How to grow large carrots and beets. Growing carrots in open ground: soil preparation, sowing and care

Carrots are a relatively unpretentious plant with many beneficial properties and excellent taste. That is why it occupies one of the main places in any garden. This root vegetable has been used in cooking for more than 500 years: at first its “tops” were used, and now “roots” can be found in almost any dish. Buying it in a store is constantly quite expensive for the wallet of zealous housewives, and therefore those who have their own garden plots, definitely grow carrots. This simple task can be done even by a beginner in the world of gardening.

Compared to tomatoes, peppers or other vegetable crops, carrots are really not a fancy plant. But when preparing to plant it, you should consider a few simple rules:

1. Carrots love light and warmth, so choose a place to set up the bed in a sunny area of ​​the garden. In a shaded area, the plant will be stunted and produce weak fruit.

   

2. To plant seeds, prepare the soil: it should be loose and fertile. Sandy loam and loam with an acidity of 6-7 are suitable for growing carrots.
3. Remember what was grown in these beds before carrots. Good precursors for root vegetables are legumes, cruciferous vegetables, onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers. But where carrots, parsley, caraway seeds, dill or parsnips grew, it is better not to plant carrots.
4. Maintain crop rotation, as carrots grown constantly in the same place are at greater risk of disease.

   

5. Landing in the ground spring varieties produced after the air temperature outside is no lower than +8 degrees. It is usually produced in April-May depending on the region and weather conditions.

Attention! The timing of planting carrots often depends on its variety. There are those that sow before winter. They usually produce a harvest earlier than spring varieties, but are not suitable for storage.

Preparing the soil

“Prepare your sleigh in the summer,” says popular wisdom. And the beds for carrots are prepared in the fall. The soil should be carefully dug up after the crop has been harvested from the site. The depth of digging the soil should be at least one and a half shovels. If the soil is dense, it will be very difficult for the sprouts to break through it in the spring, and large carrots will begin to grow crookedly. In the spring, it is enough to lightly treat the loose soil with a rake.

Before planting seeds, you need to fertilize the soil a little. To do this, add compost or humus to the soil at the rate of half a bucket per 1 sq.m. area.

Attention! If you fertilize the soil with fresh manure, then you will not be happy with the harvest: the fruits will be tasteless and small, but the tops will grow.

If the soil is too dense, then add a little sawdust to it - about 3 liters. per square meter.

In highly acidic soils, it is necessary to add a little ash or lime to create optimal level pH for carrots. IN ideal Most fertilizers for carrot beds are best applied in the fall while digging the soil.

Adding lime to deoxidize the soil

Don't forget about good soil moisture. It is advisable to plant carrots before the onset of prolonged rains.

Selecting a variety and preparing seeds

How quickly carrots will grow and what kind of fruit you will get largely depends not only on the growing conditions, but also on which variety you chose. There are a lot of them on store shelves now. At the same time, carrots can even be grown in unusual colors: not only orange, but also white, black, purple, and so on.

Sometimes mid-early and mid-late types of varieties are added to the classification of seeds according to ripening speed. They are also divided according to the shape and size of the root crops - cylindrical, conical and others.

So, you have decided which variety you will grow on your site and have already purchased the seeds. Now it's time to start preparing them for planting.

1. Pour the seeds out of the paper bag.
2. Soak them for 2-3 hours in warm water.
3. After this time, remove the seeds and place them on a clean, damp cloth.
4. The seeds must be covered on top with another piece of cloth, also moistened.
5. Seeds should be kept indoors at room temperature. They need to be stirred periodically.
6. If the fabric dries out, use a spray bottle to moisten it with water.
7. Wait until the seeds swell and begin to hatch.
8. After this, you need to harden them by placing them in the refrigerator for 8-10 days.
9. After hardening, the seeds can be sown immediately in prepared open ground.

Carrot "tricks"

To ensure that seedlings appear as early as possible and the ripening period is reduced as much as possible, when preparing seeds for planting, some experienced gardeners go to various tricks.

How to plant seeds correctly

Planting carrot seeds in the ground is very simple - anyone can do it. The main thing is not to forget to prepare the soil and seeds, and then success is guaranteed.

