What temperature can carrot seedlings withstand? Carrot. Basic secrets of growing. Improper care of seedlings

Carrots have been known for more than 4 thousand years. It is native to the Mediterranean coast and Central Asia, where it is still found growing wild. At first, carrots were cultivated as a medicinal plant, later they began to be grown as a vegetable crop. Nowadays, carrots are grown everywhere and it is difficult to find a summer cottage without this beloved vegetable.

Carrots have a unique composition of nutrients; they contain vitamins (A, C, K, E, all B vitamins), minerals (iron, fluorine, magnesium, potassium, iodine, etc.), natural sugars, essential oils, anthocyanins, bioflavonoids, antioxidants, fiber, etc.

Raw and boiled carrots, as well as carrot juice, are used in therapeutic nutrition for diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver, kidneys, anemia, eye diseases, oncology, to strengthen the nervous system and in the treatment of many other diseases. Carrots contain a lot of fiber, are low in calories, and therefore are indispensable in the treatment of obesity.

Carrots are not only healthy, but also tasty; it’s not for nothing that children love to crunch on fresh carrots. You can prepare many dishes from carrots: soups, side dishes, salads, drinks and even desserts.

Biological features of carrots

Carrots are quite whimsical and require strict adherence to agricultural techniques when growing, otherwise you may be left without a harvest.

The soil. Dry, sandy loam soils are suitable for growing carrots. Dense, heavy soils can produce short, misshapen roots. Carrots also do not like soils that are too damp, since with excess moisture the root system does not develop well. The best predecessors for carrots: potatoes, beets, onions, cereals.

Moisture. Carrots are much more drought tolerant than other root vegetables. However, for normal development, the plant needs constant soil moisture, especially during periods of seed germination, active growth of the root system and during the period of massive growth of leaves. Watering should be uniform - long breaks should not be allowed. This can lead to cracking of root vegetables and deterioration in their taste.

Temperature. Carrots are tolerant of low temperatures; their seeds germinate already at +4+5°C. In such conditions, seedlings will appear in about 3 weeks. When the temperature rises to +20°C, the seeds germinate within 8-10 days.

Carrot seedlings can easily tolerate frosts down to -2°C, while older plants can tolerate frosts down to -5°C. For the growth of leaf mass, the optimal temperature is +22+25°C, for the formation and growth of root crops +18+20°C. Carrot plants tolerate cold weather better than heat - at high temperatures, carrot development slows down, and at temperatures above +35°C it stops.

Light. Carrots are very demanding on lighting, as they are a long-day plant. With a short day, carrots grow more slowly, increase root mass worse, and accumulate fewer nutrients, including carotene.

Carrot growing technology

Preparing the beds. The yield and quality of carrots directly depends on the illumination of the area and the place must be chosen accordingly; carrots grow much worse in the shade. Also, the beds for carrots should not be clogged with perennial weeds - carrots grow slowly at the beginning of the growing season and the weeds will simply choke them out.

It is better to dig up the site in the fall. When digging, add 5 kg to the soil. humus or compost, 30-40 gr. superphosphate and 20 gr. potassium chloride per 1 sq. meter. In the spring, when the soil is ready for sowing, sprinkle urea over the beds at the rate of 15 grams. per 1 sq. m. and embed into the soil. Then you need to carefully level the top layer with a rake so that there are no lumps or compactions. If carrots are not sown immediately, then it is better to cover the bed with film - this will prevent moisture evaporation, and at the same time the ground under the film will warm up better.

Deadlines. Carrots can be sown in spring or before winter. Pre-winter sowing is carried out in late October-early November (in the middle zone), after the first frost and a week before snow falls. With winter sowing, you can get early production, but this method of cultivation is not possible in all climatic zones. If temperatures are too low in winter, seeds can freeze even under cover.

In spring, carrots are sown in April-May, as soon as the soil thaws.

Seed preparation. Due to the content of essential oils in carrot seeds, they take a long time to hatch and require pre-sowing treatment to speed up germination.

First you need to separate the non-germinating seeds. To do this, pour the seeds with a warm saline solution (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 glass of water) and stir, leave for 20-30 minutes, discard any empty seeds that float to the surface.

There are several ways to speed up seed germination:

• scatter the seeds on a damp cloth in a warm room and keep them moist until the seeds begin to hatch, after which they are immediately sown;
• pour the seeds into a fabric bag (an old sock) and bury them in the area, on the bayonet of a shovel, 7-10 days before sowing. The seeds will swell, become much larger and sprout faster;
• Soak the seeds in a nutrient solution for 1 day. To prepare a nutrient solution, you can use ash (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of warm water), “Effecton-O” (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water), “Sodium humate” (1 teaspoon per 1 liter . water), “Epin” (10-20 drops per 1 liter of water), boric acid (1 gram per 1 liter of water), “Zircon” (10 drops per 1 liter of water). After processing, the seeds need to be washed, wrapped in a damp cloth and put in the refrigerator for hardening. Before sowing, dry the seeds until they flow.

To combat internal infections, the seeds are kept for 15 minutes in hot (+52+53°C) water, then immediately immersed in cold water for 3 minutes.

Sowing. Form transverse strips 1-2 cm deep in the garden bed, depending on the density of the soil. The heavier the soil, the shallower the sowing depth. The distance between the grooves is 15-20 cm. Place the seeds at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other, fill the grooves and lightly compact them, slam them with your palm or board.

Care. The most important things in caring for carrots are: loosening and weeding. Loosening should be carried out as often as possible - after each watering or rain, in order to destroy the soil crust, which prevents the penetration of air to the roots, and also contributes to the curvature of root crops. Even in dry weather, loosening is necessary to retain moisture in the soil.

