting of rodents for root crops may indicate their full maturity.
Given these conditions, determining the right time to harvest carrots and beets is not so difficult. These times will differ depending on the region and the weather conditions of the fall of a particular year. Residents of the Moscow region, for example, usually dig carrots and beets either at the end of September or at the beginning of October.
Some agronomists are of the opinion that carrots will taste better if freezing cold. Even if this is so, then deliberately extending the period of its growth in the ground is an unreasonably risky undertaking. Frozen carrots are easily infected with gray mold and may not tolerate long-term storage.
Do not allow carrots to freezeExperienced agronomists give the following tips on the subject at hand:
It is not worth removing beets and carrots from the beds during the rainy period - they can rot.
According to the lunar calendar, the days of the waning moon are most favorable for digging them up. But this factor can be neglected for the sake of suitable weather conditions.
It is better to dig them out not with a shovel, but with a pitchfork in order to minimize the risk of damage to the fruit.
Before being sent for storage for one to two days, vegetables should be dried in the fresh air, but not in the sun.
Do not wash and clean root crops after removing them from the ground.
There are two ways to remove the tops: leaving a 1-2 cm tail and carefully cutting off a 1-2 mm layer of a piece of the fruit near the tops. The latter is more complex, but provides a guarantee that the greens will not start sprouting during storage.
Do not put damaged vegetables in the cellar - they will not survive.
For protection, vegetables are advised to be pollinated with lime.
Experienced agronomists each year easily determine when to remove carrots and beets from the beds for storage. Beginners in this business will have to sweat a little to determine the right time for this event. But if you do not have enough experience in this matter, do not despair. The above tips come from those land owners who have been growing these crops for more than a year. Follow them and you will be successful!
Cleaning and storage of carrots. In the fall, summer residents are wondering - when to remove carrots from the garden for storage? Carrots are a healthy and tasty vegetable, but for long-term storage, you need to choose the right harvest time.
Today you will find out: when to dig up carrots, how to properly dig up carrots, storing carrots for the winter are the best ways.
When to dig up carrots - harvest time?
Harvesting carrots you can start when the root crop reaches 1.5 cm in diameter. It all depends on the sowing time, the specific variety and the timing of its ripening. Depending on the region the timing of harvesting carrots will be different.
If you overexpose the carrots in the ground, then the vegetable will become rough, or it may start growing again.
Early ripening varieties are usually harvested in mid-summer, mid-ripening in early September. The last thing to do is harvest carrots intended for winter storage.
Cleaning time can be determined visually: pull out one carrot and see - if it is overgrown with small roots along its entire length, then it's time to dig up the carrots.
Start harvesting carrots in dry weather. Root crops taken from the ground are left in the open air for several hours to dry. The tops are cut immediately almost to the very root crop. Large root crops are always dug up early, and small ones can be given time to grow a little more.
When growing carrots on sandy loam soils, it is taken out of the ground pulling out the tops... When growing in tighter soils, use a pitchfork to dig up the carrots if you can't get the root vegetable out of the ground with your hands.
As the root crop was taken out of the ground, simply shake it off of the adhering soil, in no case scraping it with a sharp object or tapping it on the ground - this will lead to damage and poor storage.
Harvesting carrots you should have time to spend before the onset of autumn frosts. Root crops stop growing at a temperature of +8 degrees - this is the temperature of mid - end of October. It is in October that you should actively start digging carrots from the garden.
By this time, a sufficient amount of sugars and vitamins will accumulate in the root crops, the carrots acquire good taste.
The rind is already fully formed and will prevent the carrots from drying out.
Video - When to dig up carrots and beets?
Storing carrots for the winter at home
Besides that carrot harvest must be collected, it must be preserved and properly preserved. The main thing before storage is to select carrots for primary use and for long-term storage.
Small and damaged roots are best used first. If there are a lot of them, grate and dry as an option, then use as directed, store in jars.
Before storing root crops, they need to be cooled to a temperature of + 2-4 degrees. Thanks to the cooling, the damaged areas on the root crops obtained as a result of harvesting will dry out, and the intensity of respiration will also decrease.
At home carrots are usually stored in boxes in cellars or basements.
The optimum storage temperature for carrots is + 1-2 degrees. But this temperature is difficult to reach and usually it is +5 degrees. As a result, the carrots simply sprout.
One way to store is highlighting carrots... Sprinkle the carrots with chalk and put them in boxes for storage. Approximate consumption of 250 g of chalk per 10 kg of carrots.