Rub the seeds with your hands before planting - this will remove the bristles from their surface.

1. In order to sow seeds, shallow grooves (2 cm) are made on loosened and leveled soil, the distance between which should be at least 15-20 cm.
2. Carefully place the seeds in the furrows 5cm apart and cover with soil. The first shoots, as a rule, appear after 10-15 days.

Since carrot seeds are very small, this causes certain difficulties when planting them in the ground. To simplify their task, summer residents have figured out how to make planting seeds faster and more convenient.

Taking care of the beds

To get in the fall good harvest, it is important to properly care for carrot seedlings. When the first true leaves appear, it is necessary to thin out (if the seeds were planted close to each other) so that there is a distance of at least 3 cm between the sprouts. After about a month, another thinning is done - this time the distance between the shoots should be at least 6-7 cm. If this is neglected, the fruits will be frail and small and will partially lose their taste qualities.

After each watering or rainfall, it is necessary to loosen the soil so that a sufficient amount of air reaches the root crops. Carrot beds are watered frequently, but in small portions, preferably in the evening (at the rate of 3-15 liters per 1 square meter, depending on the stage of growth). It is especially important to observe the humidity regime during the first stage of cultivation, when the seeds are just germinating, as well as during the period when the fruits enter the active growth and development.

It is important to stop watering carrots a couple of weeks before harvest to avoid fruit cracking.

It’s good if you find time to hill up the grown bushes a little - then the top of the fruit will not turn green and will remain as sweet and tasty as the carrot itself. Weeding the beds is also important - weeds can crush young plants and draw out all the nutrients from the soil.

Pest and disease control

Video - Sowing carrots in open ground

Video - Caring for sown carrots

There is no such garden in Russia where carrots are not planted. For some, the root vegetables are excellent, juicy, smooth, and sweet. Others are painful to look at, crooked squiggles, bitter, cracked. What is the secret of this orange beauty? Maybe in the choice of seeds? Hardly.

How to grow carrots in open ground so that they thank you high yield? It turns out that she is still that capricious girl. And we need a special approach to it. Just from the category of “dancing with a tambourine” and “what else do you need?”

Soil for carrots

Carrot is a stubborn girl. Anything that doesn’t suit her, she immediately turns up her nose. In other words, it begins to grow at random. It produces a lot of tails, but it does no good. That is, the soil should be as loose as possible. Just to make your foot sink. Therefore, the bed is prepared in advance, in the fall.

They dig deep, one and a half bayonets deep. So that there is room for carrots to grow. Otherwise, she will start to twist and turn.

She also loves to eat, hearty and hearty. But during growth it is inconvenient to feed it. Is it useless to pour from above when it still reaches the root? You can’t loosen the soil either, as there is a risk of damaging small roots. What to do? Apply fertilizers in advance.

In the fall, well-ripened humus is added, and more of it. No manure is brought in. Only if he is completely over-excited, and even then they abstain. Sand is poured, coarse, clean. Sawdust and shavings are not suitable. They strongly acidify the soil, and carrots do not like this. It is better to lime fluff, dolomite flour, and ash. Again, this is all - strictly before winter digging.

Add mineral fertilizers. The orange beauty especially respects potassium and phosphorus. But he doesn’t like nitrogen. At all. The root vegetables are huge, but not sweet. They are only suitable for livestock feed.

And vice versa. If you plan to sow carrots in winter, then the bed is prepared in advance, in spring or mid-summer.

Is it possible to plant carrots before winter?

So what? If the garden bed is well cultivated, then why not? Seeds begin to germinate already at a soil temperature of +5°C. What if you arrive at the site much later? Besides, early carrots won’t hurt anyone, especially on the table. Another plus: by the time the weeds begin to sprout, the beauty will have grown a beautiful, lush braid. Therefore, she is not in danger of being killed.

Of course for long storage Such root vegetables are not suitable; they will have to sit for too long. But for early use - just right.

The principle of winter sowing is very simple. To do this, prepare a bed in the summer. Around October, furrows are cut according to the usual pattern. And prepare dry soil in buckets. They are placed in the basement, cellar, barn. In a word, to a place where the earth does not freeze into a ball and remains loose.