It is necessary to weed the crops in a timely manner; weeds choke the seedlings and inhibit the development of carrots. Thinning is another one of the “secrets” of growing carrots. The first thinning is carried out as soon as real leaves appear. Seedlings are plucked out, leaving at least 3 cm between plants. The next thinning of grown plants is carried out after 4 weeks, leaving a distance between them of 10-15 cm.

Watering important for carrots at all stages of development. Watering is carried out to the depth of the roots. The older the plant, the more water is required for irrigation. In dry and hot summers, to avoid lethargy of root crops, you need to water every 5-7 days.

Feeding. During the growing season, carrots need to be fed 2-3 times. The first feeding is carried out three weeks after emergence, the second - a month after the first. To prepare the solution, take 15-20 g. urea, 15-20 gr. superphosphate and 20 gr. potassium salt in a bucket of water or dilute any complex fertilizer for vegetables. It’s a good idea to feed the carrots with mullein solution (1 liter of slurry per 10 liters of water) with the addition of 1 cup of ash per bucket of solution.

The third feeding is carried out, when growing late-ripening varieties, a month after the second, only in this case you should not use nitrogen fertilizers.

Cleaning. Grown carrots can be harvested as needed during the season, or used for food chosen during thinning.

The main growth of root crops occurs in late August-early September (up to 40% of the total mass), so there is no need to rush into harvesting. Harvest should be done when the temperature reaches +4+5°C, but before frost sets in.

Varieties with short fruits are easily pulled out of the soil, while long root crops are best dug up with a pitchfork. It is better to harvest carrots in dry weather. Trim the tops with a knife, capturing a small part of the root crop - then they will definitely not germinate if the temperature in the cellar is higher than permissible. Before storing, carrots are sorted, damaged or ugly root crops are rejected.

Carrots are the most popular vegetable among consumers. It can be purchased on store shelves all year round. But the root vegetable will bring great benefits if you grow it yourself in your summer cottage. This can be done subject to certain rules for growing carrots.

Almost any crop needs to be fertilized before planting in the spring, and this can be done in the spring after planting at the dacha, or it can be fertilized later directly into the hole. We will tell you in the article how to properly care for carrots, how much and what kind of fertilizer to apply, little tricks for applying manure and humus, how to water frequently and how to love the plant.

Before sowing seeds in open ground, a gardener must decide why he is growing carrots and when he wants to get the harvest. Sowing time:

1. Early spring sowing from April 15 to May 15. Throughout June you can already collect bunches of carrots, and with the arrival of August you can enjoy the sweet root vegetables.
2. Summer sowing from May 15 to June 10. The harvest will take place at the end of September; these carrots are stored in the cellar for winter storage.
3. Pre-winter sowing from October 20 to November 15 allows you to consume young root crops before harvesting the main harvest. The main thing is to choose the right place for the beds - it should be on a hill so that the spring melting of snow does not drown the seeds.

If you sow at all possible times, then fresh vegetables will be on the table all year round.

During winter sowing, the formation of root crops occurs at a time when the carrot fly is just beginning its life activity. It is not yet capable of harming the harvest in the garden; the vegetables will be of better quality.

Choosing a place for a garden bed

It is no secret that carrots are an unpretentious root vegetable, but to obtain a rich harvest, you still need to create comfortable conditions. When choosing a location for garden beds, the gardener should consider:

• this vegetable crop grows well in illuminated areas;
• fertile loamy-sandy soil with 4% humus and neutral acidity 6-7 pH;
• Previously, potatoes, tomatoes, corn and legumes were grown at the planting site;
• do not use for growing beds where herbs (dill, parsley, fennel, etc.) previously grew;
• it is forbidden plant vegetables in the same area 2 years in a row.

Large root crops of regular shape grow on peat soils, which were formed after the swamps dried out. And on clay soil, carrots will take on an ugly shape due to strong resistance during growth.

Before frost, the area for vegetables must be dig up, remove roots and stones. But do not drive the shovel too deep into the ground and destroy the fertile layer. You should dig to a depth of about 0.3 meters. With the onset of spring, level and deeply loosen the surface.

How to plant seeds to get good seedlings

Gardeners practice a variety of methods for planting carrots, all of which have their own advantages and disadvantages:

1. Sowing seeds considered the fastest way. The gardener simply scatters dry seed into the prepared beds. At the same time, seed consumption cannot be called economical, and the seedlings will be too dense and uneven.
2. Dragee- these are seeds placed in a nutritious shell, the shoots are friendly and strong. Their sowing consists of point distribution in small holes. The cost of pelleted seeds is higher, but you won’t have to waste time on thinning.
3. Previously sprouted seeds give quick shoots. But in the absence of rain, you will have to water ahead of time; the sprouts are too weak and cannot cope with the pressure of the earth.
4. Roll method involves gluing small seeds onto long strips of paper. To plant, you just need to spread the strips in the garden bed, dig it in with soil, water it well and fertilize it. Shoots will appear evenly, but a little later.
5. Liquid paste cook from potato starch, cool to room temperature and mix with mineral fertilizers. Add seeds to the resulting liquid and stir quickly. Pour the paste evenly into the grooves. With this method there is no need to thin out the plantings.

Regardless of the chosen planting method, it is better to sow seeds less often, so as not to have to thin out in the future.

You can have a garden bed cover with film for 2-3 weeks before the first shoots appear. Thus, weeds will not interfere with plant growth, and a crust will not form on the soil, preventing moisture from penetrating to the roots.