You can pour carrots pine needles or sawdust- it has a very good effect on storage.
Instead of sand, you can use the following modern materials: perlite or vermiculite... These materials consume little moisture from the air and absorb gas exchange products, which prevents the decay process.
This storage method has proven itself well - carrots are placed in a box lined with polyethylene.
Video - How to store carrots?
Storing carrots in the apartment
If you do not have a cellar or you live in a multi-storey building, you can save carrots in plastic bags.
To do this, cut off the tops of the carrots, wash well and put in transparent bags. Tie the bags in a knot so that there is no air access.
Big harvests of carrots for you!
It is very important to determine the optimal time for harvesting carrots and beets. , sending them for storage in the cellar. It is necessary to dig up carrots and beets when the roots are ripe, accumulate the maximum amount of vitamins, and become sweet and tasty. Root crops dug out ahead of time are inferior in taste and are worse stored.
The time of digging carrots and beets for storage in winter largely depends on the established weather in September. It is recommended to choose a warm sunny day for harvesting, because roots dug on a cold rainy day will not be stored well.
When to dig up carrots?
Carrots need to be dug out when the first frosts pass down to -3 ... -5 degrees ... Carrots will not suffer from a short-term cold snap, and after exposure to low temperatures, all nutrients and sugars from the tops will begin to intensively flow into the roots. A carrot crop dug after the first autumn frost is much tastier, sweeter and better stored than one dug early.
When the first frosts pass, at night the temperature will drop to -2 ... -5 degrees at night, in 5-7 days choosing a clear sunny day is the best time to harvest carrots from the ridges. Usually, carrots intended for storage are dug in central Russia from mid-September to early October. .
Harvesting time for carrots largely depends on the weather at the beginning of autumn. In rainy weather, the root vegetables may begin to crack, then dig up the carrots immediately. In dry autumn, you should not rush to harvest carrots, since at this time the roots accumulate vitamins as quickly as possible and are saturated with taste.
How to dig up carrots correctly?
Carrots can be pulled out of the ground by grabbing at the base of the leaves, if this does not work, then dig the carrots with a pitchfork or a shovel at a sufficient distance from the root vegetables so as not to cut them. The dug carrots are cleaned from the ground with gloved hands; you cannot use a knife or other tools, as the thin skin can be damaged.
The tops of the carrots are removed immediately, they are broken out or cut to the very shoulders in order to remove the growth point, otherwise the carrot in the cellar will begin to grow. A thin root at the tip of the root cannot be cut off, since rotting may begin through the wound.
The peeled carrots are dried for a couple of hours under a canopy, no longer, and on the same day they are sent for storage to the cellar. If you leave dug carrots outdoors or in a shed for a day or two, they will chill and be poorly stored.
When to dig up the beets?
Beets are dug up earlier than carrots around mid-September , because most of the root crop of this plant is on the surface and when the temperature drops to -3 ... -5 degrees, the beets can freeze. The beets will tolerate frosts up to 0 ... -1 degrees, but it is impossible to keep beets in the garden until severe frosts, the frozen roots lose their taste and are poorly stored.
It is better to pull out the beets with your hands, grabbing them by the base of the leaves, and also clean them from the ground with your hands. The tops of the root crop are broken off by twisting the leaves, or cut off so as to remove the growing point. Long thin tail, the root cannot be cut off.
Beets can be dried under a canopy or in a barn for 1-2 days and then lowered into the cellar for storage.
Beets are well kept loose on top of carrots or potatoes... The main thing is not to store apples next to beets, carrots and potatoes, as fruits emit ethylene, which stimulates the germination of root crops.
Today in the market or in the store you can buy any kind of vegetables throughout the year. This statement fully applies to such an irreplaceable root vegetable as carrots. However, many believe, not without reason, that in this case it is impossible to be completely sure of the absolute ecological purity of the product. Therefore, most gardeners prefer to grow natural vegetables on their own backyard plot.
However, sowing seeds and growing a vitamin crop is only half the battle. It is necessary to competently resolve the issue of harvesting the orange wealth.
Basic principles for choosing the timing of the harvest
Carrots are a crop that tolerates low temperatures well. However, you should not assume that it can be in the ground without problems until frost. When choosing the time for cleaning, there are several important points to consider.
- It is not recommended to exceed the ripening time of a particular variety. Carrots, overexposed in the ground, partially lose their taste, becoming less juicy and sweet.
