How to grow carrots: secrets of a good harvest. How to grow a rich harvest of carrots? How to grow good carrots in the country

Kira Stoletova

Even a novice gardener can grow carrots, which is one of the most common crops in our region. To achieve maximum yield and grow in open ground A juicy vegetable with a sweetish taste, you must follow a number of rules.

Selecting a seat

Carrots need light and loose fertile soils that allow moisture and air to pass through well. Soil acidity should not exceed 7.

Fertility is increased by adding humus. But it takes time for it to give all the nutrients to the soil. 1.5-2 years after adding humus, the soil is enriched with nutrients and becomes suitable for growing vegetable crops that require large amounts of microelements. If they grow on the plot every year horticultural crops, then humus is added annually.

To reap a good harvest of carrots, they are planted in a well-lit area. Even a slight shadow from a tree on the site reduces the Productivity. The vegetable is planted in the place where garlic or onions, tomatoes, White cabbage, cucumbers or potatoes.

Other crops, especially beets, are poor predecessors for carrots. They are either affected by the same diseases as this vegetable, or need the same microelements as carrots. The most undesirable vegetable precursors are celery, parsnips, parsley or dill.

It is impossible to plant vegetables in the same place for more than 2 years: the soil becomes poor. In addition, it accumulates bacteria and fungal spores that attack the root crop.

The best time to sow carrots

To grow good carrots, you need to choose the right time for sowing seeds. This root crop is frost-resistant. In order for it to grow well, there must be a long daylight hours (12-14 hours).

Different varieties are planted at different times. In addition, climatic conditions in different regions differ significantly. In the Moscow region and the Leningrad region, for example, the climate is different, therefore, when choosing a planting time, they are guided by weather conditions:

• Early ripening hybrids are sown in open ground after it has warmed up well. upper layer. When deciding on the size of the bed, take into account that they have a short storage period.
• Mid-ripening and late-ripening hybrids are planted after the air temperature has risen above 15°C and the soil has warmed up to the point of a spade. If you sow them too early, they will not keep well. After the air temperature rises to 18°C-20°C, the soil becomes excessively dry. This negatively affects seed germination.

The type of soil also influences the timing of planting. When growing root crops on light soils, planting is carried out throughout May. On medium soils, seeds are sown no later than the 2nd decade of May. When choosing a planting date, study the planting calendar for carrots by day.

When growing crops in a greenhouse or greenhouse, planting dates are earlier. You should not grow carrots at home on a balcony or windowsill. The root crop needs a large area.

With prolonged exposure of young plants to low temperatures (1°C-3°C), carrots bloom and begin to shoot shoots. It is impossible to prevent flowering after the carrots have sent out their arrows. The crop is planted after the air temperature has reached a stable temperature of more than 15°C.

Preparation of planting material

The root crop reproduces by seeds. They are collected from the plant in the 2nd year of life. It produces an umbrella-shaped inflorescence. The inflorescences are rich essential oils, which prevent moisture from reaching the embryo, which complicates the germination process.

The seeds are pre-soaked. This helps to reject low-quality ones, which rise to the surface of the water after 9-10 hours. After this time, the seeds are taken out of the water and placed on a damp cotton cloth, kept at a temperature of 21-24°C for 2-4 days. Then the planting material is dried naturally.

If the seeds are not soaked, the first shoots will appear in no less than a month. If this condition is met, the seeds will hatch within 10-12 days.

By soaking the seeds in hydrogen peroxide, they can be simultaneously disinfected. Before planting, some summer residents soak the seeds in a decoction of onion peels or pour boiling water over them. These measures do not always give the desired result.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Before planting carrots in the selected bed, it is loosened to a depth of 15-20 cm. With the standard sowing scheme, the seeds are sown in furrows made using a sap. Their width should be 4-5 cm, and their depth should not exceed 2 cm. Deep plantings slow down the growth process of vegetable crops. Optimal width between the beds - 20 cm.

The planting technology is simple. The seeds are placed at a distance of 2 cm from each other in the prepared grooves. First, the soil inside the furrows is moistened. The planting process is complicated by the fact that the seeds are small.

Summer residents have secrets and tricks to simplify the process of sowing seeds.

• To avoid thickening of plantings, 1 tbsp. l. seeds are mixed with 1 tbsp. clean sand. This composition is enough to plant 3 square meters. m plot.
• In order not to start the beds while waiting for the first shoots of the root crop, carrot seeds are mixed with lettuce or radishes. These crops sprout much earlier. After they appear, they begin to weed the area between the beds.
• Sowing is also simplified by gluing seeds onto strips of thin paper. A paste made from wheat flour and potato starch is used as an adhesive.
• To avoid thinning using paste, glue 1 root seed and 1 fertilizer granule together, placing them on a small paper square.