If dry planting material is selected for sowing, additional preparation is required. You can disinfect it by soaking the seeds in water heated to 40 degrees. But it's better to hold them in a solution of potassium permanganate– 1 g of substance per 100 ml of liquid. The procedure time should not exceed 20 minutes, after which the seeds must be rinsed well with clean water and dried.

Some gardeners use specialized plant growth stimulants already at the seed preparation stage. But to obtain an environmentally friendly harvest, this is not recommended.

Secrets of caring for carrots after planting

Carrots belong to difficult to germinate and slow growing vegetable crops. Don’t think that once you sow it, you can forget about the beds until harvest.

In order for the root crops to be strong and large and consistent with the varietal quality, they should be looked after.

Fertilizers, fertilizing and folk remedies

A gardener will reap an average harvest in terms of quality and quantity if he limits himself to applying fertilizer during the autumn digging of the plot.

The plant needs feeding throughout the growing season.

So, first time feed the vegetable a month after entry. At 10 l. water dissolve 1 tbsp. l. nitrophoska is a classic mineral fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The same solution is also used in the second feeding after 2 weeks and on the third- at the beginning of August.

The best potassium fertilizer is such a folk remedy as tincture of ash. To prepare it, you need to pour 150 g of dry ash in parts into a bucket of water. Stir the mixture until the ash is completely dissolved. At 10 l. dilute 1 liter of water. tincture and feed and water the root crops of carrots or beets with this liquid during the second half of the growing season.

How to water during the growing period

When growing root vegetables special meaning The irrigation system is playing. Indeed, if the soil moisture is insufficient, the young roots of the plant will die, and overwatering the beds will lead to the fact that only livestock will be able to feed on the harvest.

Therefore, immediately after sowing, the period of proper watering of the beds begins:

1. The method used to stimulate the inputs is sprinkling(300-400 m3/ha), and then several receptions drip irrigation(20-30 m3/ha).
2. After the entrances appear, depending on weather conditions, watering is carried out every 2-3 days small volume of water.
3. During the period of root crop formation, the soil moisture regime changes - the frequency decreases, the volume of water increases.
4. Active growth of vegetables is accompanied by infrequent watering (once every 7-10 days), but moisture should penetrate into the ground to a depth of 10-15 cm.
5. One month before harvest, watering do not carry out even in the absence of rain. Excess moisture during this period will worsen the taste and keeping quality of vegetables.

Before digging up root crops, it is advisable to moisten the soil a little. Thus, the process is facilitated, and the crop improves its ability to be stored fresh.

Proper weeding

One of the least favorite things gardeners do is weeding their beds. But you can’t do without this tedious task, otherwise you can lose your entire harvest due to the “attack” of weeds.

At the initial stage, when the plants have not yet sprouted, an area with crops is recommended cover with several layers of newspapers and cover with film on top. With this method, the soil warms up well and retains moisture, but weeds cannot actively grow. After 2 weeks, the innovative shelter should be removed and wait for the emergence of seedlings.

After 10-15 days the plant appears first real leaf- this is a signal to start weeding. The procedure must be done very carefully so as not to capture the cultivated shoots along with the weeds.

When the 2nd leaf forms, weed combined with thinning, if sowing was carried out chaotically and the plantings were thickened. There should be a distance of 2-3 cm between plants. It is important to pull the sprouts up and not to the side, otherwise the root of the neighboring vegetable will be damaged.

The most convenient way to thin out is with the help of a female eyebrow plucking device - tweezers. It captures even the thinnest shoots without harming the rest of the plant.

During the entire growth period between the beds and plants, it is necessary to weed out weeds and loosen the soil. A month after the first thinning, repeat the procedure so that there is a distance of 4-5 cm between the root crops, but the already pulled vegetables can be eaten.

Growing carrots takes a lot of effort and time, but a rich and high-quality harvest of a healthy vegetable will cover all the inconveniences. The main thing is to follow the basic rules of planting and caring for plants. And then a tasty and crispy vegetable will be in the daily diet of the whole family, it will give all its nutrients and microelements.

Among not very experienced gardeners, there is an opinion that to grow good carrots with your own hands, it is enough to sow them in time, thin them out and provide timely watering.

However, there are many more factors influencing the production of a high-quality carrot harvest:

• lack of lighting inhibits growth;
• poor-quality soil composition - in dense and heavy clay soils or in the presence of stones in the ground, carrots cannot grow normally, acquire a disproportionate shape and an unpleasant taste, and the increased acid content in the soil “takes away” the sweetness of the fruit;
• excess moisture when crops are too thinned - promotes increased growth of fruits, they become coarser and lose their suitability for consumption;
• prolonged drought deprives carrots of juiciness;
• a sharp change from drought to prolonged rains - leads to the fact that the fruits begin to crack;
• careless thinning - damages the roots, which causes their branching and deformation;
• introducing fresh manure has the same sad consequences as careless thinning.

The big advantage of carrots is its high cold resistance. This root crop remains viable during a fairly long cold spell and is not afraid of frost.

Suitable neighbors for carrots

Carrots are very “friendly” in relation to neighbors and previous inhabitants of the site, but some predecessors are most desirable for it. These include tomatoes, cabbage and especially onions and garlic.
They drive away the carrot fly, and the underground beauty, in turn, protects them from the moth.
Carrots grow very well in the country in mixed plantings next to aromatic herbs and vegetables. The smell that carrot tops emit, mixing with the aroma of sage, parsley, marjoram or rosemary, makes it difficult for pests to find their favorite vegetable.

