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Many common dishes contain carrots as ingredients. Besides cooking, it is widely used in folk medicine and cosmetics. Growing carrots may seem simple, but in fact, this business requires knowledge and adherence to some subtleties.
Review of carrot varieties for the Leningrad region
In some regions, it is worth planting specially zoned varieties. The following section discusses how to choose the best carrots for planting in the Leningrad Region.
Nantes 4
This variety belongs to the mid-season, it takes from 78 to 105 days before harvesting. Carrots in the form of a cylinder grows 16 cm long, weight is about 100-120 g. The root crop is bright orange, the outer surface is even, there are small depressed points.
It has a bright reddish pulp, juicy, aromatic, with a sweet taste. This variety is considered one of the best, suitable for sowing in winter. High-yielding - about 6 kg. The plant does not resist white and gray rot. The variety is often used in industrial crops. Root crops are well stored in the first half of winter.
Nantes 14
In terms of key indicators (including the growing season, characteristics of root crops), the variety slightly differs from Nantes 4. It is also one of the most common varieties of carrots among gardeners. It tastes great, keeps better than the one described above.
Losinoostrovskaya 13
The variety belongs to the mid-season, it takes about 80-120 days to ripen. Carrots reach 15 cm in length, their weight is quite large - 70-155 g. Root crops of the variety grow in the form of a cylinder, the nose can be either blunt or slightly pointed. The outer surface is orange with small dark blotches. It has a pleasant pulp with excellent taste.
The yield of the variety is in the range of 5-6 kg. The plant resists diseases well (it is not affected by rot as often as the Nantes 4 variety). Losinoostrovskaya carrots are characterized by a very high content of carotene, and during storage, its share increases by one and a half times.
Moscow winter A-515
This carrot continues a number of mid-season varieties. Its shape is elongated, conical, the nose is obtuse. The core is up to half of the total diameter, it has a rounded or irregular shape. The pulp is reddish-orange in color, with a good taste.
This carrot variety is high yielding. Suitable for sowing in winter. It is considered one of the most suitable varieties for long-term storage.
Chantenay 2461
The cultivar bears reddish-orange fruits in the shape of a cone with a blunt end. Carrots grow about 12-18 cm long, 4-8 cm in diameter. Belongs to early ripening varieties. Until the fruit ripens and the harvest begins, it takes up to 95 days. Carrots grow well in loam.
In terms of taste, the variety is inferior to the varieties mentioned above - Nantes 4 and Nantes 14. However, the fruits last longer.
Khibinskaya
The next variety adapted to the conditions northwest... We can say that this is a novelty of selection. The plant gives a bountiful harvest, and in a relatively short time. The fruits have excellent taste and are stored for a long time.
There are many varieties that are zoned for the northern regions.Although the southern regions have a slightly wider variety of varieties, those who live in cool climates can also start growing carrots.
How to get an early harvest
To get an early harvest, many gardeners sow carrot seeds before winter. This should be done before the arrival of stable frosts, and also varieties intended for such cultivation should be chosen. A bed for winter sowing is allocated on a site with a slight slope to the south or southwest. Thanks to the correct location, the soil will thaw out in spring more quickly, and water will not stagnate on the surface.
The following are the main points of soil preparation:
- they begin to prepare the garden a month before the planned sowing, until the soil is frozen and it can be well dug up;
- for carrots, a site is suitable where cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, onions (any), pumpkin, potatoes were planted this season;
- again to the same site plant carrots can be done no earlier than after 4 years;
- the soil in the garden bed is preliminarily freed from the remaining greenery and dug to a depth of 35-40 cm;
- the soil is fed with fertilizer.
As fertilizers for planting carrots use humus (1-2 buckets per square meter of soil). You can also use superphosphate (per 1/2 tablespoon meter) or potassium salt (2 teaspoons).
In addition to mineral additives, ordinary ash can be used. During soil preparation, one glass is sufficient per square meter. If the soil is heavy, add rotted sawdust.
How to prepare a bed for carrots
After digging and fertilizing, the soil must be loosened. Furrows with a depth of about 5 cm are formed on the bed.The gap between them is left 20-25 cm.When the time comes to sow carrot seeds, the grooves will settle and their depth will reach 2-3 cm.
You should fill in the soil in advance to fill the grooves when sowing carrot seeds. Until that time, it will be stored in a warm room.
Sowing is carried out in frozen ground when low temperatures are established. This usually happens in mid-November. To ensure a sufficient number of shoots, the seed rate per garden bed is increased by a quarter. When sowing is complete, the grooves are covered with prepared soil. It is worth placing a thin layer of peat or humus on top. When it snows, the bed is additionally filled up.
Work in the garden in early spring
When spring begins, it's time to return to work in the garden. To make the snow melt faster and the earth begins to warm up, they immediately remove the snow. Sometimes peat is scattered over the surface. Dark top dressing heats up faster in the sun, so the remaining snow leaves the garden faster.
There is another possibility to speed up the ripening of carrots. A shelter is installed above the bed. For this:
- fix along the entire length of the arc bed;
- non-woven material (film, spunbond, etc.) is laid on top of the arcs.
List of works when seedlings appear
Carrot beds should be well looked after. The gardener needs:
- loosen the soil;
- free the garden from weeds;
- thin out the shoots;
- fertilize in a timely manner.
Loosening is important because this procedure improves the flow of oxygen to the sprouts. When the soil dries up, you need to loosen up the gaps between the rows.
Weeds should be removed a couple of weeks after sprouting. At the same time, the carrots are thinned out. A distance of 2 cm should remain between the plants. After two and a half weeks, thinning is repeated. Now you need to leave 5 cm between the sprouts.
If necessary, the soil can be fertilized again. For this, nitrogen fertilizer is placed along the grooves in the proportion of half a tablespoon per square meter.With winter planting, a fresh crop of carrots can be obtained in the first half of June.
Harvesting details
Crop is harvested at different times. They are determined by the characteristics of the variety. Initially carried out harvesting carrotsplanted in the winter. When thinning is carried out a second time, young vegetables of any kind are already suitable for consumption. The established standard for ripe carrots is 3 cm diameter.
Continuous cleaning is carried out before frost. Usually this time falls on the end of September. The method of harvesting carrots is also determined by the characteristics of the variety. If the roots are short or medium in length, they are pulled out with the tops. Long carrots will require a shovel or pitchfork. Then the crop is sorted. For long-term storage, only undamaged fruits of the corresponding varieties are left.
Carrots are one of the cold-resistant crops. At the same time, when planting in a north-western climate, it is recommended to give preference to zoned varieties. Many gardeners practice winter planting of a number of varieties. It allows you to get a harvest of carrots in early June.
