How to quickly grow carrots in open ground. Carrots planting and care in open ground planting time correct sowing watering and further care

Carrots are a biennial plant from the celery family. During the first growing season, carrots form a leaf rosette and a root crop. Exist . Their shape can be either conical, cylindrical or round.

If you plant a carrot root the second year, the plant will form a rosette of leaves and then send out flower stems ending in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence.

Growing carrots in open ground- this is a simple task that even novice vegetable growers can do. Subject to compliance with agricultural techniques and good care This root vegetable will definitely please you with a good harvest.

Site selection and soil preparation

Carrots are very demanding on soil; the best harvest can be obtained on light soils with a neutral reaction. Heavy soils will also work, they just need to be worked well to a depth of about 35 cm or choose a ridge growing method.

If there are close to each other on the site groundwater, then the beds for carrots are best raised to a height of about 30 cm. The planting area is best prepared in the fall: dig up the soil and add manure or humus.

Light areas are best suited for growing carrots; if shaded, the yield will noticeably decrease.

Note: for heavy clay soils, it is best to use varieties with short roots, for example, Karotel or Chantane.

Sowing

Carrots are a cold-resistant plant; its seedlings tolerate frost well. Therefore, you can start sowing it immediately after the snow melts, which will allow you to get the first harvest in June. Early ripening varieties are perfect for such early spring sowing. To further reduce the ripening time, you can sow before winter or try to master growing early carrots in a greenhouse.

When growing carrots intended for long-term storage, it is necessary to plant varieties of medium and late dates ripening, they are sown from the end of April until the beginning of June.

Note: The carrot harvest obtained as a result of winter and early spring sowing is not suitable for storage.

When growing carrots in the country, in most cases row sowing is used, and on an industrial scale when using drip irrigation, strip sowing or ridge sowing is practiced.

The seeds are sown directly into the soil in furrows, the distance between which should be about 20 cm. After sowing is completed, they are covered with earth and thoroughly watered. (Read about how to prepare carrot seeds for planting.)

Unlike others garden crops Carrots cannot be grown from seedlings; if their taproot is damaged, the root crops grow branched and gnarled.

Take note: To maintain optimal humidity and accelerate germination, you can stretch film or agrofibre over the bed.

Care

After the emergence of seedlings, it is very important to thin them out in a timely manner. It is usually started after the appearance of two true leaves; the distance between the remaining plants should be about 2 cm.

Novice gardeners very often neglect thinning; as a result, they end up with a harvest of small and intertwined root crops.

Watering

When watering carrot beds It is very important to follow these rules:

1. Watering must be abundant, in dry weather until the first true leaves form, approximately 2 times a week.
2. During the period when root crops begin to grow, watering must be reduced to 1 time per week, the soil must be well soaked to a depth of 20 cm.
3. From about mid-August, when the carrots begin to fill up, watering is stopped, except when a drought begins.

In arid and hot areas, vegetable growers practice growing carrots under straw. With this method, row spacing with grown carrots is filled with straw or any other mulching material, which avoids overheating of root crops and reduces the number of waterings to a minimum.

Note: After watering, a crust should not be allowed to form on the surface of the soil; in this case, the root crops will experience oxygen starvation and develop worse. To prevent this, after watering it is necessary to loosen the soil surface, while at the same time removing growing weeds.

Top dressing

Carrots are not very demanding on soil fertility, but to obtain high yield It is recommended to fertilize. It is recommended to carry out the first fertilizing a month after germination. To do this, you can use the following mixture composed of:

According to legend, in the Middle Ages carrots were considered a delicacy for gnomes, who exchanged this root vegetable for gold bars...

Carrot - biennial plant family Umbellaceae, or celery. There are round, cylindrical and conical shapes. The color of carotene carrot varieties is orange or red-orange, while Asian varieties are lemon yellow, pink, red and purple.

Carrot varieties

• Early ripening varieties and hybrids (80–90 days): Nantes 4, Incomparable, Parisian Cartel, Parmex, Artek, Amsterdam, Nuance.
• Mid-season varieties and hybrids (100–110 days): Losinoostrovskaya 13, Leander F1, NIIOH-336, Vitamin 6, Nantes Improved, Altair F1.
• Mid-late varieties and hybrids (110–130 days): Typhoon, Forto F1, Canada F1, Moscow long A-515, Perfect.
• Late-ripening varieties and hybrids (130–150 days): Carlena, Coral, Rote Risen, Shantane 2461, Dolyanka, Valeria, Olympus.