When advancing persistent frosts, about -10°C, they come to the garden bed. Remove almost the entire layer of snow from it, leaving about 1-1.5 cm. Place carrot seeds in the prepared grooves directly on the snow. Sprinkle with soil prepared in buckets. And the removed snow is thrown back on top.

All. Now in the spring, as soon as the bed warms up to about +6°C, the carrots will begin to grow. IN middle lane it's about mid-April. A the usual way suggests starting sowing only in the third decade.

Thus, winter planting allows you to get the harvest at least a month earlier.

Advice. The seeds must be completely dry! Wet ones will simply be killed by frost. Dry ones will calmly endure the harshest winter, if only there was more snow.

But not everyone risks planting carrots using the method described above. Most are accustomed to sowing it the old fashioned way, in the spring. Well, let's figure out how to do it right.

Seed preparation. Carrots have one peculiarity. Its seeds contain a very high content essential oils. A kind of protective shell. It protects the seeds from the outside from exposure negative factors. But here's the rub. This same essential oil makes it very difficult for seeds to germinate. Have you noticed how long it takes carrots to sprout?

To destroy this ethereal shell, gardeners use the most various methods. Here are the most common:

1. The seeds are placed in a linen bag and filled with hot water. clean water. Approximately +50°C for three hours. In this case, the water is changed to fresh water 4 times during this time.
2. Just before planting, the seeds are mixed with wet sand and rubbed between the fingers. Strong enough.
3. The seeds are soaked for 12 hours, then the water is completely drained. Place them in the refrigerator for 2 days. This way the essential oil evaporates faster.
4. A linen bag with dry seeds is dropped into any flower pot. Keep it like this for about 10 days. During this time, the soil will draw out most of the ethereal shell.

All these methods speed up the germination of carrot seeds by approximately two times. That is, you will have to wait only a week for seedlings instead of the usual two.

Sow carrots

By the way, there are now a lot of coated seeds on sale. The thing is convenient. Large balls are convenient to sow. The shell contains the entire complex of minerals so necessary for young sprouts. Some are even impregnated with a growth stimulant. The only disadvantage of such seeds is the presence large quantity moisture during germination. That is, the ground must be damp. You will have to spill it thoroughly. And in hot weather, you need to water the furrows again until the first loops appear.

But you can get by with ordinary carrot seeds. To make it convenient to plant them, gardeners have come up with a variety of in various ways. Let's check them each.

Paste. Boiled regular paste, medium thickness. Pour the approximate amount of desired seeds into it and mix thoroughly. Then a furrow is simply drawn from a vessel with a thin spout. A teapot is good for this purpose.

The disadvantage of this method is that you still need to get the hang of pouring this mixture evenly along the entire length of the bed.

Sand. The seeds are mixed with clean, damp sand. The proportion is 1 to 1. And this mixture is sown in the furrows, as usual. This way the seeds fall less often.

Disadvantage of the method: older people no longer have the youthful sensitivity of their fingers. Therefore, sand is easily confused with seeds. The uniformity of planting will still be disrupted.

Bubble. Any bottle with a screw cap. A hole is made in it with an awl, slightly larger than a carrot seed. Pour raw materials inside. A sharp movement of the hand is made over the furrow - the seed flies out through the hole.

Disadvantage: the seed may simply not fall into the hole the first time. The second time, three pieces will fly out at once. Go ahead and shake the bottle like crazy.

Paper. IN free time take the cheapest one toilet paper. Seeds are glued onto it using paste and a toothpick. Then, after drying, you just need to cut everything into strips. When planting, they are placed in furrows and covered with soil.

Minus: an activity for those who are very patient, because it is tedious, long and eye-breaking.

Use any one that suits you. Perhaps you will turn disadvantages into advantages. Just use the classic principle: water the furrow very heavily before laying the seeds. And sprinkle with loose, always dry soil.

This will prevent the formation of a thick earthen crust on the surface, and the seedlings will freely break through.

Caring for carrots

She is, of course, a girl. But she needs a little different care than a young girl.

Loosening. After each watering or rain, it is necessary to loosen the top layer of soil to a depth of no more than 2-2.5 cm. The crust must be broken so that the soil around the root crop does not compact. There's no point in going deeper. But between the furrows you can frolic with a hoe or flat cutter to your heart's content. This will reduce the soil pressure on the root crop and the small feeding roots will remain intact.

