How to grow carrots to get a good harvest. How to increase carrot yield - all stages from A to Z!! How to grow productive carrots

The cultivation process is of paramount importance for obtaining a good harvest of carrots. You should pay special attention to it, investing time and effort. Carrots are a crop that is resistant to various conditions. Growing a vegetable is not too difficult, but it will take some work to make it large and sweet.

Conditions for growing carrots

Carrots are a particularly popular vegetable crop. The vegetable is widely used in the preparation of a variety of dishes: hot, soups, salads and desserts. It is unpretentious in cultivation and care. For the best result, it is recommended to create the most favorable conditions in the soil. It is important to organize regular watering and fertilizing.

Some growing rules:

1. It is recommended to plant carrots in one place no more than three times in a row. The soil during this period is not depleted, retaining useful substances and trace elements.
2. In the first year of planting, it is advised to use the beds on which potatoes, celery and dill used to grow - vegetables give vitamins to the earth, which later help the rapid growth of carrots.
3. For planting, use only treated seeds. The likelihood of their germination is higher than that of wild, untreated seeds.
4. Sow in the spring, when the snow has melted and the average daily temperature is kept at eight degrees Celsius.

By creating ideal conditions for the growth of carrots, you can be sure of an excellent result. It is worth analyzing in detail all the components of successful cultivation and paying attention to them.

Note!

Consistent use of several growing methods guarantees a quality product.

How to prepare beds

Preparation for the planting season begins long before the actual process. As soon as the harvest ends, the soil is thoroughly cleaned of debris, grass, weeds and plant roots. In dry weather it is necessary to dig up the beds. It is better to dig deep, carefully cultivating the already dug soil.

1. Leveling the beds is pointless and harmful - carrots are not a vegetable that requires leveled soil. Loosened soil better passes oxygen and moisture, which accumulates in the ground during the winter, and then gives it to the vegetable. In the spring, you can’t dig up the bed; a simple rake will do.
2. Pre-prepared seeds are planted in the ground at a shallow depth. Preparation of carrot crops is carried out one and a half to two days before planting. They are placed in a solution of potassium permanganate, boric acid and fertilizer. Unprepared seeds are less likely to germinate.
3. Sometimes fertilizer is added directly to the soil before digging. Gardeners recommend adding humus, ash and compost. It is necessary to mix thoroughly to evenly distribute the fertilizer.
4. A bed for carrots is not recommended to be broken next to the plantings of dill, celery and parsley. Otherwise, the root crops may rot. It is desirable that sunlight, a natural growth accelerator, gets into the garden throughout the day.

In some cases, bed preparation is carried out differently. In the fall, dig a deep trench, fill it with compost and mix it with ash. During the winter, the earth is saturated with microelements, and then saturates ripening carrots with them.

Tricks to help increase carrot growth

Each gardener has his own methods for increasing growth.

1. Some recommend planting carrots not one at a time in the garden, but in bunches called "combs". Contrary to popular belief, there is plenty of room for carrots, in this position they grow even larger. It is easier to collect carrots in the ridges - it is easier to pull out a large pile of tops.
2. Frequent hilling and weeding. Once a week, weeding helps the sun's rays break through the soil and saturate the product with vitamin D, which stimulates growth.
3. Do not collect all the crops at once. From time to time you can get carrots out of the ground, then the remaining ones will have more room to grow, and people can enjoy fresh vegetables all season.
4. The closer the harvest time, the more water is required for irrigation. You need to water at the rate of 85 liters per square meter. Two weeks before the final harvest, stop watering completely to avoid rotting.
5. Downing and mulching. Retains moisture and vitamins.
6. Thinning. Thin out the carrots to the width of one palm as soon as the first leaf appears on one carrot. Providing enough space for each fruit;

Attention!

The larger the seeds, the larger the final result.

When trying to increase the size of your carrots, you should use several techniques at the same time. Particular attention should be paid to fertilizers. The use of additional growth stimulating agents is justified - root vegetables grow large, crispy and juicy, protected from rotting.

What to feed to make carrots large and sweet

For fast and efficient growth, carrots need to be fed with a variety of nutrients. Fertilizers have different properties, so it is recommended to use complexes. Depending on the origin of the fertilizer, compost can be mineral or organic, dry or wet:

1. Nitrogen fertilizer. At the very beginning of summer, when the soil has not yet accumulated enough useful substances, you can add nitrogen fertilizer to the soil. The growth and resistance of carrots to external influences that interfere with the proper development of vegetables will increase.
2. Phosphorus fertilizer. With the addition of phosphorus, root vegetables become sweeter, stronger and harder. Otherwise the carrots will dry out.
3. Potassium. Makes the taste soft and preserves freshness for a long time.
4. Bor. Stimulates the strengthening of plants. Unlike previous fertilizer options, the bromine solution is applied to the tops, and not to the root system.

The combined use of a variety of tools contributes to faster and better development.