Carrots grow faster if they are covered with loose soil. Peat mixed with sand or soil is used as the top layer. The bottom layer of the ridges should be dense. They are watered after the first shoots appear. To make the moisture evaporate more slowly, mulch with peat.

Growing in beds and hydroponics

Mid-season and late varieties It is best to grow on ridges 22-25 cm high and 15-18 cm wide. This method Soil preparation is labor-intensive, but allows you to increase crop yield. The root crop is also grown hydroponically. The crop bears fruit well, does not lag behind in growth, but produces small and short tasty fruits.

Vegetable care

Caring for growing carrots involves loosening the soil, thinning out the seedlings, hilling, weeding and watering the area, and applying fertilizers.

Weeding the soil

If the planting markings are well done, they begin to weed the area even before the first shoots appear. All weeds are removed by the roots. When growing carrots in fields, one or another herbicide is used to control weeds. According to instructions, chemicals do not have a negative effect on garden crops, but it is undesirable to use them in a country house or a small area near the house.

Loosening the soil

Loosening of the soil is carried out on the second day after watering. Crusts should not form on the surface of the beds. If an earthen crust does appear, the soil is slightly moistened before loosening. If the crust has appeared before the first shoots appear, loosening is carried out shallowly so as not to damage the planting material and not lift it to the soil surface.

Thinning beds

Caring for sprouted carrots involves thinning the beds. The first thinning is carried out after 3-4 leaves have appeared on the plants, provided that the distance between them is less than 6 cm. Even at a distance of 5 cm, the root crop will not be able to grow normally. It is better to break through it after rain. If the time for thinning has come and there is no rain, the soil is pre-watered.

In order to break through the crop and not harm it, young plants are pulled out moving upwards and not to the side. Harvested plants are put away from the garden bed: their smell attracts harmful insects. The carrots are thinned out in the evening, and after the procedure is completed, the bed is watered.

Dive

Picking involves replanting plants. It is not advisable to pick carrots: they begin to branch. This is due to the fact that during pulling, the central root breaks off.

Hilling

Hilling up a vegetable crop involves adding soil to the bed after a small part of the root crop has appeared above the ground. Under the influence of sunlight, the part that appears above the ground turns green, and corned beef begins to stand out. This substance gives the vegetable bitterness during long-term storage.

Carrots are planted on a cloudy day or closer to sunset. If you perform the procedure in sunny weather, you can attract carrot flies to the beds. Light soils are used to cover the part of the root crop that appears above the ground.

Watering

It is impossible to grow good carrots without proper watering. It does not withstand both excessive moisture and drought. Root crops need watering most during the period of active growth. If it's sunny outside and warm weather, the beds are watered no more than once every 2 days.

Watering of young carrots is carried out at the rate of 4 liters per 1 sq. m. Towards the end of the active growth phase, the amount of watering is reduced to once a week. For 1 sq. m beds take 8-9 liters of water. If the weather is dry, the amount of watering is increased.

Fertilizer application

If the vegetable crop is planted on fertile soils, fertilizers are applied twice a season. Only late-ripening hybrids are fed three times. Vegetable crops need potassium most of all. She feels less need for phosphorus and nitrogen. Excess nitrogen leads to weakening of the root system.

As fertilizers for the first feeding, potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are applied in the amount of 60 g, 50 g and 40 g, respectively. Alternative option involves the use of ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium chloride in quantities of 20 g, 30 g and 30 g.

As a second feeding, add nitrophoska (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water), a solution boric acid(1 tsp per 10 liters of water) or diluted with water wood ash. During the third feeding of late-ripening hybrids, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are excluded.

Liquid fertilizers are applied not under root crops, but between rows. In order for the root crop to acquire moderate sweetness, 15-20 days before harvesting it is treated with humates (1 g per 10 liters of water).

Harvesting

It’s bad when a root crop outgrows, but you shouldn’t pull it out in advance. At a temperature of 4°C, carrots stop growing, and at sub-zero temperature affected by gray rot. The harvest is harvested in late August or early September. As a rule, by the end of August the root crop is fully ripened.

The ripening period of the culture is 80-115 days. There are early hybrids that ripen in 2 months (Saturno F1). They are collected in mid-summer. The harvest is stored in a bag with good air permeability or in a box.