Despite the extensive good neighborly relations of carrots, there are still crops that are incompatible with them. These include dill, celery, anise, horseradish and beets. Planting carrots near apple trees is not advisable - they add bitterness to the fruit.
Arranging a carrot and onion bed has its own characteristics. It is recommended to sow onions early, and carrots when warm. The fact is that it produces seeds in the second year, so carrot sprouts that survived the spring frosts “mistake” them for the winter period and “think” that the second year of their life has begun. And instead of developing “to the root,” they begin to bloom.
One plot produces the richest carrot harvests within three years, then it should be transferred to another bed.

Soil preparation

The plot for planting carrots in the country begins to be prepared in the fall. In September it is dug up with a bayonet and stones are selected. Such measures will allow you to obtain even root crops without deformation caused by the high location of hard soil and the presence of stones that interfere with their growth.

During digging, you need to leave large blocks, which will help retain moisture from melt water, as well as freeze out the carrot fly larvae. In the spring, the bed is leveled with a rake when the ground becomes slightly damp.
For carrots, sandy loam and light loamy soils are recommended. The use of slightly acidic soils is also allowed. If necessary, they are enriched with compost (humus), and the acidity is neutralized with lime or chalk; heavy ones are lightened with peat, sand and sawdust. All these substances are added before the autumn digging of the beds.

In the spring, one to one and a half weeks before sowing, the surface of the bed is leveled, watered, covered with film and left in this form to warm up.

Preparing carrot seeds for sowing

Carrot seeds also require the same careful preparation. It should be borne in mind that this seed has very low germination. Of all the seeds, only half can sprout; at best, two thirds of them. Moreover, this indicator quickly decreases over time, so it is advisable to use only fresh seeds for planting. When sowing seed older than 1 year, it must be checked.

Another not very pleasant property of carrots is long and inconsistent germination. Sprouts appear only two to three weeks after sowing, which is due to the slow swelling and germination of the seeds due to the high saturation of essential oil, which prevents moisture from penetrating inside the seed. Germination can begin only after there is no oil film left on the seed shell. Therefore, on dry days, the appearance of sprouts is significantly delayed.

To remedy the situation, carrot seeds are properly prepared using the following methods:

• Soak

The seeds are placed in fabric bags and kept in heated water for 24 hours, filling them with new water every 4 hours. Experienced gardeners recommend using an aqueous solution (suspension) of wood ash (a spoon per liter).

• Hardening

This procedure is performed immediately after soaking. To do this, the bags with seeds removed from the water (if from an ash solution, then additionally washed) are immediately placed in the refrigerator and left for 3-5 days.

• Heat treatment

Another useful procedure for carrot seeds. First, the bags of seeds are kept in warm (+50°) clean water for 20 minutes, then in cold water for 2 minutes.

• Bubbling

Some gardeners bubble seeds instead of hardening. This process involves keeping them in the refrigerator at very low (0... -2 °) temperatures for two days. After bubbling, inoculation will be performed immediately. It is necessary to ensure that the bag is constantly moist.

• Burying in the soil

Another “test” for carrot seeds, for which the seeds are also placed in fabric bags and buried in cold soil to the depth of a spade bayonet. Leave for 12 days. After this treatment, carrots sprout in 5-6 days.

• Germination

To use this method, you need to take moistened peat, mix it with seeds and leave it warm for 6-8 days. When the seeds germinate, they are sown.

After any method that involves soaking the seeds, they are first dried a little to facilitate the sowing process and sown in the ground.
Pre-sowing seed preparation is very important for a high-quality carrot harvest. Thanks to it, seedlings appear faster, carrots become stress-resistant and grow well.

Sowing carrots

In open ground at the dacha, planting carrots is done:

• in spring: at the end of April and at the very beginning of summer;
• for winter: in early November and December, when the ground freezes.

Since it is inconvenient to sow very tiny carrot seeds, in order to avoid the appearance of too dense crops, it is recommended to mix them with sand in a ratio of 1:50 (a teaspoon per glass of sand). A glass of this mixture should be enough to sow 10 square meters of bed.

Experienced gardeners recommend creating narrow (no more than a meter wide) beds with 4 furrows for carrots. It is very convenient to work in such areas, since they can be processed without putting your feet on the soil. The optimal width of the paths is 0.4 m. On a large area, you can lay several wider paths - about 0.7 m, so you can carry a wheelbarrow on them.

If the bed is reserved only for sowing carrots, then the “technological process” of planting will be as follows:

• grooves are cut on the prepared area:
  • for early and middle varieties - with an interval of 15 cm;
  • for late varieties - after 20 cm;
• pour water into the grooves;
• dust them with ash;
• sow seeds.

The depth of the furrows and the degree of seed ripening are determined by the time of planting. In spring and summer, sow the swollen seeds in furrows 3-4 cm deep. Soil is poured on top and mulched using peat or rotted manure. The sown area is covered with a film laid on beams or bricks so that it is at a height of 5 cm.

Planting carrots before winter is done only with dry seeds in grooves 1-2 cm deep, and then mulched with a layer of 3-5 cm.
Winter sowing is recommended only at soil temperatures close to 0°C. If little snow falls in winter, then it must be shoveled onto the beds to create a layer at least 0.5 meters high. When sowing in winter, the harvest is harvested 15 days earlier.

Caring for carrots

The process of growing carrots in the country should be organized taking into account several factors:

• Temperature

Seed growth begins at +3°, and normal development is possible only at +20…+22°.
Since carrots are a fairly cold-resistant vegetable, their seedlings can withstand frosts down to -4°C and die only during prolonged cold spells down to -6°C. Mature tops freeze at -8°C.

• Watering

The volume and frequency of watering are determined according to the age of the carrots and the weather. Under normal conditions, it is recommended to water once a week:

• in the initial stages of the growing season - 3 liters per square meter;
• after repeated thinning - 10 l;
• with active growth - 20 liters.