Watering. Carrots love to drink. A lot, rarely, but very regularly. Make yourself a rule: once a week on the same day, thoroughly water the soil in your plantings. You need to wet it to a depth of at least 20-22 cm.

If you water often and little by little, the root crop will be short and shaggy. And the very first mighty summer rain will cause severe cracking of the fruits.

If you don’t water it at all (let it grow on its own), then there is a high risk of getting woody and bitter dried fruit instead of a harvest. They don't look like carrots at all.

Feeding. Throughout growing season No fertilizers! All fertilizers must be added to the soil in advance. If carrots receive external nutrition during growth, they will grow large. But it will have no taste. This is especially true for mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content.

Pests. In addition to people, the carrot fly loves to eat carrots. She especially respects young landings immediately after pulling out. Remember how far the aroma of the tops spreads at the end of the procedure.

To avoid such a problem, some sources recommend alternating furrows with onion plantings. There will undoubtedly be an effect. But very weak.

It's better to do this:

• a day before the intended tearing, prepare an infusion of onion peels
• on day X, pour liquid into a spray bottle
• pull out a furrow and quickly spray the plantings with infusion

There is no need to fill it specifically. Onion infusion is very smelly, you only need a little of it. Just to cover up the carrot flavor. By the way, you can periodically spray carrots throughout the growing season. This will 100% protect the plantings from carrot flies. Other pests are quite indifferent to the orange beauty.

Harvesting

When should you start digging carrots? In principle, all information is always indicated in great detail on the seed packaging. Focus on it and you definitely won’t go wrong.

What to do if the seeds were given as a gift or you grew them yourself? Of course, you can pull out one root vegetable at a time and look at it for a long time. Is it time or should he sit in the ground yet? How to guess?

It turns out that everything is simple. Carrots begin to be harvested en masse when they turn yellow and begin to dry out 4-6 lower leaves. If they are still green and vigorous, then let them grow for now.

By the way, try not to dig up part of the bed. Trim the foliage with scissors or pruning shears to the very root. But don't touch the flesh. After about 2 days, when the top of the root crop dries, sprinkle it with soil all over the head. And forget it until spring.

As soon as the snow melts, feel free to take your pitchforks and dig out your experiment. By this time, the carrots in the cellar are already showing clear signs of wilting. And the one you left in the garden will be fresh, juicy and tasty.

Advice. Just be sure to compact the soil well around the remaining root vegetables. Straight with your feet and tighter. Mice also really love these carrots. And the trampled earth will prevent them from tasting the sweet pulp.

1. If planting too often, be sure to thin the carrots immediately after watering. This way, the root crops will be pulled out of the soil without damaging the girlfriends sitting nearby.
2. Store carrots in a well-ventilated area. This way you will avoid the manifestation of many putrefactive and fungal diseases. You are not sure that your soil is completely sterile, are you?
3. When digging up root vegetables, do not pull them by the tops. A long piece may break off and remain in the soil. Use a pitchfork. They easily penetrate the densest soil and the risk of damaging the fruit is minimal.
4. Plant varieties different terms maturation. Use early ripening ones for preparing daily dishes. This carrot doesn't sit well in the cellar. Mid-season ones will ripen just in time for winter preparations. Late-ripening varieties are best stored. They ripen just in time for laying in cellars and basements.
5. Carrots are not planted as seedlings. Experiments conducted by some gardeners have shown that such root crops always grow crooked and do not gain their characteristic mass. At the same time, precious time is wasted on transplantation. And in the spring there’s already not enough of it.

How to grow carrots in open ground? Actually, it's not that simple. Size is not the main advantage of the orange beauty. It is much more important to get juicy and sweet root vegetables with a minimum of costs. Take good care of your carrots, and they won't rust.

Video: how to plant carrots

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

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

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

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

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

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

Choosing a place for a garden bed

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

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

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

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

How to plant seeds to get good seedlings

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

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

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

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

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

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

Secrets of caring for carrots after planting

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

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

Fertilizers, fertilizing and folk remedies

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

The plant needs feeding throughout the growing season.