Soil preparation

Carrots are a light-loving crop. Since autumn, the site has been dug up deeply. In the spring, a week before sowing, the soil is disinfected with a solution copper sulfate(1 tbsp per 10 liters of water), dig. Sometimes beds are made in the fall, and in the spring they are loosened and leveled.

The optimal temperature for the formation, growth and development of root crops is 15–20°C, for leaf growth – 20–23°C. At temperatures above 25°C growth is retarded.

Fertilizer and precursors

It is better to plant carrots after leafy vegetables, under which organic matter was added last year. If organic matter is needed in the year of sowing, then humus is added in an amount of 3–4 kg/m2. On light sandy and sandy loam soils organic matter is added in the spring, and heavy- in the fall. At the same time - phosphorus and potassium fertilizers (30–40 g/m2). Nitrogen - given during feeding. On acidic soils lime is added - 300–500 g per 1 m2, but only for the previous crop. Fertilizing: nitrogen – 20–25 days after emergence; phosphorus potassium - after another 2-3 weeks.

Sowing carrots

Convenient to sow carrot seeds on a tape. You just need to secure them on self-destructive paper with a certain distance from each other. It is enough to make grooves 1 cm deep, lay a tape with seeds, cover with soil and water. The distance between rows is 15–18 cm.

Furrows for sowing

The soil is dug up to a depth of 15 cm. Mineral fertilizers should be applied 1–2 weeks before sowing. After digging, the soil is leveled, grooves are cut across the bed with a distance of 20 cm between them.

Attention! The depth of the furrows on sandy loam soils is 2.5 cm, on loamy soils - 2 cm, on heavy soils no more than 1 cm.

Carrot sowing dates

• To get an early harvest carrots are sown from mid-April to early May.
• For summer consumption and winter storage carrots are sown from mid-May to early June.
• To obtain young carrots in the fall in mid-July short-fruited varieties are sown.
• Pre-winter sowing at the end of November, December-January will provide more early harvest than with early sowing in the spring.

Carrots are sown in mid-May for winter storage. For 1 sq. m of beds add ½ bucket of humus, 1–2 cups of stove ash, 2 tbsp. spoons full mineral fertilizer and 1–2 tbsp. spoons of superphosphate.

4 stages of sowing seeds

1. Do grooves at a distance of 20–25 cm, depth 1–1.5 cm.
2. Before sowing spill the soil at the bottom of the furrow and after a while start sowing.
3. Select large seeds, wash them off essential oils under the stream hot water in fabric bags. Pour the seeds into your palm, and then, slowly, passing them between your thumb and forefinger, lower them evenly to the bottom of the grooves. You can mix the seeds with coarse sand 1:5.
4. Fill the grooves sifted soil, preferably peat, and compact it slightly. You should not water the ground after sowing, otherwise the seeds will move to deeper layers of soil and may not germinate.

Germination time

Carrots are a cold-resistant crop, the seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of +3...+4°C, but when sown in cold soil they will last about 3 weeks until germination. In warm soil, this process will be reduced by 2–3 times.

If the weather is dry, then it is better to protect the crops from the sun and wind by covering them with paper or film to retain moisture, placing it on bricks and securing them on the sides so that they do not blow away in the wind.

Caring for carrots

Caring for carrots involves timely watering, loosening the soil, fertilizing, weeding etc. To obtain a high yield, a sufficient amount of moisture in the soil is necessary.

Watering carrots

In a relationship glaze Carrots are quite patient. But you should not abuse this ability. In case of severe and prolonged drought, carrots should be watered once every 5 days, but generously. Two to three weeks before harvesting, watering is usually stopped. This advice must be followed.

Hilling and weeding

An important trick - hilling allows you to avoid sunburn and greening of the shoulders of root crops.