Approximately 60 days before harvesting, the amount of watering is reduced to 2 times a month, 10 liters per square meter. 2 weeks before harvesting, stop watering completely.

For high-quality carrots, soil moisture is important, eliminating the presence of excess moisture or its insufficiency. If the soil is too wet, it begins to rot very quickly, and with prolonged drought, development stops.

• Weeding

Due to the slow development of seedlings, carrot beds quickly become overgrown with weeds. Therefore, timely weeding can save the entire harvest. The first time weed control is carried out approximately on the 12th day, repeated weeding after 10 days.

It is better to work after rain (watering).

• Feeding

Smooth and fresh carrots can only grow if they have the right nutrients. The first time it needs to be fed a month after germination. To do this, I use diluted mullein or chicken droppings, ash and humus. Repeated feeding is carried out during the growing season and fruit formation.

If the site was previously fertilized annually with organic matter, then a sufficient amount of humus should already have accumulated in the soil, so fertilizing can be eliminated.

• Thinning

It is useful to thin out growing carrots twice:

• on the 12th day after germination
• on the 22nd day.

The first time, 3 cm are left between the plants, the second time, 5 cm. The work is carried out in the morning and, upon completion, the entire area is watered.

Mulching should not be neglected, which will help the seedlings to develop.

Pest Control

To prevent the carrot fly from attacking, you need to place the beds in a windy place next to the onions. For preventive purposes, in May-July, the row spacing should be sprinkled with ground hot pepper, tobacco dust and ash.

To protect carrots from diseases, it is enough to follow the rules of crop rotation and change the location of the bed in time.

To protect carrots from gray rot, you need to sow them in beds where cabbage or parsley grew.

Harvest

There is an unspoken rule that carrot harvesting must be completed before September 13th. This is quite justified, since when it gets cold, root crops do not grow, and when the temperature drops to -3°C, the likelihood of gray rot increases. Therefore, it is recommended to dig up root crops before the beginning of October. It is not advisable to harvest the crop too early, since carrots moved from warm soil to a cold basement can quickly begin to deteriorate.

The above terms are applicable only for late varieties, and when to harvest carrots of mid-season varieties, you need to calculate it yourself, taking into account the ripening period (80-100 days). A sign of the “readiness” of root vegetables is the yellowing of the lower leaves.
Early carrots planted before winter are harvested in July.
On light soils and peat bogs, digging is done with a pitchfork, in other cases - with a shovel. The harvested crop is first placed in a dry place shaded from the sun and dried for about 5 days. The tops are cut off during harvesting, leaving 2 cm at the top of the root crop.
Store carrots in a cool, dry place in cardboard boxes sprinkled with dry sand.

How to grow carrot seeds

Carrots are planted for seeds at the end of May. To plant, take a strong, healthy root crop, place it in a prepared hole in a vertical position, fill it, water it and cover it with mulch. Over time, leaves will appear from the ground, and then a stem with small flowers in an umbrella inflorescence.

At the end of flowering and the darkening of the umbrella, the stem is cut off and brought to maturity in the shade. The spines on the seeds are removed in a metal sieve or simply by hand, after which they are sifted.

The best quality seeds appear on the central shoot. They are heavy, large and have good germination.

Which variety of carrots is better?

When choosing a carrot variety, the main importance is most often given to yield. But in addition to this parameter, it is necessary to take into account that foreign-bred carrots have an impeccable appearance and shape, while domestic varieties contain more carotene, have better taste, are stored longer and are maximally adapted to the climatic characteristics of the region.

The most beneficial are sweet varieties of carrots, which contain a lot of vitamin A. They can only be obtained through properly organized cultivation.
The best varieties of carrots:
Anastasia is a bright orange mid-season hybrid, stored for up to 8 months. The fruits are large, sweet, with a high content of carotene. They give a high yield.
Golden Autumn is a late-ripening universal variety with large, beautiful root crops and high yields.
Carotan is a late-ripening variety called “carrot for health” for its high content of nutrients. The best grade for processing in the whole world.
Nastena is a mid-season variety with smooth fruits, a small core and tender pulp. Suitable for making juice.
Flakoro is a late-ripening, high-yielding variety with beautiful, even fruits.
When choosing carrot varieties, you need to choose those that are best suited to the existing growing conditions.

To summarize, we can say that growing carrots is beneficial not only for human health, but also for the condition of the garden in the country.

The nutritional value of table carrots is determined by the high content of carotene (up to 22 mg%), which is converted into vitamin A in the human body. Vitamins C, B, B2, B6 and PP are contained in smaller quantities. Carrots are eaten raw and boiled, processed into juice, which is well absorbed by the human body and has medicinal properties. Carrots are used as a component in the manufacture of various canned snack foods.

Carrots are a biennial plant, relatively cold-resistant. Its seeds germinate at temperatures of 3...4 °C, and seedlings can withstand frosts down to -4 °C. The seeds are small (800 pieces in 1 g), do not germinate immediately, shoots appear on the 14-16th day, grow and develop very slowly at first.

Carrots are a biennial plant of the celery family. It has been known to vegetable growers for about 4 thousand years. Appeared in Russia in the 14th century. first in the southern regions, and then spread far to the north. However, not everyone knows that until the last century, only yellow carrots were grown, and only in the middle of the 19th century did the French breeder Henri Vilmorin obtain and select forms with juicier and sweeter orange-red root vegetables.