Carrots began to be grown and used in the diet about 4,000 years ago. Since then, this vegetable has been used in the preparation of many dishes. Today it is one of the most popular root vegetables.

Carrot harvest

Carrots have excellent taste and contain many vitamins B, C, PP and K, which are essential for humans.

Growing carrots and obtaining a tasty and rich harvest is possible if you follow the rules and order when growing them.

Planting carrots

Two landing options:

1. in spring
2. in autumn

You can use both the first and second options, but when sowing in the fall, you need to be more careful when choosing a sowing site.

The place for planting in the fall should not be exposed to drafts, and a flat surface without slopes is also necessary.

The planting site should be well illuminated by sunlight. It is better to choose a place where tomatoes, onions or potatoes grew earlier. Carrots are not planted in an area where greens (parsley, sorrel) previously grew.

The most favorable landing is in the second half of spring. In early April, seeds of an early variety are sown.

This vegetable is a crop resistant to cold weather, but not frost. Carrot seeds will germinate even at temperatures of +4° +6° C.

For spring planting, the soil must be prepared in the fall. It is fertilized with organic and mineral fertilizers and dug up.

This crop will bear more fruit if humus, chalk, and lime are added to the soil. The soil needs to be neutral with zero acidity.

The distance between rows is at least 20 cm.

Tall crops should not grow nearby. It is unacceptable for shadows to fall on the tops. You should not choose a place to plant a vegetable if there are fruit trees nearby.

Carrot seeds - preparation for sowing

Carrot seeds

Before planting, the seeds are soaked (hardened). They should first be rubbed with your hands to remove the fluff covering the surface of the seeds.

After swelling, dry the carrot seeds.

To obtain persistent carrot shoots, the seed must be hardened by placing it at a temperature of about 0°C until it swells completely.

Planting methods:

• Planting with dry seeds

This is the easiest way.

• Planting swollen seeds
• Belt sowing

For strip sowing, you can purchase ready-made seeds attached to a paper tape, or glue them onto the paper yourself using starch-based glue. The grains are placed at a distance of at least 5 cm from each other. When planting in this way, the soil is first shed with water.

• Sowing granular seeds

In the middle of each granule is a seed. The granule shell consists of a gel that swells when exposed to moisture. The advantage of this method is the rapid germination of seeds.

• Planting germinated seeds

Sprouted seed sprouts quickly, but in dry weather it will have to be watered ahead of schedule, since the shoots are very weak and subject to earth pressure.

The depth of seed placement should not exceed 3 cm using any method. After sowing the seeds, the soil should be covered with organic mulch and slightly moistened.

Why, when and how to thin carrots

If we sow carrots with dry seeds, they usually sprout too thickly, which means they will interfere with each other’s growth and development. The fruits will be small and twisted. To avoid this, the seedlings need to be thinned out.

The first thinning is carried out as soon as the third leaf appears on the carrot seedlings. It is best to remove such sprouts with tweezers. Using tweezers, even very small sprouts can be removed without damaging neighboring plants.

To prevent the appearance of carrot flies (carrot pests), we remove waste from the garden bed.

During the entire period of plant growth, we weed the beds to remove weeds and loosen the soil to provide oxygen to the roots.

Subsequent thinning is carried out a month after the first. Leave an interval between root crops of at least 5 cm.

The main pests of carrots are aphids and carrot flies.

Their presence can be determined by partially curled green tops. Such insects live in unkempt, overgrown and waterlogged beds.

When and how to water root crops

Carrots need to be watered frequently. Uniform and regular soil moisture is one of the most important factors affecting the growth of this crop. If there is a lack of moisture, the young carrot root system may disappear, but excessive soil moisture can cause it to rot.

After planting, you need to ensure optimal watering of carrots:

• To speed up germination, the sprinkling method is used.

• After germination, we moisten the soil every 2-3 days.
• During the formation of the root crop, the watering regime changes. The frequency of irrigation is reduced, but the volume of liquid used at one time increases.
• During active growth, moisturize once a week.
• We stop watering carrots about a month before harvest. Watering at this time will lead to excess moisture, increase the wateriness of the carrots and reduce the duration of their storage.

Before digging carrots, it is better to moisten the soil a little.

How to feed carrots in open ground

Throughout the growing season, the plant needs feeding.

For this use:

• Mineral fertilizers

A month after the first shoots appear, we begin to feed the plant.

The first time - with fertilizers containing potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus (1 tablespoon of nitrophoska per 10 liters of water). The second feeding of carrots is carried out with the same solution after half a month, and the third - in the first half of August.

• Organic fertilizers

The most effective are peat and compost.

• Folk remedies

Ash

Watch how to prepare an infusion of ash in this video.

Fertilize carrots with the prepared solution during the second half of the growing season.

Ash also helps prevent carrot diseases.

Boric acid

Foliar fertilizing with boric acid is carried out during the period of growth and ripening. Treat the tops with a solution of boric acid (1 tsp per 10 liters of water).

