Carrots planting and care in the open field when to plant

Carrots are one of the most common crops in any home garden. This is an unpretentious plant that gives a high yield even in the most unfavorable conditions. If agricultural technology is not followed, root crops develop slowly and lose their commercial qualities. In this article, we will look at the key features of planting and caring for carrots outdoors.

Variety selection

Depending on the shape of the root crop, all varieties of carrots are conventionally divided into cone-shaped, cylindrical and round. The first variety is the most common, more resistant to diseases and unpretentious in care. According to the ripening period, the varieties are divided into early, middle and late ripening.

When choosing carrots for planting in the open field, you need to focus on the climate in the region, the composition and quality of the soil, as well as the purpose of cultivation. For fresh consumption in summer, it is best to plant early varieties, and later varieties are suitable for long-term storage.

Seed preparation

Carrot seeds are small in size, which makes it difficult to comply with the seeding rate, and also do not germinate well even in fertile soil. Before planting, they must be processed.

Planting material preparation scheme:

1. Soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours, changing the water several times throughout the day.
2. For stratification, the seeds after soaking must be placed in the refrigerator or put outside for 1-2 days.
3. To increase germination, seeds must first be treated in boiling water (up to 50 ° C) for several minutes, and then rinsed thoroughly with cold water.
4. It is recommended to carry out bubbling with growth stimulants. For this purpose, use Kornevin, Epin or Zircon.

Seeds are prepared for planting a few days before being directly placed in open ground. If a long time passes after the treatment, the effectiveness of the procedure is significantly reduced.

Landing dates

It is possible to sow seed into the soil when the earth warms up to 4-6 ° C, in conditions of middle latitudes this temperature is observed closer to the end of April, in colder regions planting can be postponed for several weeks, until the second decade of May.

Carrots are a frost-resistant crop, so seeds that have already been planted in the soil can survive night frosts down to -4 ° C, but to improve germination, the planting can be covered in case of a sharp cold snap.

It is also important to take into account the characteristics of the variety. For example, late to mid-late varieties of carrots should be planted slightly later than early varieties. The recommended planting period for them is mid-May.

Some varieties of root crops can be planted in late autumn, usually before the first snowfall. In this case, it must be taken into account that the variety is frost-resistant and late. This planting method allows you to get an early harvest by mid-summer.

Site selection and soil preparation

It is best to choose a site for planting carrots in a well-lit area, without a strong slope of the surface. It is not recommended to use beds where umbrella crops were previously located - parsley, caraway seeds, dill and fennel. Failure to comply with crop rotation leads to the development of serious diseases. The best precursors are cucumbers, tomatoes, legumes, and grains.

Processing and feeding the soil on the site depends on the timing of planting. For spring planting, fertilizer must be applied in the fall. To do this, you need to dig a bed to the depth of a shovel bayonet, completely remove plant roots and weeds.

Carrots do not tolerate acidic soils, therefore, to adjust the acid balance, it is recommended to add wood ash, dolomite flour or lime at the rate of 0.5 kg per 1 m2. It is best to use potash or phosphorus compositions as mineral fertilizers, since nitrogen fertilization of the soil leads to the active growth of the green part, and not to the formation of a root crop.

How to plant?

After preparing the seeds and soil, you can start sowing carrots. It is advisable to carry out the procedure in the first half of the day in sunny weather.

How to grow and plant carrots:

1. Seeds are planted in rows with a distance of up to 20 cm from each other, the planting depth should not exceed 2 cm in heavy soil and 3 cm in loose fertile soil.
2. The optimum distance between seeds is 3-4 cm.
3. After planting the planting material in the ground, the rows are covered with soil and watered abundantly with water.
4. Mulching should be carried out to avoid weeds and root formation on the topsoil. The recommended thickness is 3-4 cm. Sawdust, peat or straw are used as material.

Since the seeds are very small, a roll planting method is used. To do this, drops of starch paste are applied to a narrow strip of toilet paper, and then planting material is placed on it at the rate of 2-3 seeds per drop of adhesive. After that, the tape is dried and placed in the ground. The subsequent landing algorithm is identical.

Thinning of seedlings

All varieties of carrots show uneven germination, the difference between the appearance of seedlings can be more than a week. The first thinning and weeding is recommended when the seedlings have reached a height of up to 2-3 cm. Young plants are pulled out one piece at a time, trying to create the most even line. It is advisable to leave the distance between the remaining shoots no more than 2-3 cm.

The second thinning is best done when a small root crop and a healthy green portion of the carrot have developed. Severe neglect of sowing harms the yield, so you need to keep the distance between each plant. The optimal distance between carrot bushes after the second weeding is 4-5 cm.

Care

In addition to thinning, simple maintenance rules must be followed to increase yields and maintain plant health.