Carrots are a valuable source of natural vitamins. It contains especially a lot of carotene (37 mg%), which is converted into vitamin A in the human body; there are also vitamins Bi, Br, B6, C, E, PP. The complex of sugars and mineral salts makes carrots a tasty, nutritious dietary product. In small quantities, its root vegetables contain biologically essential amino acids, pectin substances, protein, and essential oil, which gives a specific carrot smell. In terms of boron content, carrots rank first among other vegetables. Carrots are widely used in medicine, as they reduce fatigue and are indicated for those prone to colds, skin, gastrointestinal and eye diseases. It has an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory effect. Carrots are consumed fresh and boiled, and used for preparing various dishes and canned food.

In terms of nutritional value among vegetable crops, carrots occupy a place in the first row. More than any other vegetable, it is rich in carotene, a substance that is converted into vitamin A in the human body. In terms of the content of vitamins C, B, B2, B6, PP, E, K, carrots are superior not only to all vegetables, but even to dairy products and meat products. Carrots also contain a lot of minerals: salts of potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iodine and iron, which are necessary for building bones and other tissues of our body. After onions and garlic, it contains the most phytoncides.

This is a biennial cold-resistant plant. In the first year of life, it develops a basal rosette of leaves and a fleshy edible root. In the second year of life, the plant produces a stem and bears fruit. For winter consumption, varieties with long, large root crops are cultivated, and in order to obtain early bunched products, varieties with short root crops are grown, ready for consumption 10-12 weeks after sowing.

When growing varieties with long roots, the soil is cultivated to a greater depth. Manure is applied a year before growing carrots. The soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline. With a lack of moisture, carrot roots become rough and woody. With heavy watering, the tops grow to the detriment of the root crop. Carrot seeds are planted shallowly, to a depth of 1.5 cm, the distance between rows is 15 cm. From April to June, varieties are sown that form medium and long root crops. Carrot seeds have reduced germination and germinate, even under favorable weather conditions, very slowly (on the 16th-18th day). To shorten the germination period, the seeds are germinated. To do this, take as much water as the seeds weigh, soak them and leave them in a dark room for 4-6 days at a temperature of 20-25 degrees, making sure that they do not dry out. Before sowing, they must be dried by spreading them in a thin layer on paper. Carrots are demanding of light, so they should be grown in open areas. When the first leaves appear, the crops are thinned out and immediately watered. It is better to carry out this work on a rainy day, so as not to attract the carrot fly with the smell of carrots. During the growth period, 2-3 weedings are carried out and at least two fertilizing irrigations are carried out with a solution of mullein (1:8) or a solution of mineral fertilizers.

Carrots can be harvested from August to October. Root crops are stored either in the ground in a garden bed, covered with straw (in areas with a mild climate), or in dry sand in cool storage. Before storing carrots in storage, they must be dried by holding them in the air for several hours. The tops are cut flush with the head to destroy buds that can germinate.

Carrots are indispensable in home cooking. It is boiled, stewed, salted, pickled, dried, and used in canning other vegetables. In dishes prepared with fat, carrots are better absorbed by the body. Grated carrots and juice from them are given to children as a valuable dietary product that has a beneficial effect on vision, liver, and stomach.

Biological features

In the first year, carrots form a fleshy root crop with a basal rosette of repeatedly pinnately dissected leaves. The root crop comes in various lengths and shapes - elliptical, conical, cylindrical. The color of the root crop is orange, orange-red, less often yellow.

Carrots are a cold-resistant crop. Seeds begin to germinate already at 3-4 °C, although the optimal temperature is much higher - about 20 °C. The seedlings can withstand significant temperature drops - down to minus 3-4 °C.

The low heat requirements of carrots create conditions for winter and very early sowing in spring. In the central zone and in the north-west, it is advisable to sow seeds in April. Carrots do not tolerate overheating well, especially when the soil is dry. In such cases, the root crops are woody, rough, and underdeveloped. Carrots have high moisture requirements, mainly during seed germination and early growth. However, it does not tolerate waterlogged soils. Even a short stagnation of water on the soil surface leads to complete loss of plants. With excessive and untimely watering, root crops crack and rot.

Like beets, carrots are a long-day plant and when shading and thickening the crops reduces the yield.

Carrots are a biennial cold-resistant plant of the Celery family. But it is grown as an annual for its edible roots. In terms of calorie content and digestibility, carrots are superior to almost all other vegetables. It is very rich in carotene, contains vitamins, potassium and cobalt salts. Carrots have long been used for medicinal purposes, primarily against vitamin deficiency. The yellow core contains the pigment aperenine, which relieves fatigue of the heart muscle. Cobalt salts reduce blood pressure, stimulate the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin, and promote the synthesis of vitamin Bi2. For winter consumption, varieties with long, large root crops are cultivated. To obtain early bunched products, varieties with short cylindrical root crops are grown, ready for consumption 10-12 weeks after sowing.

The soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 6.5-7.5). Manure is applied a year before sowing. The seeds are planted shallowly - to a depth of 0.5-1 cm. The distance between the rows is 15 cm.

During the first leaf phase, the crops are thinned out and immediately watered. With a lack of moisture, root vegetables become rough and woody. With heavy watering, the tops grow to the detriment of root crops.

Carrots are harvested at the end of September. With 4 m2 you can get about 12 kg of root vegetables, which is enough for one person per year.

The best carotene table varieties of carrots are Artek - early ripening; Losinoostrovskaya 13, Moscow Winter A-515.

Nantes 4 - mid-season; Incomparable I - mid-late, NIIOX 336 and Chantenay 2461 - mid-season.

Varieties

In our country, we mainly grow carotene varieties of carrots, most of which were bred using varieties of French selection. The most common among them are Nantes 4, Chantenay 2461, NIIOH, etc.