If the root crop has not gone through all phases of the growing season, and frost is approaching, you should independently speed up the ripening period. There are growth stimulants on the market. The use of these biological products does not harm vegetable crops.

The average plant yield is about 100 tons per hectare.

Pests and diseases

It is not enough to know how to grow carrots. It is important to be able to revive beds and get rid of harmful insects, infections and viruses. Carrots are most susceptible to white and gray rot, bacteriosis, felt disease and fomosis. Of the pests that attack vegetable crops, hogweed, carrot fly and hawthorn aphid.

• White rot appears due to excessive amounts of nitrogen in the soil. Plants can be saved by adding preparations containing copper.
• Gray mold is a fungal disease. Insecticides are used to treat carrots. As a preventive measure, soil disinfestation is carried out. The affected bushes look weak, the tops wither even with sufficient moisture.
• Bacteriosis, or wet bacterial rot, is infection. Affected plants are removed from the garden, and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied to the remaining root crops. Affected plants are burned. If you bury them, the infection will penetrate into the soil. Prevention of bacteriosis is timely loosening of the soil and compliance with crop rotation rules in the garden. To prevent the disease from affecting large and smooth carrots during storage, the crop is dried in the sun after harvesting.
• Rhizoctoniosis, or felt disease, is a fungal disease. To combat the disease, plantings are sprayed with a solution that contains mancozeb or copper oxychloride. As a preventive measure, the rules of crop rotation are observed and the soil is periodically disinfested.
• Fomoz is one of the most dangerous fungal diseases. Affected plants are removed from the garden, the rest are treated antifungal agents. To prevent the disease, harvest on time and store at a temperature not exceeding 10°C. Optimal temperature storage - 2°C. At lower temperatures, the root crop freezes, and at higher temperatures, it becomes lethargic. Droopy carrots lose their taste. After harvesting, carrot tops are removed from the site.
• To protect carrots from pests, flowers with pungent odor: marigolds, geraniums, etc. - remove weeds in a timely manner and do not plant vegetables nearby that are affected by the same pests. Tar helps fight carrot onions.

To minimize the risk of any diseases, use healthy planting material High Quality. Low-quality seeds often produce weak and light-colored carrots, which must often be treated with chemicals during development.

Conclusion

Carrots, with their high productivity, are a profitable crop. It is good for health. For example, carrot juice is dripped into the nose for a runny nose. It is not always possible to grow even fruits. The reason for this is the application of chlorine-containing fertilizers, deoxidation of the soil before sowing, the presence of organic matter in the soil, excess moisture, disruption of the thinning process, and excess nitrogen.

To grow large carrots and get a good harvest, it is not necessary to acquire special equipment. The main thing is to take agricultural measures in a timely manner. Helps with this routing, where it is convenient to mark the time of watering, the date of fertilizing, etc. by day.

Carrots are in second place after potatoes in the ranking of the popularity of root crops grown in our dachas. And the most demanding root crop in terms of growing conditions and care, although this is not obvious. Especially novice gardeners complain that the carrots did not grow well, or that they were small, crooked, “hairy”, cracked, bitter, with black spots, rotted and molded during storage. A lot of troubles can happen to carrots as they grow. To avoid them, you must strictly follow carrot agricultural technology.

This is an open ground plant. There is no need to grow carrot seedlings in our latitudes. The first of the specific conditions for carrots is soil.

Soil for carrots

It should be loose. Most often, our gardens have heavy soil.

And you need carrots:

• loam or sandstone;
• increased fertility;
• well aerated;
• with additional baking powder (sand);
• with acidity as close to neutral as possible (pH 6-7);
• moisture-absorbing;
• not forming a soil crust.

Soil for carrots - preparing high-quality soil

It is advisable to observe these conditions not separately, but all at once. They are all important, but the most important, perhaps, is the looseness of the soil. The root crop must receive oxygen, otherwise it will have poor taste and suffer from fungal diseases.

Important! When sowing seeds in insufficiently loose and moisture-absorbing soil, their germination rate is greatly reduced.

Predecessors are suitable and not so

The second important factor. The plant cannot be grown in one place even for two years in a row. Carrots are not suitable for monocultures, since already in the second year of cultivation in the old place they begin to be affected by aphids, nematodes, Alternaria blight and especially carrot flies.

The place where the root crop is cultivated must be changed annually. Return to the old one - no earlier than the fourth year.