The main ones are:

1. Throughout the entire period of growth, moderate watering is required at the rate of 10 liters of water per 1 m2; it must be completely stopped a few weeks before harvesting.
2. Top dressing is carried out twice a season - during the formation of seedlings, and also for 2-3 months after planting. It is recommended to use a complex mixture. In 10 liters of water, 1 tbsp is diluted. l. nitrophosphate, 1 tbsp. wood ash, 20 g of potassium nitrate and 15 g of double superphosphate.
3. Weeding should be done as the weeds grow, usually 2-3 times per season. Using mulch reduces the growth of other plants in the garden.
4. Treatment from pests and diseases is carried out only in case of infection, since carrots have strong immunity, and also repels most insects. The most common diseases are bacteriosis, white and black rot, and septoria. The most dangerous pests are carrot flies and moles.

One of the important points of carrot care is loosening. Without this procedure, the roots grow small and twisted. Loosening is usually combined with weeding or thinning.

Carrots are one of the most common and important crops. It is a fast growing plant that takes root well in any soil. That is why most gardeners try to plant it with seeds in open ground. The quality and quantity of the crop depends not only on the variety, the correct preparation of the seeds, but also on the observance of agricultural technology.

Root crops are the true kings of the garden. They are cultivated by all summer residents, but far from everyone growing carrots in the open field invariably pleases with a generous harvest of sweet and juicy vegetables of perfectly even shape. To get such a result, you will have to try: sow the culture correctly and provide it with competent care.

Optimal place for beds

You can count on an abundance of fruits only if you satisfy all the requirements of the carrots, and she has a lot of them. Its bushes thrive on loose and fertile soils. In terms of composition, they are optimally suited to medium loam or sandy loam soil. They will provide the carrots with high aeration. It is possible to choose varieties for breeding that form long root crops only when the depth of the loose soil layer on the site is very significant.

The culture prefers neutral soil, the optimal pH for it is in the range of 6-7. It is better if a crust does not form on the soil, and its moisture capacity is good. In dense and heavy soil, which does not allow air to pass through to the roots of the bushes and retains water for a long time, the taste of carrots will greatly decrease, even despite good care. Inappropriate soil will affect seed germination in spring, and it will make adult bushes vulnerable to fungal diseases.

It is good to make beds for planting carrots on an area where the following crops grew last season:

• cabbage;
• any kind of beans and grains;
• onion;
• garlic;
• potato;
• tomatoes;
• zucchini;
• cucumbers.

Bad predecessors for her will be herbs that come from the same family:

• Dill;
• celery;
• parsley;
• coriander;
• parsnip;
• fennel;
• caraway.

Advice

It is not worth planting carrots in one place from year to year. Such beds are more often affected by pests and diseases. It will be possible to sow a crop in the same area without fear for the health of the plants when 3-4 years have passed since the harvest.

A place for beds with carrots should be well-lit. Its bushes love the sun and do not suffer from its direct rays. But the lack of light will have a bad effect on the yield. Root crops will grow small and taste poor.

Preparing for landing

The soil for planting carrots is prepared in advance by introducing rotted manure or compost into it (½ bucket per 1 m² of the surface of the garden). If the land on the site is heavy, sawdust (2-3 liters) is added to the fertilizer. They will loosen the soil. It is also good to add wood ash or other compounds containing potassium.It improves the taste of root vegetables, makes them sweeter and increases their keeping quality. If the sowing of carrots is carried out in the spring, they dig up the plot even during the autumn work in the garden. So the soil will have time to settle. To make the root crops even, and to remove them from the soil it was easier, you need to dig deep, 1.5 bayonets of a shovel. With the arrival of spring, the site is leveled with a rake, after which it will be possible to start planting.

Fresh manure cannot be used for pre-sowing preparation of the site. Its introduction will provoke the flowering of carrot bushes and the branching of root crops. No amount of care will save them from this. You need to carefully consider the dosage of nitrogen fertilizers. With an excess of them, vegetables become coarse, and nitrates accumulate in their tissues.

The timing of sowing a crop is determined by the characteristics of the selected variety and the purpose of its cultivation. Carrots can be planted before winter. Then the process of vernalization of its seeds will take place in the soil. In the spring, when it gets a little warmer, they will hatch right away. Harvesting can be started 2-3 weeks earlier than with normal sowing. But it will not be stored for a long time. It is better to eat such vegetables right away or make preparations from them for the winter. Sowing carrots in autumn is not possible everywhere. In areas with cold winters, seed beds are protected with a thick layer of dry foliage, straw or sawdust. But in severe frosts, they can die even under such shelter.

Planting carrots in the spring is more often practiced. Its timing depends on the climate of the area and on the time by which the roots should ripen. If you plan to use them in the summer, then planting seeds of early maturing varieties is better in early spring. You can start sowing when the air warms up to + 8 ° C, and the moisture remaining in the ground after the snow melts has not yet had time to evaporate.