Carrot storage

Proper care of carrots ultimately results in an excellent harvest that will need to be preserved for the winter.

Important! The tops of the vegetable are cut off.

• Sand storage.

Sand protects against excess moisture and maintains a certain temperature regime.

We fill the lower part of the box with wet sand, 4 cm high, and lay out the fruits. The fruits should not touch, then again sprinkle them with a 4 cm layer of sand, etc.

• In the sawdust of coniferous trees .

This method will prevent the vegetable from sprouting and will prevent the appearance of fungi and carrot diseases, thanks to the components contained in coniferous trees.

Just like when storing in sand, lay it out in layers.

• In polyethylene bags.

Fill large bags with vegetables and do not close them. This will help them not wither for a long time, and will also protect them from rotting. If the bag is closed, you need to cut small holes in it for air circulation.

• In clay.

Vegetables are covered with a protective layer of clay, which will help keep them fresh until spring.

• In sugar bags.

And so, to get a good carrot harvest, we adhere to planting dates. Don’t forget to thin out and water the plantings on time. And to preserve the harvest, we choose any of the methods we like.

A rich carrot harvest to you, dear summer residents!

Carrots, as one of the most popular root crops, are cultivated everywhere. When growing it, it is important to follow the basic rules of agricultural technology and crop rotation. Only this approach will allow you to grow large and even carrots in the garden. Of course, every farmer has his own secrets of cultivating this vegetable crop, but ultimately everything is aimed at creating the most favorable conditions for the growth and development of fruits.

What varieties of carrots are best to plant?

To grow sweet carrots in the country, you should give preference to zoned varieties with high taste. Specialized retail outlets have a huge selection of seed material of different ripening periods (early, medium, late), sugar content, and shelf life.

The secret to successfully growing carrots is a well-chosen variety:

1. Nantskaya-4, Shantane, Karotelka are representatives of universal varieties that have high immunity to diseases and harmful insects. They are easy to care for and resistant to negative environmental factors.
2. Moscow winter A-545 is suitable for cultivation in all regions of Russia.
3. Polar cranberries are distinguished by a very early ripening period, the ability to produce a harvest within 2 months of growth, and can be planted in northern latitudes.
4. If the culture is planned to be included in the diet of young children, you should pay attention to Vitamin-6, Viking, Children's sweetness, Sugar gourmet. They contain a lot of carotene and sugar. The last one is especially sweet. The advantage of Children's sweets is their long shelf life, right up to the next harvest.

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Shantanay
Karotel
Moscow winter

polar cranberry
Viking
Vitamin 6

Children's sweetness
Moscow winter
Nantes 4

Thanks to breeders who are constantly working on creating new varieties and hybrids, choosing the best option will not be difficult.

Conditions for a good carrot harvest

To get a high-quality and tasty harvest, you need to know how to properly plant carrots in your garden. When choosing a place for planting, it is better to give preference to soils rich in humus. Carrots love sandy loam soil, loam, and drained peat bogs. Most gardeners are confident that the crop grows well on such land. On dense clay soil and heavy chernozems, it is unlikely that it will be possible to obtain even fruits, since it is practically impossible for the vegetable to overcome the soil resistance.

It is better to plan a garden bed in areas where cucumbers, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, garlic, and onions previously grew.

Long and large carrots can be grown at a temperature of 18-25°C; in hot conditions, metabolic processes inside the root crops slow down. For seeds, the optimal temperature is 3°C. The crop is sufficiently cold-resistant and drought-resistant; its seedlings can withstand frosts of -2°C, and mature plantings can withstand temperatures of -4°C.

Soil requirements

The land for sowing needs to be prepared in the fall. All tops remaining after harvesting are removed from the site. If there are stones or rhizomes at the site of the proposed bed, it is necessary to dig up the soil using the bayonet of a shovel. The soil must be fertilized with complex compounds that do not contain chloride forms. The nutrient mixture is added to the soil while large lumps are crushed, after which the area is leveled with a rake. The soil for carrots should be enriched with useful microelements.

If there is a need to add deoxidizers in the form of dolomite flour and lime, they are added to the soil in the fall. It is better to use fertilizers 2-3 weeks before planting seeds in the soil. To grow large root crops, it is recommended to add sand, perlite, and vermiculite to the garden bed.

Carrot sowing dates

To grow good carrots, sowing is done when the ground warms up to 3-4°C. Such work should be carried out only with early ripening varieties. The appearance of the first shoots is expected already on the 20-30th day. But it is best to plant the crop at a soil temperature of +8-10°C. Seedlings grow on the 12-15th day.

Before winter, it is better to sow carrots in late October - early November. Such terms are relevant for central Russia. It is not recommended to plant seed material in the soil at an earlier date, so that it does not germinate and die during frost.

Agrotechnical techniques to increase yield and taste

Not all beginning gardeners know how to grow a good and tasty carrot crop. But there are basic techniques that allow you to achieve high results. First of all, while the plants are still young and weak (in June), they need to be watered several times. In July, irrigation should be temporarily stopped, which will stimulate root crops to grow deeper in search of moisture.