Predecessors of carrots

Suitable	Absolutely not suitable
Cabbage	Carrot
Bows	Caraway
Tomatoes	Parsley
Legumes	Dill
cucumbers	Parsnip

Sowing process

Timing for sowing carrot seeds in the ground open type depend on several factors. They are:

• weather;
• varietal characteristics;
• purpose of cultivation.

Before sowing, the seeds must be prepared, and the soil must be treated and filled with fertilizers.

Soil preparation

Before sowing the root crop into the garden bed, it is necessary to add nutrients there. For carrots, the presence of humus or compost is required during the period of germination and the beginning of development. The norm of humus or vegetable compost per square meter of bed is 5 liters.

In addition to organic matter, nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are also added. The soil is dug to the depth of a spade two weeks before sowing.

If your soil is heavy loam, add sand as a loosening agent and also sawdust and ash. The root vegetables will be sweet, juicy, smooth and store well.

Important! Fresh manure cannot be applied to carrots (even if sowing is done before winter). The addition of unrotted organic matter will certainly lead to branching of root crops and a significant deterioration in taste. There is also no need to apply nitrogen fertilizers in excess of the norm, otherwise the root tissues will become coarser, the juiciness will decrease, but an excess of nitrates will appear.

On the eve of sowing, the soil on the ridge is loosened, leveled, and watered. Grooves two centimeters deep are made in the soil, with a distance of 15 cm between them.

Seed preparation

One of the ways to sow carrots is winter sowing. In this case, the seeds are not processed in any way and do not undergo preparation. Sowed dry.

During the winter in the ground they go through the process of vernalization, and in the spring they begin to grow very early. Since seeds germinate already at +8°C, ready-made root crops sown in winter can be obtained two weeks earlier than those sown in the spring. But such carrot roots are not suitable for long-term storage.

Advice! In spring, early carrots are sown in early April, late carrots - from mid-April to early May. The earlier you sow carrots, the more moisture stored in the soil from winter will reach the seeds.

Carrots take a long time to germinate - some varieties may take up to 25 days. This process is intended to speed up the preparation of seeds, as well as to disinfect them in order to protect them from future diseases.

Methods for preparing carrot seeds

Way	Description
	First, the seeds are placed in a jar with a saline aqueous solution (2 tbsp/1 l). Those that float up should not be sown - these are dummies that do not contain an embryo. The settled seeds are taken out of the water, washed and placed, wrapped in a cloth, in a hot place (+60°C) clean water for a quarter of an hour. Rinse again with cool water. Dry for 24 hours and sow.
	This method is the simplest. There is no need to prepare solutions, and long soaking is also not required. After placing the seeds in a bag, put it in the refrigerator or bury it in the soil in early spring. Before sowing, the seeds are removed, washed, dried and sown.
	This method is suitable for own seeds, as a disease prevention. Seeds in a bag are dropped into a glass with warm water(+40°C stable temperature, to which 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide is added. The solution can be prepared from manganese (slightly pink). The seeds are kept in peroxide for a day, in potassium permanganate for 2 hours. Then washing, drying and sowing.
	This processing method increases the yield of carrots and also accelerates the ripening of root crops. You need only 20 g of ash per liter of water. It is infused for two days. Then it is filtered and soaked for 4 hours. Treatment is carried out one day before sowing.

Sowing and germination

You can use the “grandmother’s” method and simply germinate the seeds in a damp gauze and saucer until persistent five-millimeter roots appear.

The prepared seeds are sown densely in the grooves prepared in the garden bed and covered with light soil. The soil is compacted from above with a board or hands.

The optimal temperature for carrot seedlings is +15… +18°C. Prepared seeds germinate within 10-12 days.

Caring for carrots

Maintenance activities include weeding, loosening, digging, watering, pest control and fertilizing. All are required, none can be ignored.

Carrots are a long-day plant, so they need good development need a lot of sun. Growing this root vegetable in the shade and even in partial shade is another mistake made by inexperienced gardeners who complain about crop failure.

Breakthrough

Or thinning is a mandatory procedure. It is carried out twice. The first time a green root vegetable produces two true leaves. A distance of 2.5-3 cm remains between shoots.

A month later, when the young carrots have grown to 1.5 cm in diameter, a second breakthrough is carried out. This time, a distance of 6 cm is left between the plants, and the torn roots can be used for food.

Video - Thinning a carrot bed

Important! Do not leave uprooted plants or tops in the garden bed, even for a short time. The smell of carrots will attract carrot flies, which will then destroy all plantings.