Sudden cold snaps and frosts have a bad effect on the keeping quality of root crops and can cause carrots to bloom. Therefore, if vegetables need to be stored for a long time, planting dates are shifted to mid-April (for late and mid-season varieties). On light soils, it can be carried out until the end of May, weather conditions will serve as a guide here. On medium - it is better to hurry up and have time to sow the crop before the middle of the month. You should not be late with planting, otherwise the emergence of seedlings will have to wait for a very long time.

Advice

Carrots grow quickly when planted before long rains.

Seed treatment

Experienced summer residents prefer to plant carrots with already sprouted seeds. Seed care at this stage is very simple and does not take much time. At the same time, it will allow you to immediately reject empty seeds and accelerate the emergence of seedlings by at least a week. In its simplest form, it consists of 2 procedures.

• The seeds are placed in warm water and left in it for 10 hours. As a result, empty shells will end up on the surface of the liquid.
• Next, the selected planting material is laid out on damp gauze (cloth, cotton wool). The air in the room with carrot seeds should be warmed up to + 20- + 24 ° C. If everything is done correctly, they will hatch in 3 days.

Presowing care can be carried out in other effective ways.

• Place the carrot seeds in water heated to 30 ° C for a day, changing it every 4 hours. You can take a solution of wood ash for processing (1 tablespoon of fertilizer per 1 liter of water). Its temperature should be the same. Having removed the seeds from it, they are washed with clean water and, wrapped with a piece of cloth, are placed in the refrigerator, where they are kept for 2-3 days.
• Place the seeds in a cloth or gauze bag and expose them to contrasting temperatures. For 20 minutes, the planting material is kept in hot (50 ° C) water, then dipped in cold water for 2-3 minutes.
• After placing the carrot seeds in a cloth bag, bury them in the ground and let them sit in it for 10 days.

Seeds prepared in any of the ways can be sown on the beds.

Sowing rules

It is recommended to plant carrots in autumn and spring in well-moisturized grooves of medium depth.If you make them small, gusty winds can blow the seeds away and spread them throughout the garden. But the grooves should not be too deep. Otherwise, shoots can not be expected. Furrows are made with a minimum interval of 15 cm. The seeds are laid out in them so that 2 cm remain between them. They are sealed to a depth of 2-3 cm if the soil is light, and 1.5-2 cm if it is heavy.

Advice

If sowing is carried out with non-germinated seeds, before placing them in the ground, they are lightly rubbed with hands, removing the bristles from them.

After planting carrots, the soil in the beds is compacted. This is usually done with a roller or board, but you can simply crush the soil with your hands. Then a thick (at least 3 cm) layer of mulch is poured onto the beds. It will not allow the formation of a soil crust that interferes with sprouting of seedlings.

For germination of carrots, a temperature of about + 15- + 18 ° C is needed. If untreated seeds were used for planting, it will take 18-25 days for seedlings to hatch in the spring. They are not afraid of short-term frosts (up to -4 ° C), so you should not cover the beds. With a prolonged cold snap, the probability of flowering is high.

Before winter, planting carrots should be closer to the end of autumn - in the last days of October or in the first decade of November. The plot for its sowing is prepared in 3 weeks. Having covered the seeds in the soil, the beds are covered with a 3-centimeter layer of peat. In the spring, after the snow has melted, they are covered with foil. They remove it only after the shoots appear. Autumn sowing of carrots is possible only on light soils.

Features of agricultural technology

The technology of growing a crop is quite simple, even novice summer residents can easily cope with it.

Caring for the beds consists of the following activities:

• thinning out too dense seedlings;
• frequent loosening;
• regular weeding;
• timely watering;
• dressing.

For the first time, carrot seedlings are thinned out when 2 true leaves are formed on them. At this stage, it will be correct to leave 2-3 cm of free space between the plants. With the appearance of 3 and 4 leaves, thinning is carried out again, bringing the distance between the carrot bushes to 4-6 cm.At the same time, weeding is done.

Carrots will yield a bountiful harvest, and their fruits will be sweet and strong when properly watered. Lack of moisture will make vegetables sluggish and give them a bitter taste. Plants are watered during the entire growing season - in spring and summer. At the same time, make sure that the water soaks the soil at least 30 cm deep. If the fruits do not have enough moisture, lateral roots will form on them and the presentation of the carrots will deteriorate. But an excess of water will not be useful to plants. It causes cracking of root crops, stimulates the formation of small shoots on them, and enhances the growth of leaves.

Leaving in the form of watering is carried out once a week, adhering to the following rules.

• In the spring, immediately after sowing, 3 liters of water are spent on 1 m² of the surface of the beds.
• After thinning the seedlings for the second time, the volume of the introduced liquid is brought to 10 liters.
• At the stage of intensive growth of root crops (it begins when the leaves on the carrot bushes develop well), the amount of water during irrigation is increased by 2 times.
• Moisture is reduced 1.5-2 months before harvesting. It is carried out less often - once every 10-15 days, and water is spent at the rate of 10 liters per 1 m² of the surface of the garden. Planting care in the form of watering is completely stopped 2-3 weeks before digging up the roots.