It is very important to add mulch every week. If there is such a covering layer, there is no need to loosen the soil and remove weeds.

When growing carrots, every gardener wants to know how to get high yields from this crop. For the proper formation of root crops, an excess of nutrients and moisture in the soil should be avoided. It is better to underfeed than to overfeed. It is not recommended to add fresh manure, lime, or regularly add wood ash or nitrogen compounds to the beds. By providing the plantings with comfortable growing conditions, the farmer promotes the growth of fruits in breadth and sideways. Particular attention should be paid to checking plantings for the presence of diseases and pests.

Among gardeners there is an opinion that it is necessary to cut the tops at the last stage of fruit ripening. It is important to understand here that the process of photosynthesis is still ongoing in green leaves and stems, therefore, such a manipulation is not worth doing. Otherwise, carrot growth stops.

Features of sowing

Before laying seeds in the ground, they are recommended to be disinfected, soaked and germinated. The already processed material is dried and sown. This technique allows you to get seedlings after 6-10 days. If dry seeds are planted in insufficiently moistened soil, their germination can be expected only after 40 days.

The bed also needs to be prepared before sowing. To do this, the earth is loosened 10-15 cm deep, after which the surface is leveled and grooves are made 5 cm wide and 2 cm deep. You should not deepen the seeds too much, as this significantly slows down their germination. The grooves are made at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other.

To obtain uniform shoots, the depth in the grooves must be the same. Seeds are sown in moist soil, maintaining a gap between them of 1.5-2 cm. It is very important to know at what distance to plant the crop in order to avoid thinning carrots in the future.

Watering and hilling

When growing carrots in open ground, special attention should be paid to the irrigation system. If there is not enough moisture, young plants will simply die. Overflow contributes to the growth of root crops, their taste quality deteriorates, such a crop is more suitable for feeding livestock. Based on this, watering should be carried out according to the following scheme:

• To improve the growth of young seedlings, the sprinkling method is used at a rate of 300-400 m3/ha, followed by drip irrigation of 20-30 m3/ha. The frequency of the procedure is every 2-3 days, everything will depend on weather conditions.
• When the period of fruit formation begins, the frequency of watering should be reduced and the volume of water increased. Irrigation is done once every 7-10 days. The soil should be moistened to a depth of 10-15 cm.
• Watering is stopped 1 month before harvest. Otherwise, excess moisture worsens the taste of root vegetables and reduces shelf life. To facilitate the process of digging carrots, the bed should be slightly moistened.

A technique such as hilling protects plantings from exposure to ultraviolet radiation and reduces the likelihood of plants getting sunburn. In addition, it will be possible to avoid greening of the root crop. It is advisable to carry out the manipulation in cloudy weather or in the evening hours.

Carrot feeding

To keep carrots sweet and juicy, you should periodically add nutrients to the soil. Number of feedings per season – 2. The first procedure is carried out 3-4 weeks after germination, and the next - 2 months later. It is convenient and effective to use fertilizers in liquid form. There are several options for such dressings, where the selected ingredient is diluted in 10 liters of water:

• 1 tbsp. l. nitrophoska;
• 2 cups wood ash;
• a mixture of potassium nitrate (20 g), urea (15 g) and double superphosphate (15 g).

Folk remedies

Considering that the crop grows better on neutral or slightly acidic soil, ground and crushed chalk is used when planting if the soil is too acidic. Ash, dolomite, and lime are also suitable for these purposes. To enrich the soil, it is recommended to use organic fertilizer at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 square meter. m.

To grow large root crops, you can use not only ready-made store-bought fertilizers, but also folk remedies. A fertilizer made from three components has gained popularity: nettle, yeast and wood ash. First, the container is filled to ¾ of the volume with phyto-raw materials, then yeast and ash are added. After keeping it in the sun, the mixture is used in the proportion of 1 liter of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. On average, one bucket of nutrient mixture is used per bed.

Secrets of obtaining high carrot yields

The secret of obtaining exceptionally long and even carrot roots depends, first of all, on knowledge of the biological characteristics of this crop

This is a biennial plant, which in the first year of development forms a rosette of leaves and a fleshy root crop, and in the second - a flowering stem and seeds. Carrots are a cold-resistant crop, the seeds of which begin to germinate at a temperature of +3-5 C. However, in this case, seedlings appear on the 25-30th day. The optimal temperature for seed germination is 15-18 C, at which seedlings appear 10-12 days after sowing. It must be taken into account that this crop is prone to “flowering” - the formation of flowering shoots in the first year of development, which significantly reduces the yield and marketability of root crops. Therefore, sowing must be carried out at such a time that the plants in the seedling phase do not fall into a period of prolonged cooling. In addition, high temperatures during the growing season of plants (above 25 C), especially with moisture deficiency, affect the inhibition of all growth processes, which leads to premature aging of plants. At the same time, root crops become coarser, become ugly in shape, and their taste and shelf life during storage decrease. This feature must be taken into account when growing crops in the southern regions of Ukraine.