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

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

How to water during the growing period

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

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

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

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

Proper weeding

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It is very difficult to find at least one summer resident who has not grown such a popular and healthy root vegetable as carrots on his plot. This vegetable widely used in cooking Like potatoes and onions, it is easy to care for and resistant to low temperatures. However, to get bountiful harvest orange root crop, it is necessary to comply with some basic rules of planting and care, as well as take into account some basic nuances that affect the production of a high-quality harvest.

So, before you start planting and growing carrots, you should first understand what factors lead to a decrease in yield.

• Poor soil composition can have a negative impact on the quality and abundance of the future harvest. Carrots planted on clay soil or in dense soil, will never grow well. Also, you should not expect a high-quality harvest if the seedlings are planted in soil with a high content of stones, rhizomes, crushed stone or acid. If you ignore these conditions when choosing soil, the carrots will not grow well, they will have a very unpleasant taste and will have a disproportionate shape.
• When choosing a planting, the place should not be in the shade, since the lack of stable lighting sun rays, will lead to inhibition of root crop growth.
• Improper feeding and planting can also have a negative impact on the quality and quantity of the harvest.
• You need to water the carrots very carefully, since the excessive presence of moisture in the soil can cause the opposite effect - despite the fact that the seedlings will grow quickly, the fruits from an excess of liquid will begin to become very coarse and lose their taste, as a result of which the root crops will become unsuitable for consumption.
• Excessively dry soil is also not suitable for carrots, since prolonged drought can deprive the roots of their juiciness and taste.
• Frequent changes always lead to cracking of carrots. temperature conditions, this often happens when there is a sharp change in heat, prolonged rains and cold weather.
• In order for carrots to grow well, they need to be thinned. But, if this process is carried out carelessly, it can lead to damage to the roots of the root crop and death of the root crop.
• An excess of nitrogen fertilizers, fertilizing with a high content of microelements, and manure can also have a bad effect on the future harvest. It should be remembered that carrots love moderation in everything.

Carrots are quite favorable to other plantings near it and tolerate well the soil on which vegetables were planted last year. It is especially good to plant root crops in soil in which cabbage, onions, tomatoes or garlic previously grew.

Thus, root crops can be planted in mixed plantings without fear that the harvest will not be abundant.

However, in addition to this, the root crop also has incompatible crops, next to or after which it is not recommended to plant carrots in the soil: horseradish, dill, apple tree, anise, beets and celery.

Before growing carrots, you must first choose soil suitable for sowing seeds. The productivity of the crop will depend on this stage in the future.

• Prepare the ground necessary in advance, in the fall. To do this, at the end of September, the ground is thoroughly dug up and all foreign objects are removed from the soil: old roots, stones, sticks, etc. This approach will help you get a high-quality harvest next year without any deformations.
• In the process of digging up the earth, it is recommended leave large lumps. This approach will help delay the penetration of moisture deep into the soil and contribute to the freezing of harmful insects.
• To plant seeds, you should choose a place well lit by sunlight. As mentioned above, if carrots are planted in shady place, this will lead to a loss of sugar content and taste of the root vegetable.
• The best soil for carrots would be sandy loam and slightly clay soil . If this is not possible, then you can choose slightly acidic soil. Moreover, you can neutralize the acid yourself by sprinkling the soil with chalk or ordinary lime. If the soil is heavy, it can be softened by using sawdust, peat or sand.
• Experts do not recommend use manure to fertilize the soil, since it leads to the fact that the harvest is deformed, and the root crops are very poorly stored.
• If the soil is not rich in nutrients and microelements, it is recommended to fertilize it with humus in the fall. And to create a normal soil structure, it is recommended to create an arable layer by planting green manure roots in the fall.
• Already in the spring, before planting seeds, It is recommended to level the soil using a rake. Also, 1-2 weeks before planting, the soil should be fertilized with a 0.3% vitriol solution. After which, two weeks before the actual planting of the seeds, the soil should be well watered and covered with film to create a greenhouse effect and slightly warm the soil.

The quality of carrots and the quantity of harvest depends on many factors. However, the key to success is the correct choice and proper preparation of seeds.