Carrots need to be constantly removed from weeds, loosened and planted so that the head of the root crop does not become green and bitter. Loosening is carried out after each rain or watering to destroy the soil crust, which blocks oxygen access to the roots.

Watering

Watering is carried out frequently (every other day in hot weather), but the doses of moisture are small. The maximum amount of moisture required for carrots is:

• after sowing until seedlings emerge (make sure that the soil does not dry out);
• during the formation of the root crop;
• during the period of its intensive growth.

Watering carrots better evening, at sunset. It has been proven that in dry years, timely watering increases the yield and improves the quality of root crops.

Watering stops completely 20 days before the expected harvest, otherwise the root crops will crack.

Pest Control

There are many preventative ways to prevent carrots from being damaged by pests and diseases.

1. Timely tillage.
2. Maintain crop rotation.
3. Destruction of residues and tops after harvesting.
4. Seed disinfection.
5. Planting partner plants nearby (for example, onion phytoncides repel carrot flies).

If prevention does not bring the desired result, and the carrots are still damaged, the crops need to be treated.

Root crops are treated with “Lepidocide” and “Bitoxibacillin” against carrot flies and aphids. These are biological products. Treatment is carried out twice - immediately after detection of pests on the leaves of the plant and two weeks later.

Phytocid or Mikosan are used against Alternaria and other diseases caused by pathogenic fungi.

Timely use of “medicines” will protect carrots from pests. Just do not carry out the treatment immediately before harvesting. After this, you must wait at least 20 days.

Top dressing

During the growing season, the root crop is fed twice. You can use both mineral fertilizers and organic matter.

Application mineral supplements is carried out according to the following scheme.

1 feeding– at the age of 21 days (three weeks after sprouting). Ingredients: water, balanced azophosphate, potassium sulfate. Proportions: 1 l/1 tbsp/1 tbsp.

2 feeding- a month after the first.

Important! Organic fertilizers for this root crop should be used with caution. It is better to add them in solution.

Bird droppings are diluted 1/10 in water, settled, diluted with water again 1/10, poured into the grooves.

Mullein is diluted with water 1/20, infused, and watered into the furrows, which always follows the main watering.

If you want to get sweet carrots, 20 days before harvesting the root crops, the tops need to be sprayed with a solution of humates (1 g per 10 liters of water) plus nitrogen fertilizing in proportion lower by half. After this procedure, the beneficial substances from the tops “go” into the root crop, and the carrots turn out juicy and sweet.

Video - How to feed carrots

Video - Caring for sown carrots

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 along with potatoes and onions, it is unpretentious in care 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.
• Oversupply nitrogen fertilizers, fertilizing with a high content of microelements, 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, you can plant root crops 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 next year high-quality harvest without any deformation.
• 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.
• Better soil for carrots it will be sandy loam and slightly clayey 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 direct disembarkation seeds, you should water the soil well and cover it with film to create a greenhouse effect and warm the soil a little.

The quality of carrots and the quantity of harvest depends on many factors. However, the key to success is smart choice and proper preparation 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. Weed grass with strong roots interferes 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 soil leads to poor germination of seedlings.

A beautiful and tasty carrot can only appear if it is feed periodically. Therefore, an important stage of care is the introduction of useful components into the soil. Chicken droppings, ash, mullein or humus, previously diluted in water, are perfect for these purposes. 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 good harvest, required 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. 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 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.

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

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

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

1. Early spring sowing from April 15 to May 15. Throughout June you can already collect bunches of carrots, and with the arrival of August you can enjoy the sweet root vegetables.
2. Summer sowing from May 15 to June 10. The harvest will take place at the end of September; these carrots are stored in the cellar for winter storage.
3. Pre-winter sowing from October 20 to November 15 allows you to consume young root crops before harvesting the main harvest. The main thing is to choose 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 in all possible timing, That fresh vegetables will be on the table all year round.

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

Choosing a place for a garden bed

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

• this vegetable crop grows well in illuminated areas;
• fertile loamy-sandy soil with 4% humus and neutral acidity 6-7 pH;
• Previously, potatoes, tomatoes, corn and legumes were grown at the planting site;
• do not use for growing beds where 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 the carrots will take on an ugly shape due to strong growth resistance.

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 implies sticking 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 until room temperature and mix with mineral fertilizers. Add seeds to the resulting liquid and stir quickly. Pour the paste evenly into the grooves. With this method there is no need to thin out the plantings.

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

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

If dry planting material is selected for sowing, then additional training. 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 clean water and dry.

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 inputs 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.

On 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.