Agricultural technology

When choosing a site for carrots, it is necessary to take into account that at first they grow slowly, so weeds greatly oppress young plants. To sow it, you need to allocate areas that are as clean as possible from weeds, especially perennials (wheatgrass). The best predecessors are cabbage, tomato, onion, cucumber, early potatoes, under which organic fertilizers are applied. Carrots prefer neutral or slightly acidic soils (pH 7-6).

In areas with a cultivated soil layer of 10-15 cm, as well as with excessive moisture, carrots, especially varieties with long roots, are grown on ridges.

Usually, complete mineral fertilizer is first applied. Fresh manure is not used, as this reduces the quality of root crops (ugly shape, decreased dry matter content and poor shelf life). When digging an area, 10-15 g of urea, 30-40 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g of potassium chloride are added per 1 m2. In new low-fertility areas, organic fertilizers are additionally used in the form of composts or humus at the rate of half a bucket per 1 m2 during autumn digging. To speed up germination and ensure a more friendly emergence of seedlings during spring and summer sowing, the seeds are pre-soaked in clean water and lightly germinated. With a measured amount of water (at the rate of 1 g per 1 g of dry seeds), moisten the seeds in 2-3 doses, mixing thoroughly each time. Then they are scattered in a thin layer in some shallow container, covered with a damp cloth on top and kept at a temperature of 15...20 ° C for several days, moisturizing them as they dry. As soon as single seedlings appear, the seeds are slightly dried to the point of flowability, mixed with dry river sand in a ratio of 1:5 for a more even distribution and sown in moist soil. The rows are then compacted with the back of a rake to ensure better seed-to-soil contact. To speed up the emergence of seedlings, it is recommended to immediately cover the crops with translucent film. As soon as shoots appear, the film is immediately removed to avoid stretching the seedlings.

Seeds can be sown in spring, summer and autumn. In spring, sow as soon as the soil is ready for cultivation (April - May). Summer sowing is carried out in the first ten days of June, autumn sowing - in late October - early November, before the soil freezes, when its temperature drops to 1...2 °C.

To obtain early production, winter and early spring sowings are used. Root crops obtained during summer sowing are used for winter storage and for seeds.

For carrots, select areas that are well lit during the day: with a lack of light (dense sowing, delays in weeding and thinning), the plants stretch out. A higher yield is obtained on sandy loam soils and light loams with a deep arable layer with good soil cultivation and maintaining them in a loose state throughout the entire growth period. On heavy, highly compacted soils, root crops may be irregular in shape and branched.

The best predecessors of carrots are potatoes, cucumbers, onions, cabbage, after which the soil remains well fertilized and free of weeds, especially wheatgrass and thistle.

Fresh manure should not be applied to carrots: it produces very lush tops and ugly, medium-sized root crops with many roots, which are completely unsuitable for long-term storage. It is enough for her to use the consequences of fertilized predecessors.

Preparing the soil for sowing carrots begins in summer or early autumn. It is dug up onto the bayonet of a shovel and filled with humus (4 kg/m2). If carrots are sown in well-fertilized areas, humus does not need to be added.

In the absence of humus, mineral fertilizers are used: on field lands there is more nitrogen and phosphorus, on peat - potassium. The addition of ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium chloride mixed with peat or humus is very effective.

In spring and summer, sow on soil leveled with a rake in furrows prepared in advance at a distance of 18-20 cm from one another. When sowing in winter, dry seeds are used, but the furrows are shallower. After this, the sowing is mulched with peat or humus in a layer of 2-3 cm. The seeding rate per 10 m in spring and summer is 4-5 g, in winter - 6-7 g, seeding depth is 2 and 1 cm, respectively.

Seeds should be sown evenly, at a distance of 1-2 cm from one another, so as not to thin out the seedlings.

Care consists of weeding, loosening row spacing, thinning crops if necessary, watering, fertilizing and pest control.

To destroy the soil crust, which delays the emergence of seeds, the soil is cultivated across the seeding rows with hand rotary hoes and rakes, and the row spacing is loosened with hoes. In dense areas, seedlings are thinned out, leaving plants at a distance of 1 - 2 cm. The second thinning-breakthrough is used in the phase of 4-5 leaves with a root crop diameter of 0.5-1 cm.

The final distance between plants for the Nantes and Vitaminnaya varieties should be 2-3 cm, for varieties with a conical root shape (Chantenay, etc.) - 4-6 cm. Simultaneously with thinning, weeding is carried out. Once or twice a season, plants are fed with mineral fertilizers per 1 m2 of urea 10-15 g, superphosphate 20-30 g, potassium salt 15-20 g. Carrots are watered 2-3 times in the phase of intensive root formation, usually in July - August . The irrigation rate is 5-6 liters (half a bucket) of water per 1 m2.

Harvesting carrots during winter and early spring sowing begins in July, when the diameter of the root crop reaches 1 cm.

For winter storage, root crops are harvested in September - October. During this period, the largest transverse diameter of the root crop is 2.5-6 cm. The carrots dug up with a garden fork are pulled out, shaking off the root crops from the soil, and the tops are cut off at the level of the head of the root crop.

The red maiden sits in prison, and the scythe is on the street.

Learned? Of course, this is our favorite carrot - one of the most common vegetables in our gardens. The vegetable is unique: it can be eaten raw, added to a wide variety of dishes - soups, salads, stir-fries, used for canning, and juiced. Everyone also knows about the beneficial qualities of carrots, and we will talk about this separately. Now let's talk about growing carrots.

You may object: what can I say? Everyone has been growing it for a long time, and there is nothing tricky. Yes, they have been growing everything for a long time, but not everyone and not always get decent harvests. Although there are really few tricks. Therefore, we will remind you of the main points when growing carrots that you need to pay attention to in order to avoid serious mistakes. Then the harvest can be considered guaranteed.