- The moment of the onset of biological ripeness should be taken into account. This means that the roots must acquire the size and color required by the varietal characteristics. Sometimes, due to unfavorable weather conditions, biological ripeness does not occur at all. Especially often late-ripening varieties "sin" with this. Then you have to harvest the carrots at the stage of technical ripeness, which is also possible, but significantly reduces the volume of the crop and its keeping quality.
- Weather conditions affect the harvest time. At stable daytime temperatures in the range from +3 to +5 ° C, root crops stop growing, and it is pointless to keep them in the ground for longer, and with frequent rains, this can lead to damage to various diseases. Autumn frosts should be a signal for immediate harvesting, otherwise you can lose your crop.
When to harvest mid to late carrots
The cold resistance of carrots allows you to keep them in the ground even after the onset of cool autumn days. Moreover, it is even recommended to do this, since the maximum amount of nutrients accumulates in root crops precisely during the period of a gradual decrease in the average daily temperature. In addition, it is this process that leads to the final ripening of the vegetable and an increase in its keeping quality.
All this primarily refers to late varieties that have a growing season longer than 110 days and are most suitable for storage. They can be in the garden without loss throughout September, and sometimes until mid-October. But you should not assume that the longer the carrot sits in the ground, the tastier it is. Overexposed vegetables become loose and much less succulent, and they also risk getting gray rot if the frost hits -3 ° C suddenly.
Carrots, whose ripeness occurs in the interval from 80 to 100 days, is considered mid-season. It is juicy enough for fresh salads, but also suitable for long-term storage. Such varieties can be in the garden until the second half of September. However, it is not recommended to take too long with their harvesting, as the fruits lose their sweetness and become woody.
Timing of harvesting early carrots
Early ripening varieties begin to ripen in the middle of summer. Their growing season is short and takes no longer than 80 days. Usually, early carrots begin to be removed gradually, pulling specimens from the ground that have reached a diameter of more than 1 cm. Such roots are still very tender, but already quite sweet. They are great for vitamin salads and baby food, as they are very tasty and juicy raw. The only drawback of early carrots is their complete unsuitability for storage. In addition, it is not recommended to overexpose such varieties in the ground, as they quickly crack and lose their delicious taste.
When harvesting gradually, do not forget to remove the pits that form after the root crop has been removed, as these can become a gateway for the carrot fly to enter. You can harvest the entire crop of early maturing varieties at the same time to make room for another crop. The carrot bed is perfect for growing head lettuce, bush beans or representatives of the cabbage family (broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi).
External signs for determining the cleaning time
To understand when to harvest carrots, it is not enough to know the ripening time of the variety. It is necessary to closely monitor how the root vegetable garden looks like. What will be the signal to start digging out the sun's harvest?
- One of the main signs of fruit ripening is yellowing of the tops, especially of its lower leaves.
- Another feature of fully ripe carrots is the beginning of the formation of lateral roots, which mark the readiness of the biennial plant to move from the stage of root formation to the stage of seed formation.
- There is no point in further delay in harvesting if the carrots have reached the size, shape and color declared by the seed manufacturer.
How to harvest correctly
A competent approach to harvesting will allow you to get absolutely ripe fruits, which, moreover, will be perfectly stored in appropriate conditions. To do this, there are a few subtleties of the process that need to be taken into account.
- If you are planning to dig up your carrots soon, stop watering them. It is best to do this already one to two weeks before the estimated time.
- Always choose a fine day for cleaning. This will allow you to harvest drier roots that can be stored better.
- Use the lunar calendar to time the harvest to coincide with the waning moon, which will also contribute to its better safety.
- The method of extracting carrots from the ground is also important. Short-fruited varieties are easily removed from the garden directly by hand, without the help of garden tools. For harvesting varieties with a long root crop, it is better to use a pitchfork or a shovel.
- Please note that any mechanical injury (chips, scratches or cracks) will negatively affect the storage time. They allow pathogenic microorganisms to enter the fetus, provoking rotting.
- The dug carrots must be immediately freed from the tops, which are not recommended to be torn off. It is better to cut the leaves with a knife, grabbing the very top of the fruit, no more than a couple of millimeters. This will prevent the crop from germinating too early.
- Peeled root vegetables are recommended to dry in the shade during the day before storing them, and then sort them out, removing damaged and diseased specimens.
- Never store a frost-damaged crop as it largely loses its ability to resist multiple diseases.