Weeding and hilling carrots should be carried out on cloudy days or in the evening - sunlight and a strong carrot smell attract carrot flies. If the carrots were sown with dry, loose seeds, then they must be thinned out. This is done when the carrot tops at shoots grow to such a size that they are easy to grasp with your hand.

Pest protection

Exists dangerous pest – . She lays eggs at the top of the root crops, so the root crops must be earthed up at the stage of five, seven and ten leaves. This technique will also help avoid greening of the carrot shoulders.

Carrots, planting and caring for them in open ground require certain agrotechnical measures, are a small-seeded crop from the Apiaceae family. A native of Afghanistan, where the largest number of root crop species grow today, it came to Europe in the 10th-13th centuries.

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

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

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

Carrots: growing features

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

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

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

Sowing seeds in open ground

For getting good harvest before you start sowing seeds vegetable beds, it is necessary to study the agricultural technology of cultivating crops, starting from the initial stage - sowing.

Selecting a location and preparing beds

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

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

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

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

How and when to sow?

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

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

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

It is known that good seeds- the key to a high harvest.

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

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

You can simplify the procedure for preparing seeds: they are buried in dense fabric in damp, cold soil 10 days before sowing.

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

Planting carrots in autumn, before winter

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

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

Carrots: care in open ground and proper watering

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

Thinning and loosening

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

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

Watering

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

When watering, so as not to overdo it, but also not to dry out the soil, you should follow the recommendations:

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

Top dressing

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

Disease and pest control

Carrots are susceptible to damage by harmful organisms. Dangerous diseases include phomosis, bacteriosis, septoria, gray, white, and red rot.

To avoid their development, you must:

• carry out pre-sowing treatment of seeds, which destroys pathogens;
• limit the application of nitrogen fertilizers, which stimulate the development of gray and white rot during storage;
• Do not feed carrots with manure, which provokes the development of red rot.

Of the pests on the representative of Umbelliferae, carrot fly, fall armyworm, wireworm and slugs are noted, which must be combated:

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

The carrot fly is moisture-loving, so it is better to sow on open beds, away from bodies of water. Chamomile infusions scare her away.

Harvesting and storage

Harvesting is carried out in several stages:

• During the second half of summer, root crops are pulled out for food, and early and mid-season varieties are also harvested.
• Cleaning takes place at the end of September late varieties intended for long-term storage.

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

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

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

The nuances of growing in the Moscow region, in Siberia

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

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

In the Moscow region, varieties of different ripening periods are grown, and seeds are sown from the second half of April until the end of spring, while for Siberia with a colder climate, the range of varieties is quite limited and comes down to a few mid-season ones - for example, “Nantes”, “Vitaminnaya”. Otherwise, the agricultural technology for cultivating carrots is no different.

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

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 maximum 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 different periods ripening (early, middle, late), sugar content indicators, storage duration.

secret successful cultivation 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 factors environment.
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, it can be planted in northern latitudes.
4. If the crop is planned to be included in the diet of young children, you should pay attention to Vitamin-6, Viking, Children's sweets, 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.

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, choose best option it won't be difficult.

Conditions for a good carrot harvest

To get quality and delicious harvest, you need to know how to plant carrots correctly personal plot. 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 a 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 resistance of the soil.

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 root vegetables slow down. For seeds 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 introduce deoxidizing agents in the form dolomite flour and lime, they are added to the soil in the fall.

Carrot sowing dates

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. To grow good carrots, sowing is done when the ground warms up to 3-4°C. Such work should only be carried out with varieties early dates

maturation. 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. These deadlines are relevant for middle zone

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 correct formation Excess of root vegetables should be avoided nutrients and moisture in the soil. 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. Providing landings comfortable conditions

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

Features of sowing

Before planting seeds in the ground, it is recommended to disinfect, soak and germinate them. The already processed material is dried and sown. This technique allows you to get seedlings after 6-10 days. If you plant dry seeds 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 ground 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. The seeds are sown in moist soil, maintaining a gap of 1.5-2 cm between them. It is very important to know at what distance to plant the crop in order to avoid thinning the carrots in the future.

Watering and hilling

When growing carrots in open ground Special attention should be given to the irrigation system. If there is not enough moisture, young plants will simply die. Overwatering promotes the growth of root crops, their taste 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 sq. 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.