Fertilize carrots twice a season. The time for feeding determines the age of the seedlings: 1 and 2 months. Such care is carried out by the root method, watering the beds with a nutritious composition of the following components:

• wood ash (2 glasses);
• nitrophoski (1 tbsp. l);
• potassium nitrate (20 g);
• urea (15 g);
• superphosphate (15 g).

All components are diluted in 1 bucket of water. Fertilizer solution is added after watering.

Every summer resident considers it his duty to plant a garden bed with graceful carrot bushes, decorating the garden landscape with openwork leaves with a spicy aroma.The history of the cultivation of the culture has already been counted for almost 4 millennia, during which many of its varieties have been obtained. Among them there are early maturing and late maturing, high-yielding, staunchly withstanding the invasion of pests and not afraid of diseases. There are varieties bred specifically for a specific area, as well as differing in the length and shape of the fruit. In this variety, every gardener will be able to find exactly the one he wants to grow.

Carrots are delicious and healthy. It can be counted among the basic products that should always be in the kitchen, because many dishes are prepared using it, from the usual soups to desserts. However, it is not so easy to get sweet root vegetables, because the culture is quite demanding on growing conditions. Caring for carrots in the beds cannot be called specific, but you can expect a generous harvest from its bushes only if all its rules are followed.

Sowing carrots for cultivation in the country is usually done directly into the ground. The peculiarity of this root crop is that it tolerates picking very poorly, having a root system that is sensitive to damage. To get an excellent harvest of carrots, you need to provide for many factors, ranging from the correct crop rotation, the quality of seeds and soil, the sowing procedure and ending with competent care.

When to plant carrots in spring

Sowing timing is important for good germination. It is imperative to take into account the climatic features of the region and the recommendations of the lunar calendar. Some plant early varieties of carrots in the greenhouse, in which case sowing can be done earlier.

Sowing dates in the Moscow region

Sowing carrots in open ground is possible only after the threat of night frosts has passed, because tender seedlings can survive only a short and light frost. Ideally, during the sowing season, the temperature should not drop below 7 ° C at night.

In the Moscow region, such values ​​are typical for the beginning of May. Of course, if the arrival of heat is late, you should make an allowance for weather conditions and postpone the sowing a little. But, as a rule, summer residents of the Moscow region begin to sow seeds for the May holidays.

Carrots take a long time to germinate, so don't worry if the seeds haven't sprouted even after 2 weeks. Sometimes it takes up to 22 days before seedlings appear above the soil surface. The quality of the seeds also matters, the fresher they are, the better. The germination rate of this culture is already quite low. Usually from 50 to 75% of seeds germinate, and over time this figure becomes even lower.

When to sow in the Urals, in Siberia

There is no definite answer to the question of when to sow carrots in the Urals. The Ural Mountains stretch for 2500 km, capturing both more northern and more southern regions, each of which has its own climatic features.

On a note! The continental climate of the Urals is characterized by sharp weather changes and uneven precipitation. Therefore, you need to focus on the soil temperature, which at the time of planting should reach 8 ° C.

If there is a slight decrease in the temperature indicator, then this is not scary, the main thing is that it does not reach minus values. In some regions of the Urals, such a temperature may already be established by the end of April, in others it will be necessary to wait until mid-May.

In Siberia, as well as in other regions, it is possible to grow carrots in the open field. For sowing in this region, the quality of the seed is of great importance. Small seeds have too little supply of nutrients for active plant growth in the future, therefore, select, large seeds should be taken, since their germination in this region takes longer.

In Siberia, it is best to grow mid-season and late varieties. So that they have time to ripen, sowing is carried out in early April on a prepared bed. After sowing, the ridge is covered with a film.

Sowing dates for carrots in 2018 according to the lunar calendar

It is known that the phases of the moon affect the movement of sap in plant tissues. On a growing moon, sap flow rushes up, and on a waning moon, on the contrary, the juices are directed to the roots. Therefore, the recommendations of the lunar calendar for working with roots and plants that give aboveground fruits will be different. For carrots, it is better to plant on a waning moon.

If the roots are sown closer to the full moon, they will have an elongated, elongated shape. Planting on the eve of the new moon will give the carrots a more compact form, the vegetable will grow strong and stocky. But there are also days that are not recommended for planting, which are considered barren.

In 2018, auspicious days for sowing carrots are:

• in March - 24, 26, 29, 30;
• in April - 2-4, 7-10, 22, 30;
• in May - 4, 9-11, 22.

Unfavorable days for planting this crop in 2018 will be:

• in March - 17-19, 26-31;
• in April - 15, 16, 22-26, 29, 30;
• in May - 15, 20-24, 29.