Carrots are a long-day plant. Shading of the crop should not be allowed, since the marketability and yield of root crops sharply decreases. For its cultivation, well-lit areas are selected throughout the day. In this case, the slope is oriented from north to south.

When growing carrots, you must also remember that the root crops contain 80-95% water, so they are quite demanding on soil moisture. An insufficient amount of moisture in the soil causes the formation of a small root system; the root crops acquire a bitter taste, become woody, lose dry matter, and become unusual for the variety. The crop is especially demanding of moisture during the period from sowing to the emergence of seedlings and during the intensive growth of root crops. At the same time, sharp fluctuations in soil moisture during the period of intensive growth of the root crop cause its cracking. Cracked root vegetables cannot be stored and must be used immediately.

The root system of carrots penetrates to a depth of 1-1.5 m, but the bulk of the roots are located in the top layer of soil at a depth of 45-70 cm. Therefore, the crop is very demanding on the soil. Long and even root crops grow only on deeply cultivated fertile light soils. On heavy, clayey, rocky and waterlogged soils, only short-fruited varieties should be grown to avoid the formation of twisted and non-standard root crops. The soil reaction should be neutral pH 6-7 or slightly acidic pH 6-5.5.

Carrots cannot tolerate the presence of fresh manure in the soil, since the root crops are formed in an ugly shape, with a large number of roots and a bitter taste. People call such root vegetables “horned”. To avoid the formation of such root crops, manure is applied no later than a year before sowing carrots and the soil is not over-compacted. In addition, this crop is very responsive to the application of mineral fertilizers. But it must be remembered that too high doses of nitrogen fertilizers lead to excessive leaf growth, coarsening of root crops, a decrease in the content of valuable nutritional properties and an increase in nitrate content. Increased doses of potassium fertilizers affect the sugar content in carrots, increase their keeping quality, taste and yield. At the same time, it has been proven that an excess of all mineral fertilizers leads to intense damage to root crops by white rot during storage.

Seedlings are thinned out for the first time in the phase of 1-2 true leaves, the second time - in the phase of 3-4 true leaves up to 2.5-3.5 cm between plants, depending on the purpose of using the product. The delay in thinning leads to the oppression of the root system, the formation of small root crops. Thinning is carried out very carefully, preferably in the evening, so that the smell of uprooted plants does not attract a carrot fly that is dangerous for carrots. This operation is carried out after rain or watering, then the soil around the plants is compacted, and the aisles are loosened. In some root vegetables, the head turns green when exposed to light. Unlike potatoes, green carrots can be eaten, but in order to avoid this problem, it is better to spud root crops as they grow. Since the greened root crops become bitter and their taste is reduced.

Carrots are harvested when the air temperature drops to + 7-8 C, when there is a slight growth of root crops. But at the same time, the crop must be harvested before the onset of frost (in the central regions - the end of September - the beginning of October). Frozen root vegetables quickly lose quality and do not last long. When harvesting carrots, it is important to avoid injuring the root crops in order to prevent them from cracking, cuts and scratches, which will affect their resistance to disease and shelf life during storage.

Secrets of growing carrots

A high and high-quality carrot harvest can be obtained by taking into account some features of its growing technology. The soil must be carefully prepared and the surface leveled. With poor-quality soil cultivation, germination rate decreases and branching of root crops appears. A special feature of soil preparation is deep plowing, since only this will produce marketable, smooth and shiny root crops.

When growing carrots with long roots (varieties Nantskaya, Valeria), the technology of growing carrots on ridges and ridges is used, but for this purpose a special bed-forming technique is used. The ridges should be the same in width and height. The height of the ridges should be 20-25 cm, and the width at the top should be about 20 cm.

This technology is especially effective for drip irrigation and heavy soils. If the upper soil horizon (up to 30 cm) is not loose enough and there is a hard “sole,” the root crops begin to deform and bifurcate.

It is better to grow carrots in the second year after applying manure to avoid root branching. In this case, the best predecessors are: onion, cucumber, tomato, early ripening cabbage. Do not place the crop after plants from the Apiaceae family (parsley, celery, parsnips, dill). Return carrots to the same area no earlier than after 3-4 years to prevent damage by pests and diseases.

The quality of crop seeds plays an important role in obtaining seedlings. Carrot seeds are small, contain essential oils and germinate very slowly. At the same time, the seeds remain viable for only 2-3 years. To obtain friendly shoots, it is necessary to carefully prepare and level the area in the fall. It is better to use pelleted annual seeds for sowing. In addition, carrots are characterized by low growth energy in the first stages of development. Therefore, during this period, the main task is to ensure friendly seedlings and prevent them from clogging.