There are several basic technologies for planting seeds, each of which is effective and reliable in its own way.

After the seeds are planted in the ground, they must be lightly sprinkled with loose soil and the soil fertilized. Peat pre-mixed with soil is most suitable for this.

Since carrots take a very long time to grow - about three months, It is best to plant seeds in May. In this case, the first harvest can be obtained in early to mid-September. The most suitable time for planting seeds is considered to be before the fifth of May.

To get a wonderful harvest With large, sweet and crunchy carrots, the root vegetable requires systematic care. This process includes several mandatory steps.

The first sprouts and seeds can appear at a temperature of three degrees Celsius. But to that extent, carrots belong to those varieties of root vegetables that tolerate light frosts well(up to minus four degrees), and dies at minus eight, you should ensure that the desired temperature is maintained.

Systematic watering- This is an integral part of caring for growing carrots. If there is insufficient moisture, the root crop may die. Therefore, seedlings should be watered at least three times per week – half a bucket of water is enough for square meter soil. As soon as the seeds germinate well and root system strengthens, it should be watered no more than once a week - the sufficient amount of water per square meter is no more than 20 liters. Watering should be stopped a couple of weeks before harvest.

After disembarkation, first after 10 days, and then after 20 days it will be necessary transplant seedlings to thin out the beds. This must be done if the sprouted sprouts are very close to each other. If you do not thin out, you will not be able to grow large root crops, as they will interfere with each other and fully develop. In the first case (after 10 days), the distance between the sprouts should be at least three centimeters, and in the second (after 20 days) - at least five centimeters. It is recommended to do thinning in the morning, and at the end of the procedure, you should water the soil where the seedlings were planted and the area where they were left to grow.

The necessary procedure is systematic weeding of the soil where the carrots are planted. Weeds with strong roots interfere with the normal growth and development of root crops, so weeds must be fought constantly, at least once every ten days.

In order for the tops to germinate normally, it is required periodically loosen the soil. Since the presence of a thick crust of earth leads to poor germination seedlings.

A beautiful and tasty carrot can only appear if it is feed periodically. That's why important stage care is the introduction of useful components into the soil. Perfect for these purposes chicken droppings, ash, mullein or humus, previously diluted in water. It is necessary to feed the plant at least twice in one season. The first time is best to do this three to four weeks after the first shoots appear, and the second time only after a few months. Frequent feeding of carrots can lead to the opposite effect, so moderation is needed in this matter.

Of course, to get a good harvest, you need carry out preventive insect control. The most common attack on carrots is the carrot fly. Well, in order to prevent its appearance, after planting the seeds - around the beginning of May, sprinkle ash, tobacco ash or hot pepper between the ridges. You can also prevent the development of various diseases. To do this, you need to plant carrots in the beds where cabbage or onions previously grew. You should also change the location of the beds in a timely manner, and it is better to do this every year.

To grow a decent harvest, you should adhere to the following rules:

As you can see, there are no special tricks or difficulties in the process of growing carrots. This variety of root crop is unpretentious in care and does not require special attention. The main thing is to water and fertilize on time and prevent carrots from becoming infected with pests.

No carrots required special care, but the growing rules must be followed. It is a drought-resistant crop that tolerates frost and long-term cold snaps well. How to grow carrots? The secrets, like other vegetables, lie in proper agricultural technology.

It requires more care compared to other crops. Let's take a closer look at how to grow carrots in the country or garden plot with your own hands.

Soil preparation

You need to choose a bright place before growing carrots. The secrets are that with a lack of sunlight Due to the falling shadow or uneven surface of the bed, root vegetables lose sugar content and weight.

Before you can grow a good crop of carrots, you need to choose light and level soil. It should be sandy loam, light loam, with good drainage. In dense loam, the fruits grow small, and during storage they are quickly affected by rot. Carrots should not be planted on acidic soils. It requires a neutral or slightly acidic environment.

Before you grow good carrots, necessary

The bed is prepared in the fall so that it becomes established. It is made loose. To do this add sawdust, humus, peat or sand. Chalk, lime, dolomite, and ash are used for liming. Manure should not be used for growing carrots, since the resulting root crops are not very attractive and do not store well. Humus should be added to poor soil - a bucket per square meter. If groundwater close, the bed is made high.