The undesirable days for planting coincide with the dates of the new moon and full moon. The beginning of the lunar cycle is a fruitless period, negative for all undertakings.

How to properly plant carrots for a rich harvest

Sowing carrots can be spring, summer and winter. Landing times have their own advantages in each case.

1. When sowing in spring, the first bunches of carrots can be harvested in June, and in August to get a full harvest.
2. Summer sowing lasts until June 10, at the end of September root crops are harvested, which are intended for winter storage in the basement.
3. When sowing before winter, you can get carrots for early consumption, and since the formation of fruits occurs at a time when the carrot fly is not yet active, the quality of the harvest will be higher.

You cannot plant this vegetable in the same place for 2 years in a row.

It is best if the predecessors of carrots are:

• potatoes;
• cabbage;
• zucchini;
• tomatoes;
• cucumbers;
• beans;
• garlic;
• onion.

You should not plant carrots after other root crops, since in this case the plants use the same soil layers, which are greatly depleted. Observing the rules of crop rotation, you can count on a bountiful and high-quality harvest.

Bed for carrots

The type of soil in which the seeds are sown is of great importance for growing carrots. The soil should be light, well-drained and fertile. Loamy or sandy loamy soils with neutral acidity or slightly acidic are best suited.

On a note! In clay soil, carrots grow crooked and ugly due to the high density of the soil.

It is necessary to prepare a ridge for carrots in the fall. For her, you should choose a sunny, well-lit place, preferably on a hill. The earth is dug up, freed from stones and weeds, the necessary additives are added:

1. If the soil is acidic, add chalk or dolomite flour to it.
2. Peat, sand or sawdust are laid in heavy soil.
3. Lean soil is fertilized with humus or compost.

The soil is carefully dug up again and mulched, or sown with green manure. In the spring, 7-10 days before planting carrots, the earth is loosened, lumps are broken, watered with warm water and covered with a film so that the earth does not dry out and remains warm.

Seed preparation for sowing

Carrot seeds have a high content of essential oils, which prevents moisture from penetrating inside. Therefore, for better germination, the seeds should be properly prepared. This can be done in several ways:

1. Soak. The seeds are placed in a linen bag and immersed in warm water, which must be changed every 4 hours. When soaking, wood ash can be added to the water. A day later, the bag with seeds is washed in clean water and placed in the refrigerator for 2-3 days so that the seed material is hardened.
2. Heat treatment. The seeds in a cloth bag are immersed in water heated to 50 ° C for 20 minutes, after which they are soaked in cold water for 2 minutes. This procedure stimulates their germination.
3. Burying into the ground. Seeds in bags are buried in the soil to a depth of 30 cm and kept there for 10-12 days. In 4-5 days after such preparation, the seeds will sprout.

After processing by any of the described methods, the seed is dried in the heat before planting. You can sow in the usual way, in bulk, or you can apply other methods that seem more convenient to many summer residents.

Landing on toilet paper

This unusual sowing method has its advantages, therefore it has gained popularity. Seeds are prepared in advance in a comfortable room, their planting in the ground subsequently takes a minimum of effort and time. On a paper base, you can place the material evenly, at regular intervals, selecting only seeds suitable for planting.

On a note! The seed is calibrated by placing it in a saline solution. The floating seeds are thrown away, as they are "dummies".

By placing the paper tape in the ground, the seeds will be at an equal depth and will sprout at the same time.

The paper retains moisture, which prevents the seeds from drying out. According to the technology of this sowing method, the bed is covered with a film, which protects the seedlings from the spread of carrot flies and adverse weather conditions. Seedlings do not need to be watered or weeded for a long time. A conditional disadvantage of such planting can be considered a later emergence of seedlings in comparison with the traditional method (by 2-3 weeks).

How to stick carrots on toilet paper

You will need to prepare in advance several rolls of three-layer toilet paper, a small bowl, a spray bottle with water, special glue (purchased or made by yourself). You can cook glue from potato starch. It can be enriched with mineral fertilizer, adding during the manufacture of the composition. For 1 glass of water, 1 teaspoon of starch is taken. The starch is poured into boiling water, stirred thoroughly and allowed to cool.

You can replace starch with wheat flour, taking it in the same proportions.

• The cooled glue is applied to unrolled toilet paper.
• Then, using tweezers, spread the seeds on the surface at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other.
• You can use a cotton swab by dipping it in the glue and applying drops of glue at the desired interval, then place the carrot seeds on top of the glue.
• Such blanks will dry for about a day.
• After that, the paper with seeds is folded back into a roll for convenience.

Advice! If different seeds are sown, the paper is wrapped in a plastic bag, on which a sticker with the name of the variety is placed.

Planting in egg cells

The new method with the use of egg containers as a stencil makes it possible to sow evenly and do without thinning in the future, which reduces the cost of effort and time for carrot care. This method is simple and convenient.