When growing carrots, the choice of sowing time is of great importance, depending on the variety and intended purpose. Thus, to obtain early products, early and mid-ripening varieties are used, which are sown in early spring, with the first opportunity to enter the field. In this case, sowing is carried out in a short time in order to use the moisture reserve in the soil. To obtain beam products, winter sowing can be used. In this case, sowing is carried out before winter before the soil freezes, in such a way that the plants do not germinate. Late-ripening varieties (growing season - more than 120 days), which are intended for storage and processing, are sown from mid-April to the end of May. In this case, it is necessary to use watering to obtain friendly shoots, especially during drought.

For the southern regions, with drip irrigation, a possible option is re-seeding (after crops that are harvested early: early cabbages, cucumbers, beets for bunch production) in order to use the field area as intensively as possible. In this case, sowing is carried out with early varieties or hybrids, but no later than July 20.

When growing carrots, plant care plays an important role, which includes timely and high-quality inter-row cultivation, control of weeds, pests and diseases, watering and fertilizing. Row spacing is cultivated regularly to improve gas exchange and remove crust. These operations are carried out until the phase of 6-8 true leaves (before the vegetative mass closes). To prevent root crops from cracking in dry weather, carrots are watered and the soil around the plants is mulched with peat, compost or other mulching material. In this case, watering is carried out regularly, but moderately, keeping the soil moist.

To ensure optimal soil conditions for carrots, at least 7-8 waterings are needed in a dry year, and 6-7 waterings in an average year. For carrots, frequent watering with small norms (200-300 m3/ha) is favorable.

The beginning of the irrigation season is determined by weather conditions; most often, watering begins in late April - early May and ends 2-3 weeks before harvest, so that the root crops do not crack and to improve conditions for mechanized harvesting. When using pelleted seeds with a long germination period, watering is increased after sowing, especially when sowing carrots in late spring for long-term storage.

With drip irrigation, watering is carried out regularly depending on the phase of plant development. In this case, water enters directly into the root system zone and is used most efficiently by plants, since evaporation passes only through them. In addition, with drip irrigation, the soil is not compacted and a soil crust is not formed, which is very important for obtaining leveled seedlings. In addition, there is no need to loosen the soil after each watering. Plant productivity increases several times.

Carrots cannot withstand high concentrations of soil solution, so they grow better when low rates of mineral fertilizers are used. The removal of nutrients from the carrot crop is quite high, so the norms depend on the early maturity of the variety. For early carrots, the norm is - N150 P90 K180 kg / ha. For medium and late carrots - N230 P130-150 K250-280 kg/ha.

The specifics of applying fertilizers depend on the irrigation methods used when growing carrots.

When sprinkling, fertilization is divided into 3 periods:

1. Main application: in autumn for plowing - P50-80 K70-90 kg/ha.
2. Pre-sowing fertilizer: in the spring, N50-70 kg/ha is applied during pre-sowing cultivation in order to provide plants with nutrition during the first growth period.
3. Fertilizing: carry out 2-3 times until the leaves close:

• phase of 2-3 true leaves – N50 P10 K60 kg/ha;
• phase of 4-5 true leaves – N50 K50 kg/ha.

Fertilizing plants with urea in the first period of the growing season brings good results, since it has a beneficial effect on the color of root crops.

With drip irrigation, part of the phosphorus and potassium fertilizers is applied in the fall P50-80 K70-90 kg/ha, and the rest of the fertilizers are applied regularly through a drip irrigation system using fertigation, correctly distributing them depending on the phase of crop growth.

A feature of growing carrots is also the hilling of root crops, which allows them to be protected from landscaping, overheating and sunburn. Plants are earthed up carefully so as not to damage the roots after rain or watering, but in no case with dry soil.

When growing crops, it is also very important to prevent the spread of diseases and pests, since this leads to significant losses in the quantity and quality of the crop and a decrease in the keeping quality of root crops during storage.

The most dangerous pest of carrots is the carrot fly and its larvae. Affected plants acquire a reddish tint and wither in sunny weather. Later the leaves turn yellow. Carrot flies can lay eggs in the soil if the crops are thinned too late. The root crop that was on top became attractive to the carrot fly. Carrot roots eaten away by tunnels rot and become unsuitable for consumption due to an unpleasant bitter taste.

Control measures for carrot fly are very difficult, since it continues to lay eggs for a long period. Two generations of carrot flies appear every year. The fly's spring generation begins at the end of April - beginning of May. At the end of May, larvae emerge from the eggs and penetrate into the roots of young plants. The second (summer) generation emerges in August and causes great damage to carrot crops by making holes in root crops.

Preventative measures to combat carrot fly are very important. This is, first of all, growing in a blown area, on unthickened crops. In this case, plants pulled out during thinning of seedlings are immediately destroyed. For chemical pest control measures, the following drugs are used: Decis, 2.5% ke; Stefesin, 2.5% k.e.; Volaton, 50% k.e. etc. In this case, the waiting period after treatment is 20 days. It is important to know when this pest begins to fly in order to carry out treatments in a timely manner and prevent the larvae from penetrating the root crops. By the way, according to the Institute of Plant Protection, carrot varieties with lower sugar content and root lengths greater than 15 cm are less damaged by carrot flies.