The arable layer is well formed with the help of green manure roots - plants that create a good soil structure. They are sown in the garden bed in the fall in order to plant carrots in this place in the spring. Worms and microorganisms also create good soil structure.

carrot beds should be changed constantly. The predecessors should be garlic, onions, cabbage, potatoes. How to grow large carrots, if you have to grow the same crop in one place? The addition of wood ash twice a year in the amount of 0.2 kg/m2 followed by digging will help here.

In the spring, a week before planting, the bed is leveled, loosened, treated with a 0.3% vitriol solution, watered with warm water, and then covered with polyethylene film. During this time, it will retain moisture and warm up well in the sun.

How to prepare seeds for sowing

The germination rate of carrot seeds is low - 55-75%. In this regard, the seeds should be taken fresh. In addition, carrots do not germinate uniformly. After 2-3 weeks, the first shoots should appear. Seeds take a long time to germinate due to the presence of essential oils on their surface, which slow down the penetration of moisture.

Before growing, you need to prepare for sowing. Let's look at several ways to pre-germinate them.

Soak

The seeds are poured into fabric bags and kept in warm water for a day. The water must be changed every four hours. You can make a nutrient solution from it by adding wood ash (30 g/l). Afterwards, the seeds must be washed.

The method will be more effective if additional hardening is performed. Seeds in moist bags are placed in the refrigerator for 2-5 days.

Soaking with nutrient solution

Use a weak solution of potassium permanganate with the addition of ½ teaspoon of fertilizer per liter of water or a mixture of nitrophoska and boric acid(1/3 teaspoon and 1/2 teaspoon per liter of water, respectively). The seeds are scattered on gauze folded several times, and also covered with it on top and filled with solution for a day. The liquid level should be just above the fabric. Then they are washed with water and put in the refrigerator for three to four days.

If the weather does not allow planting seeds, they are left on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, keeping them moist at all times. In this case, you need to make sure that they do not grow more than 0.5 cm.

Heat treatment

Heat treatment of seeds consists of their sequential immersion in hot and cold water. They are poured into a bag and rinsed at a temperature of 50 degrees, and then dipped in a humate solution and kept warm for two days. As a result, the germination of not only carrots, but also parsley and dill is accelerated.

Bubbling

Bubbling speeds up the seed preparation process. An air or oxygen supply hose with an emery stone filter at the end is connected to the bottom of a non-metallic container with water. A net with seeds is placed on top.

During the bubbling process, the water is saturated with air. At home, a small amount is enough for this. aquarium compressor. The bubbling time for carrot seeds is 17-24 hours. Afterwards, the material is removed to the middle shelf of the refrigerator, where it is stored for 3-5 days. Before sowing, the seeds are dried for 12 hours so that they become free-flowing and sown.

Burying seeds in the soil

Dry seeds are placed in fabric bags and buried in the ground with a shovel to the depth of one bayonet, where they should remain for at least 10-12 days. Then they are taken out and sown in a garden bed. After such treatment, seedlings should appear within five days.

Another method is to mix the seeds with moist peat and keep them in a warm place for at least one week. During this period, they manage to germinate, after which they are sown. Before planting in the ground, the seeds are dried for 20-25 minutes on parchment or cloth at room temperature.

How to grow carrots. Secrets of sowing and care

Before planting, seeds that are most suitable for a particular region are selected and purchased. You can also get them yourself. Before growing carrot seeds, you should find a good and large root crop, and then plant it in the spring. It will ripen by autumn.

Carrots take about three months to grow. To get a harvest in September, planting should be done no later than May. Sowing dates range from the end of April to the first ten days of June. Planting before May 5 is considered optimal.

Before winter, carrots are planted when the soil becomes cold enough. This could be from late October to early November. The timing of sowing and harvesting depends on the variety and region. Northern varieties should not be planted in the south as they will grow slowly. If you grow southern varieties in the middle zone, they produce abundant tops, but root crops do not develop. Some varieties bred abroad are poorly stored.

Should be done on time, otherwise beneficial features and the shelf life of root crops may deteriorate.

Small carrot seeds should be spread evenly in the furrow. Therefore, they are mixed with sand or peat and sown in a garden bed.