A plastic container is placed on the ridge in which chicken eggs are sold, lightly pressing it to the ground. As a result, identical cells of the required depth are formed on the soil surface. After that, it remains only to spread the seeds in the holes, sprinkle with a layer of earth and water.

Planting without thinning

Sow carrots evenly, without the need for further thinning, you can use manual seeders, which will cost you 2.5-3 thousand rubles. If you do not plan to purchase such equipment, you will have to resort to other methods.

• For example, to purchase not ordinary, but pelleted seeds. They are much larger, and the shell contains all the essential nutrients. When sowing, such material is simply laid out in grooves at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other and waiting for friendly shoots. The success of such a landing largely depends on the reliability of the manufacturer.
• Before sowing, mix carrot seeds with river sand. For this, 1-2 tbsp. tablespoons of seeds are mixed with half a bucket of coarse sand and moisten the mixture, then letting it stand for 10-15 minutes before planting.Then sand with seeds is laid out along the grooves and sprinkled with soil. After that, the crops are moistened.
• Some people like the tea strainer or salt shaker method. The main thing is that the size of the cells in the strainer allows the seeds to fall down. Sowing seeds through these devices, the summer resident will be able to sow them more rarely and planting in the future will not require thinning.

Try several methods at once and choose your favorite one. The main thing is to fill your hand, then in the future planting carrots will be easy and quick for you.

Summer carrot care

The very first step in carrot care in summer is to thin out. If you did not manage to make the plantings more rare, at the stage of the appearance of the third leaf, the plants are thinned out for the first time, leaving the strongest and strongest seedlings at an equal distance between themselves. The second thinning is carried out 3 weeks after the first. After such a procedure, the land must be properly watered. The remaining plants should be 4-5cm apart.

The holes remaining in the ground are covered so that the carrot fly does not lay eggs there. The pulled out seedlings are removed from the ridge so as not to provoke the appearance of pests. The garden bed is regularly loosened, and at the end of July, the soil is scooped up to the tops of the root crops to prevent them from greening.

Watering is done as needed, it should be deep, not shallow. It is necessary for water to enter the soil to a depth of 12 to 20 centimeters. But keep in mind that carrots do not like waterlogging. From this begins an increased growth of tops and branching of root crops.

Over the summer, carrots must be fed three times, especially if organic matter was not introduced into the ground when growing the predecessor.

1. The first feeding is carried out with a solution of bird droppings, or mullein after primary thinning.
2. The second fertilization is carried out after 15-20 days with a full mineral fertilizer or a mixture of mullein and potassium sulfate. You can use an infusion of cut grass for these purposes.
3. In early August, root crops are well fed with ash. After a month, it is advisable to repeat such feeding. The use of potash fertilizers will give an even better effect.

What to plant nearby, the best neighbors

In joint plantings, carrots are recommended to be planted next to onions. The spicy vegetable will protect the root vegetables from the attack of the carrot fly, which does not tolerate the onion aroma.

You can also locate plantings of tomatoes, peas, radishes, sage, beans, lettuce and garlic nearby.

With legumes and tomatoes, it is best to plant carrots over the garden so that each crop has enough space.

But anise, beets, fragrant herbs, horseradish and parsley are not suitable for growing with carrots in the same garden.

Harvest

To decide whether it's time to dig up the roots, or wait a couple more weeks, you need to get 1-2 carrots out of the ground and examine them. If you see the appearance of thin roots, then it's time to harvest before the rodents reach it. Early maturing varieties can be pulled out of the ground as needed. But some people harvest the entire crop of early carrots at once in order to sow the area with a new crop.

Carrots give the largest increase in the mass of fruits at the end of August and in September, when, due to a decrease in temperature, the aboveground part distills all the nutrients into root crops. Therefore, the most suitable time for harvesting in mid-latitudes is the end of September. It is not advisable to keep root crops in the ground longer. Carrots are harvested on a warm sunny day, slightly prying from below with a pitchfork or a shovel, and then pulling out the bush with your hands.

In order for the carrots to be well stored later, try to avoid mechanical damage during harvesting. The tops must be immediately carefully cut with a knife, grabbing the top of the root crop by 1-2mm - this will prevent the carrots from sprouting during storage.Before being placed in the basement, the crop is laid out under a canopy for ventilation and only then is it folded into boxes and removed.

The main mistakes when planting carrots

The main mistakes include the following agrotechnical techniques that a summer resident can apply due to inexperience:

1. The introduction of fresh manure into the soil before planting carrots. This will not affect the quality of the fruit in the best way. The taste of the carrots will deteriorate, the peel of the root crops will be too thick, the plant will direct all its forces to the growth of the tops. Such feeding is permissible in advance, when growing the predecessor.
2. Using fresh sawdust for mulching beds. This mulch promotes the binding of nitrogen and phosphorus, which depletes the soil. Sawdust can only be used after 2-3 years of storage, when they are overcooked. Better yet, place them in a compost pit before use.
3. Planting carrot seeds too early in the fall. When sowing in September-October, seed germination will occur, and the sprouts will inevitably freeze over the winter.
4. Abundant watering after a drought. Water must be added to the dried soil in several steps so that the moisture occurs gradually. Otherwise, deformation and cracking of the fruit will occur.