Aphids, moths, mole crickets, wireworms, cutworms, and slugs can also be harmful when growing carrots.

Carrot aphids are especially dangerous in warm, dry summers. The leaves curl up, change color, lag behind in growth. The plants are weakening, but the most dangerous thing is that the aphids carry the dwarf spot virus. To prevent the appearance of mole crickets in carrot beds, we must not forget about deep plowing of the soil in the fall and loosening the soil between the rows in the spring and summer.

When wireworms appear on the site, which are very mobile and live in the soil for up to three years, affecting the roots and stem near the base, deep plowing of the soil with the addition of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate will help. To get rid of slugs, it is necessary to drain all low damp areas, destroy weeds that lie between the rows, so as not to create secluded places for pests. To kill slugs, you can use drugs that corrode their body. For example, potash salt is half with slaked lime and wood ash.

Pathogens of carrot diseases are the main reason for the decrease in the marketability of root crops after storage. Damage to carrots by diseases is observed mainly during storage. However, infection with pathogens occurs from the second half of the growing season. Particularly harmful are fungal diseases - black rot, or Alternaria, white rot, gray rot, dry rot, or Phoma. Of the bacterial diseases at elevated temperatures and high air humidity during storage, wet bacterial rot causes great damage. Root vegetables become slimy, watery, their tissues decompose and emit an unpleasant odor.

Pathogens are mainly transmitted through soil, contaminated harvest residues and contaminated seeds. The development of diseases is promoted by increased soil moisture.

Root crops can also be damaged by nematodes, which feed on plant roots, weakening them. In this case, nematodes are transferred with soil, water or through damaged plants.

When using chemicals to control pests and diseases of carrots, it is necessary to use drugs approved for use in Ukraine, using optimal doses at the first signs of plant damage. In addition, all chemical treatments are carried out at an air temperature of 15-250C, preferably in the evening in calm weather. It is important to know that when growing carrots for bunch production, the use of chemicals is prohibited. And also, to combat pests and diseases, select preventive and agrotechnical measures as much as possible and use chemicals only when absolutely necessary.

Bobos I.M., Associate Professor of the Department of Vegetable Growing, NUBiP of Ukraine

Carrots are a popular and favorite vegetable crop in every summer cottage. Rich in microelements, carotene, vitamins, substances that enhance immunity and help cure many ailments. Carrots are one of the main crops in baby foods. And it is very sad when the work spent on growing it ends in crooked, ugly squiggles of dubious taste, because in the case of carrots, the external corresponds to the internal content. How to grow carrots that are smooth, large, tasty, and high in nutrients? We'll figure out.

Conditions for a good carrot harvest

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

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

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

The main reasons for small-fruited carrots

• Carrots do not tolerate swampy lowlands or closely spaced fruit and forest tree crops. It will not be smooth and graceful, much less large, when grown in the shade, under the garden canopy.
• The culture requires deep-loose nutrient soil that is air- and water-permeable. The presence of small crushed stone, pebbles, rhizomes and other inclusions in the soil causes distortion and crushing of carrot roots.
• The root crop needs bright lighting. Beds with carrots are positioned so that each plant receives sufficient lighting. Tall crops (tomatoes, eggplants) should not shade the tops of carrots. Carrots are best located south of tall neighbors.
• Carrots will not bear fruit in acidic soils. Therefore, a year before sowing the crop on a designated bed, the soil is deoxidized by adding humus, chalk, lime, and dolomite flour. The soil under carrots should be neutral with zero acidity within the pH range of 6-7.
• Ugly, branched, burst carrot roots and small root crops are obtained due to poor soil preparation, spring pre-sowing soil deoxidation, the use of fertilizers containing chlorine, excess nitrogen fertilizers, and thickened crops.
• The value of carrots is determined by the amount of useful substances that are formed in the root crop as a result of metabolic processes with the timely receipt of moisture and nutrients. Therefore, the lack of moisture and nutrition at the beginning and their excess at the end of the growing season of carrots will change not only the external shape and characteristics, but will also significantly reduce the taste.

How to get large carrots?

Selection of a plot for sowing carrots and predecessors

The site should be leveled, without a slope, evenly lit. Good predecessors and neighbors are zucchini and other pumpkins, legumes, onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. Celery, parsley, dill, and other umbelliferous plants are undesirable neighbors and predecessors. In crop rotation, carrots return to their original place in the 4th–5th year.

Healthy carrot tops. © Bill Heavey

Preparing the soil for sowing carrots

The soil for sowing carrots is prepared in the fall. After harvesting the previous crop, the tops are removed from the site and watering is used to provoke the formation of an autumn wave of weed seedlings. If the area is unfavorable, clear it of stones, rhizomes, and dig it up with a shovel. Spread a mixture or complex fertilizers that do not contain chloride forms. Fertilizers are incorporated into the soil while simultaneously crushing coarse lumps of earth and leveling the surface of the area with a rake.