Preparing the soil for planting carrots should begin in the fall. Since crop rotation is of considerable importance for increasing yield, know that the best predecessors for carrots are cucumbers, onions, cabbage, and tomatoes. Especially if you added organic matter or humus to these crops before planting. The fact is that carrots do not like fresh organic matter, but they respect “old” ones (we talked about this in the article about feeding carrots and beets).

If the soil has not been prepared for other crops, we prepare it for carrots: in the fall we dig it to a depth of 30 cm, while doing this we break up the clods well and select all the weeds. You can add humus and complex mineral fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium sulfate, nitroammophosphate).

In the spring we dig up the ridge again, but smaller – 18-20 cm. You can add a little organic mineral fertilizer (potassium humate), ash, sand. We carefully level the bed and lightly compact it - the carrot seeds are very small, it is more convenient and practical to sow them on a well-leveled surface.

Preparing carrot seeds for sowing

Carrot seeds have a dense shell containing essential oils. In order for moisture to reach the seed and germination to begin, it is better to prepare the seeds. Good seeds will still sprout, but not soon, and why waste precious time? Any common ingredients are suitable for carrots. . Let's look at some in more detail.

Soaking the seeds

Soak carrot seeds in a stimulant solution - “Epin”, “Zircon” (more effective, but strictly follow the dosage), “Kornevin”. Pour the seeds into a jar with the preparation diluted according to the instructions for 4-5 hours (you can keep it in Kornevin longer), then rinse with clean water.

It is better not to pour the seeds loosely into a container, but to place them in a gauze bag and lower it into a jar. Then, after washing, this bag can be put in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Bubbling seeds

Pour the seeds into a jar of water - preferably melted water - at room temperature (or a little warmer) and add air to the water using an aquarium compressor. The procedure lasts a day. It really does have an effect.

Sowing carrot seeds

Sowing carrots is a difficult and responsible task.

We make grooves 1-2 cm deep - along the ridge or across - in both cases maintaining a distance of 15-20 cm between the grooves.

We shed the furrows with warm water (preferably with the addition of growth stimulants: Epin, Kornevin, etc.) and place the seeds at a distance of 3-6 cm from each other.

Oh! As it is well said: we lay out the seeds... But this is the most unpleasant moment in sowing carrots. The seeds are small, light, and inconvenient to take... But it is necessary. Below we will talk about simplified methods for sowing carrots, but it is better to be patient and still put the seeds into the grooves one at a time - you will save time and effort when breaking through. Granulated carrot seeds are, of course, easier to sow; There are also special tapes, but reviews about this method are mixed, so we’ll leave tape options at your discretion.

We fill the grooves with soil and press down lightly to remove air voids and allow water to reach the seeds. We carefully water the bed from above.

This is, so to speak, correct agricultural technology. There are more simple methods for sowing carrots– for those who have little time or energy. This is a common sowing of carrots with sand. It’s still better to make furrows - weeding and watering will be easier. Mix the seeds (dry) with sand or ash (1-2 tablespoons of seeds per bucket of sand) and scatter them into the grooves, after mixing thoroughly. Then everything is as usual.

Some gardeners sow carrots with sand without furrows: the mixture is scattered all over the ridge in calm weather (!). Sprinkle a little clean sand on top and tamp a little. If you follow the following rules for growing carrots, the harvest will be good! To preserve heat and moisture, the bed can be covered for several days with film or non-woven material.

Carrot sowing dates

Carrots are a cold-resistant crop, but light-loving, so they need to be sown as early as possible in order to use the moisture reserves in the ground and take advantage of long daylight hours.

In central Russia, the optimal time for sowing carrot seeds in open ground is from April 20 to May 5, depending on the variety: early varieties are sown on April 20-25, middle varieties - April 25 - May 5.

Sowing carrots before winter

Before winter, carrots are sown on slightly frozen ground - in November-December. If you do this too early, the carrots may sprout and die from frost. Winter carrots sprout much earlier, but they are not very suitable for storage; it is better to use them immediately after harvesting.

Watering carrots

Let's imagine watering carrots scientifically: according to the phases of the plant's growing season.

1st phase – germination. Carrots really need watering. Water frequently, in small portions.

2nd phase – growth of carrots in length. Limited watering. Water rarely in medium portions.

3rd phase – thickening of carrots – 40 days after sowing. Very high need for watering to form high-quality root crops. We water in large quantities, but not very often.

4th phase – closing of rows. Carrots need plenty of watering. Water at medium frequency with plenty of water.

Carrots need to be watered at the root, especially at the beginning of growth, to avoid disease and rotting.

Now that's not scientific. Water the carrots until they sprout – the soil should not be too dry. When seedlings appear, we also water regularly - 1-2 times a week, depending on the weather, 2 liters per sq.m.

When the root crops begin to form, water once a week with 15-20 liters per sq.m.

In September, in dry weather, we water once every 10 days, 12-15 liters per sq.m.

Thinning carrots

We thin out carrot shoots twice a season - this procedure is mandatory, unless your carrots sprout rarely for some reason.

We carry out the first thinning when the plant has formed 2-3 leaves. We leave 1.5-2 cm between shoots. Do not try to replant the torn plants: even if they take root, you are unlikely to get good root crops.

We do the second thinning of carrots 20-25 days after the first. We leave 5-6 cm between plants. At this distance, the carrots will receive enough light and air, which means that good, large, juicy root vegetables will form.

Feeding and fertilizing carrots is a special matter. We'll talk about this in the next article:

As always:

Growing carrots - video

See you later! V-r.