Planting carrots: video

How to grow fruitful carrots in high beds: video

To get even, large, ripe carrots, you will have to try. It will be necessary to prepare the planting site in the fall, tinker with the seeds, and properly care for the plantings. But for a keen gardener, all these chores are not a burden, but a joy, especially since the efforts in this case will certainly be rewarded.

Carrots are a root vegetable found in the plots of even beginner gardeners. It is rich in vitamins and microelements, and in terms of keratin content it surpasses all vegetables and fruits (except for sea buckthorn). To grow large and even fruits, you should know the nuances of growing.

Conditions for growing carrots in the open field

Site location and illumination

For carrots, choose a well-lit area - direct sunlight throughout the day will benefit the plant. When grown in the shade, yield decreases, taste deteriorates.

Priming

The soil needs a loose, neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Light sandy loam or loamy soils are suitable. In dense loam, the fruits grow small, quickly rot during storage.

How to prepare the land for planting carrots

Prepare the site in the fall so that the soil is settled by the spring. For looseness, if the soil is heavy loamy, add peat or sand for digging. Fertilize depleted soil with humus (6-8 kg per 1 m²).

Predecessors

It is advisable to change the place for carrot beds annually. Do not plant carrots after parsley, dill, parsnips, celery. The ideal precursors for carrots are cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic, onions, potatoes, and cabbage.

Dates of planting carrots in open ground with seeds

The yield of root crops directly depends on the timing of sowing. Different varieties differ in the duration of ripening (information should be indicated on the package with seeds). Also focus on the timing of the desired harvest.

When to plant carrots before winter

To obtain early carrots or the so-called bundle products, crops are sown before winter or early spring. The first option is possible only in warm climatic zones - even under a thick layer of covering material, seeds freeze out under harsh conditions.

Podzimny sowing of carrots is carried out at the end of October, when warming is no longer expected. If the seeds hatch and sprout in the fall, frost will destroy them. Therefore, they try to postpone the sowing time as far as possible by the end of autumn.

Planting carrots in the open ground in the spring

Sowing carrots in spring as soon as the topsoil warms up to a temperature of 4-6 ° C. In the middle lane, this is approximately the end of April.Remember: an earlier planting of carrots and a return cold snap negatively affects the keeping quality of fruits and provokes the active laying of flower arrows, but this is not an obstacle to growing early ripening varieties that are immediately eaten and not stored in winter.

Long-term varieties are excellent for long-term storage. Sow them out at real heat (15-18 ° C).

Preparing carrot seeds for planting in spring

Preparing carrot seeds for planting in spring soaking

How to properly process carrot seeds before planting

First, select high-quality seeds: place them in a solution of table salt for 3-5 minutes, floating to the surface are not suitable for sowing. Rinse the rest under running water, hold for 24 hours in a damp cloth soaked in a solution of a growth stimulator. Before sowing, the seeds are dried until flowable and sown immediately.

Is it possible to germinate carrot seeds before planting

Some gardeners do the following to speed up germination. The seeds are placed on a damp cloth and kept at a temperature of 20-24 ° C for 5-6 days. It is important that the seeds only swell, but do not germinate, otherwise the sprouts will be damaged during transplantation and the seeds will not sprout. Before sowing, the seeds are slightly dried until flowable and sown immediately.

Carrot seeds can also be prepared for sowing in an unusual way: they are wrapped in cloth and dug deeper into the garden until the time when the earth is ripe (about the size of a shovel's bayonet). Leave them in the ground for 10 days. The seeds will not hatch, but they will prepare well for a quick germination. Dry them a little and sow immediately.

How to plant carrots with seeds in the ground

How to sow carrots outdoors photo

Distance between carrot seeds when planting

Make shallow grooves in the area, water well. Cover the seeds to a depth of 2-3 cm. Observe the distance between the rows of 15-20 cm, try to place individual seeds at a distance of about 2 cm from each other.

Scheme for planting carrots in the open field

On an industrial scale, it is more convenient to plant carrots in double rows: the distance between two rows is 15-20 cm, a wide row spacing is 40-50 cm.

It is convenient to make the ridges not wide (approximately 1.3-1.5 m), so that you can reach with your hands from both sides to weed the rows. It is better to place the rows perpendicular to the long side of the bed, so it is more convenient to sow, break through and water the plants. Row spacing 15-20 cm. Make bumpers along the edges of the beds to prevent water from running off.

Do I need to water the carrots after planting?