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

In the spring, the carrot bed is dug deeply again, especially if the soil is heavy clay and loamy in composition. To fluff them up, you can add perlite or vermiculite or sand to the root layer.

Fertilizing carrots

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

On highly fertile soils, 1/2-1/3 of the above-mentioned doses of fertilizers are applied to carrots, sometimes they only get by with adding ash - a glass per square meter. m. and subsequent fertilizing during the growing season. On low-fertility soils, the main dose of fertilizers is not increased, but enhanced fertilizing is used in the first half of the carrot growing season.

Carrot sowing dates

Carrots are a frost-resistant crop. The seedlings can withstand temperatures down to -2°C. Developed plants do not die in short-term frosts down to -4°C. Using these properties, some gardeners sow the crop as soon as the soil warms up to +3...+4°C. But for such early sowings, as well as for winter ones, you need to choose early-ripening varieties of carrots. And shoots are obtained on the 20th – 30th day.

The best for sowing carrots is still considered to be warming up 10-15 cm of the soil layer to + 8 ... + 10 ° С. Shoots at the same time appear on the 12th - 15th day. If the initial period of carrot development occurs at low temperatures, the plants will flower in the first year, and the root crop will be rough and tasteless. Optimum temperatures fluctuate within +17…+24°С. When the temperature rises above +25°C, the metabolic processes in the root crop slow down, and the carrot root crop becomes fibrous. It is necessary to reduce the soil temperature by watering and mulching, and the air temperature by fine spraying (fog-like watering).

Thinning carrots. © Terese

How to improve the taste of the root crop?

With a properly prepared site, the taste qualities of carrot roots depend on the supply during the growing season with basic nutrients (and their proper ratio), microelements, moisture, standing density and varieties.

Carrot feeding

Carrots cannot tolerate overfeeding and react to it by reducing the quality of root crops, especially when there is an excess of nitrogen fertilizers. The flesh of the root crop becomes tasteless. But carrots need a good supply of potassium, which promotes the accumulation of sugars in root crops, increases shelf life and overall yield. As for potassium fertilizers, it is better to use Kalimag. It is chlorine-free.

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

First feeding of carrots

3 weeks after the carrots sprout, use a solution of kalimag and urea (15 g/10 l of water). You can add 20 g of superphosphate to the solution. If the soil is sufficiently filled with fertilizers during autumn-spring preparation, the first fertilizing can be done later, in the phase of 5-6 leaves.

Second feeding of carrots

After 2-3 weeks, the second feeding is carried out by adding Kemira-universal (50-60 g/sq. m), nitrophoska, Rost-2, mortar in the same dose.

Third feeding of carrots

The next feeding is carried out after 2-3 weeks (during the phase of root growth) with ash (on moist soil) at the rate of 20 g/sq.m. m or a mixture of microelements. The growth phase of the root crop occurs at the end of June–July.

To ensure that the fruits are sweet with tender pulp between 2 and 3, foliar feeding with a solution of boric acid (2 g/10 l of water) is effective. Potassium is very important in the composition of the elements, which contributes to the delivery of nutrients to root crops. Therefore, 3rd feeding can be done with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers at the rate of 30 and 40 g/sq.m., respectively. m.

Fourth feeding of carrots

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

Dense planting of carrots. © Dorling Kindersley

Watering carrots

Small, bitter, woody carrot fruits are obtained with a lack of moisture, especially during the period from sowing to germination, and during the phase of intensive growth of root crops. Before germination, the top layer of soil is kept constantly moist. During this period, it is better to water in the evening, mulch the rows with fine mulch no higher than 2–3 cm. If the humidity regime fluctuates and excessive watering, carrots can form a large root crop, but it will be tasteless and full of cracks.

After germination, the crop is watered weekly until the roots grow, and then they switch to watering 2-3 times a month, but increase the watering rate. After each watering, mulching carrots is mandatory. It prevents the formation of crust and reduces the temperature of the top layer of soil. Watering is stopped 2 weeks before harvesting.

Rules for thinning carrots

Aligned carrot roots grow with proper 2-3 times thinning. The first thinning is carried out after the appearance of the 3rd leaf. Before thinning, the rows are loosened and watered. The sprouts are removed by pinching or tweezers, but not pulled out, so as not to disturb the root system of the remaining plants.

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

The 3rd thinning is actually the sampling of the first harvest. Carrots are demanding on the air regime of the soil. Once every 7-10 days, the carrot row spacing is loosened by turning up the mulch.

Carrot varieties

To grow sweet carrots, you need to select a zoned variety with a certain quality of root crop. Breeders offer a large assortment of early, medium and late ripening seeds with a high sugar content, distinguished by dessert taste, long shelf life and other qualities.

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

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