So that neighboring rows do not interfere with its growth? To ensure sufficient illumination, it is better to make the beds narrow - no more than four rows of carrots.

Sides are made along the edge to prevent water from flowing down. The distance between rows should be 15 cm, and for late varieties- 20 cm. The bed is watered with water and sprinkled with ash. The seeds are placed in the grooves at a distance of about 2.5 cm.

When planting in spring and summer, the swollen seeds are planted shallowly - 3-4 cm. They should be sprinkled with very light soil, which is chernozem mixed with peat, sand or humus. Then a ventilation gap is made of film over the bed at a distance of about 12-15 cm.

The first shoots appear in warm weather within a week. If the temperature is below 12 degrees, the time is doubled. If there are empty spaces, additional sowing is done.

For many gardeners, the question of how to grow early carrots is problematic. It's actually not difficult. In autumn, carrots of early varieties are sown to a depth of 2 cm, and then sprinkled with mulch to a height of 3-4 cm. In this case, the soil temperature should be below +5 degrees. When there is little snow in winter, the beds are additionally covered with it to a height of up to 50 cm. With this method of planting, the harvest is harvested 2-3 weeks earlier than usual.

Plant thinning

How to grow a good harvest of carrots if they have sprouted perfectly? To do this, you need to carefully thin out the seedlings after the third leaf appears.

All this is not as simple as it seems at first glance. To ensure that the plants are removed well, the bed should be watered and the soil should be carefully loosened. In addition, the operation should be performed during the day so as not to attract the pest - the carrot fly, which flies in the evening.

The shoots should be removed with tweezers, leaving a distance of at least 2 cm. The smallest shoots should be removed. The tops are thrown away from the garden bed. Under no circumstances should you leave it nearby so as not to attract pests. A good deterrent is onion arrows, which are chopped and scattered in the garden. You can cover the crops with special material. The earth around the plants is slightly crushed. After 20 days, thinning is repeated. In this case, leave a distance of 6 cm between the carrots.

The row spacing needs to be loosened and weeded (at least once a week) so that a sufficient amount of oxygen reaches the roots. After thinning the row spacing, you should mulch with compost or sawdust soaked for several weeks in a 2-3% urea solution.

How to grow large carrots? Here you need the correct dosage of fertilizers. They cannot be entered immediately large quantities. Carrot beds begin to be fertilized with mineral water when 5-6 leaves appear. The frequency of feeding is 2-4 weeks. This crop especially does not like excess nitrogen.

In the process of growing top part The root crop comes out of the ground and turns green. This is not harmful, but the taste is worse. How to grow sweet carrots so that they do not lose their taste? When root crops emerge from the ground, they are hilled up, raking up soil about 50 mm high on them.

Watering carrot beds

Poor germination of carrots is primarily due to drying out of the soil. Until it emerges, the top layer of the bed should be constantly moist. Sometimes the soil should be watered even several times a day. Granulated seeds are especially difficult to germinate. Immediately after sowing, protect the bed with film so that the top layer does not dry out.

Until the roots appear, watering is done every 3-4 days, 3-4 buckets per 1 m2. At the same time, they independently grow in depth and find moisture. Therefore, watering is carried out once a week, 1-2 buckets per m2, and from the end of August - once every 1.5-2 weeks, 8-10 liters per square. The beds are kept without watering for two weeks before harvesting.

Rough root vegetables are an indication that they lacked moisture. When there is an excess of it, the fruits grow small. Sudden changes from drying out to excess moisture are also harmful, leading to cracking of the carrots and subsequent poor preservation.

Carrots are not afraid of cold weather, but at temperatures below 8 degrees, the starch in root vegetables turns into sugar, and the shelf life of root vegetables worsens. In the middle zone, the harvest is harvested at the end of September in dry weather.

Collected for 1.5-2 hours, and then the tops are cut off. The harvest is sorted, straight carrots are placed in a ventilated box in a dark and cool place. This could be a cellar or basement.

Conclusion

You will never be able to harvest a good harvest if you do not know how to grow carrots. The secrets of agricultural technology lie in proper preparation soil, proper landing and care. As a result, in the fall you will get large and even root crops.