If the weather is cool, wet, there is no need for watering. On warm sunny days, the soil dries out quickly, in this case, moderate watering will not be superfluous. However, remember that too much moisture will cause an earthy crust to form, which is even worse than not watering. Therefore, moisturize carefully, only lightly spraying the bed. Watering is repeated every morning until shoots appear. After that, it will be possible to loosen the row-spacing and water less often, after 1-2 days, with the obligatory loosening of the row-spacings, until they are closed by the grown tops.

How many carrot seeds sprout?

In warm weather, the seeds will sprout in about a week. Germination time is doubled if the air temperature is below 12 ° C. Replenish the empty spaces with additional crops.

Before winter, seeds are sown at soil temperatures below +5 ° C. Deepen the seeds by 2 cm. The thickness of the mulch layer should be 3-4 cm. If the snow cover is insignificant, additionally cover with spruce branches, increasing the layer to half a meter.

Taking care of carrots after planting outdoors

Planting carrots in the ground with seeds and further care

Thinning

To grow large root crops, you should regulate the level of plant thickening. Carry out the first thinning with the appearance of real leaves. The sprouts are very tender, so that they are well removed, it is necessary to water abundantly, after drying, slightly loosen the soil.

Remove plants one at a time, leaving a distance of 2-3 cm between individual plants. It is better to carry out the procedure in the daytime - in the evening you can attract a carrot fly to the pest site. Do not leave the tops in the garden. Press the soil around the plants a little to keep the plants upright. After 20 days, re-thinning, doubling the distance.

Watering carrots after planting and in the future

The juiciness and sweet taste of root vegetables depends on watering. Provide regular watering at all stages of carrot growth. The soil should be soaked to a depth according to the size of the root crop. Water the garden bed with adult carrots so that the soil is drenched by 30 cm. Due to lack of moisture, the fruits are sluggish, with a bitter taste.

Water after 3-4 days, adding 30-40 liters of water per 1 m² to provide moisture for the formation of root crops. Medium-sized roots are able to find moisture on their own - add 10-20 liters of water per 1 m² once a week. From the end of August, 8-10 liters of water per 1 m² is enough every 1.5-2 weeks. Soak the carrots without watering 2 weeks before harvest.

Sharp changes from drying out of the soil to excess moisture lead to cracking of the fruits, which worsens their keeping quality.

Loosen the aisles regularly, weed out plantings from weeds.

Top dressing

Carrots should be fed twice a season. Carry out the first feeding 3-4 weeks after germination, the second after a couple of months. Apply the fertilizer in liquid form. For 10 liters of water, add at your choice: 2 glasses of wood ash; 1 tbsp. l. nitrophosphate; 20 g of potassium nitrate, 15 g of double superphosphate and urea.

Diseases and pests of carrots

The carrot fly is the main enemy of the plant. It appears with thickened plantings, in the presence of weeds, from excessive soil moisture. You will understand that the plantation is affected by a carrot fly by the following signs: the leaves will begin to curl and dry. An insecticide treatment should be carried out urgently.

To protect against carrot flies, marigolds are planted next to carrot beds, the smell of which repels pests.

Carrots are weakly susceptible to diseases. Possible defeat by fomoz, alternariosis. The risk of disease is reduced by treating the beds with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.

Harvesting carrots

How to clean and store carrots

Carrots are not afraid of cold weather, but low air temperature (below +8 ° C) promotes the conversion of starch into sugar, which will negatively affect keeping quality. In the middle lane, the carrot crop should be harvested at the end of September. Do this in dry weather. Dig up the carrots, shake the roots off the ground, hold them in the air (not in direct sunlight) for about 1.5-2 hours, then cut off the tops. Sort the crop, put even fruits without damage in ventilated boxes, store in a cool, dark place.

Carrots for planting in open ground: the best varieties

Choosing carrot seeds: the best varieties for outdoor use. Among the many varieties, you can easily choose the best option for both spring and autumn sowing.

Consider the most productive varieties:

Carrot alenka photo

Alenka is an early ripening variety, you can harvest after 50 days of growth. With a root crop length of 12-15 cm, the weight is 145 g.

Carrot Touchon photo

Tushon is an early ripening variety, its fruits are ready for harvest after 2 months of growth. Weight - 150 g, length - 20 cm.

Carrots of Nantes photo

Nantes is a mid-season variety with a ripening period of 85-90 days. The average length of a blunt-pointed root crop is 16 cm with a weight of 165 g.

Carrot Vitamin photo

Vitamin - the root crops of the variety are ready to be harvested after 110-112 days of growth. Weight - 150 g, root crop length - about 15 cm.

Carrot Queen Autumn photo

The Queen of Autumn is a late variety, ripening 125-135 days. Ideal for winter storage. With a root crop length of 20 cm, it weighs about 160 g.

Flakke carrots photo

Flakke - belongs to the late varieties. Harvesting is possible after 100-120 days of growth. A root crop with a length of 30 cm weighs about 150-170 g.