Content
Modern gardeners are offered more than 200 varieties of carrots for growing in central and northwestern Russia. However, among such a variety, one can single out the best types of root crops with high yields, excellent external and taste qualities and other comparative advantages. Among them, undoubtedly, should be attributed carrots "Queen of Autumn". A description of the main characteristics of this vegetable, its photo and features of agricultural technology are given in this article.
Root description
The proud name "Queen of Autumn" is not for nothing given to this variety. It is characterized by late ripening period and the excellent characteristics of carrots. Each root vegetable has an even conical shape, its length varies from 20 to 25 cm. The average weight of a vegetable is 60-180 g. Carrot pulp is bright orange with a reddish tint, very sweet and juicy. You can compare the given description of the "Queen of Autumn" with the real external qualities of the root crop in the photo.
To simplify the classification, all carrot varieties are subdivided into 10 varieties in accordance with the shape, size and main characteristics of the root crop. Thus, the “Queen of Autumn” carrot variety belongs to the Flakke variety. In Russia, it is customary to call him Valeria. All root crops of this category contain a relatively low amount of carotene, but at the same time they have a high yield and keeping quality. So, the yield of the variety "Queen of Autumn", in the presence of favorable growing conditions, is 9 kg / m2... You can store the root crop throughout the entire winter period, until the onset of a new harvest season.
Features of agricultural technology
At first glance, there is no trick in growing carrots. But for some reason, often, despite the efforts made by the gardener, the vegetable is bitter, cracked, underweight, shaped defects and other shortcomings. In order to exclude them, one should take into account the peculiarities of the agricultural technology of the cultivated variety.
Sowing seeds
Loose soils are best suited for growing carrots. You can create them by mixing compost, sand and garden soil. Tall beds also provide a comfortable environment for root crop growth. Dense, caked soil is the main cause of the curvature of carrots.
The best predecessors for the culture are tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, cereals. At the same time, it is unlikely that it will be possible to grow a full-fledged crop on depleted soils, so it is better to take care of fertilizing in advance in the fall.
Carrot seeds are initially suitable for sowing in the ground, however, many gardeners claim that pre-soaking the seeds for 3-4 days in water accelerates the growth of the plant.
Taking into account the peculiarities of the "Queen of Autumn" carrots, the breeders proposed a scheme for sowing the seed of this variety. So, there should be a distance of at least 20 cm between the rows, at least 4 cm between the adjacent seeds. It is rather difficult to maintain such an interval due to the small fraction of the seed. Therefore, gardeners use some tricks, for example:
- seeds are glued to the tape of toilet paper at the required interval, after which it is embedded in the ground;
- mix the seeds with dry sand and sprinkle the resulting mixture into the furrows, thereby adjusting the distance between the seeds.
When sowing a crop, the recommended seeding depth is 2-2.5 cm.
Growing
The "Queen of Autumn" variety is highly resistant to cold weather. So, even young growth can successfully withstand frosts up to -4 0C. However, with long-term cold snaps, the growth of the root crop slows down significantly. The optimum temperature for growing a vegetable of this variety is +18 0FROM.
Under favorable conditions, seedlings of the culture appear 2 weeks after sowing the seed. So that during this time the garden is not covered with abundant greenery and weeds it should be covered with polyethylene. The construction of a shelter will also prevent moisture evaporation and cracking of the soil.
When growing carrots of any variety, special attention should be paid to watering. It should be moderately abundant and systematic. Otherwise, you may encounter the following situations:
- frequent abundant watering makes the carrots rough and tasteless, like fodder;
- carrots without sufficient watering grow sluggish, slightly sweet, and may even die. It is characterized by poor keeping quality;
- lack of systematic watering leads to cracking of the root crop;
- surface watering of the ridges leads to the abundant formation of small roots on the surface of the vegetable, as well as to its curvature;
Thus, the Queen of Autumn carrots should be watered abundantly, but infrequently. This will allow the root crop to form smooth, juicy, sweet.
Thinning is another must-have when growing carrots. The first thinning should be performed 12-14 days after the emergence of seedlings. Secondary thinning should be done after 10 days. Thinning should be done with utmost care so as not to damage the root system of the remaining plants, as this can lead to the subsequent deformity of the vegetable. Densely growing carrots grow frail, thin, and quickly rot during storage.
Fertilizing carrots during the growing period can be done with special fertilizers or superphosphate. At the same time, the use of fresh manure leads to the appearance of bitterness in the taste and ugly distortions of the fruit.
If all the rules of cultivation are observed, the fruits of the "Queen of Autumn" variety ripen 117-130 days after sowing the seed. This period is considered to be quite long, however, it helps to improve the keeping quality of carrots.
An example of how to properly grow large, tasty "Queen of Autumn" carrots is shown in the video:
Vegetable storage
Carrots are a rather capricious vegetable to store. Therefore, even such a specialized variety as the "Queen of Autumn" should be properly prepared for a long winter maturation. This requires:
- Harvest in accordance with the period of its ripening, which is declared by the manufacturer, since unripe carrots are prone to decay, and overripe carrots are susceptible to pests;
- Watering should be stopped a few days before harvesting. This will preserve the sweetness and juiciness of the vegetable;
- Cut off the tops 0.5 cm below the growing point, so that the greens do not absorb the juices from the root crop;
- Prepared carrots must be dried in the sun for 2-3 hours, then placed in conditions with a temperature of 10-140From for 2 weeks. This will allow the carrots to heal the damage, and the diseased fruits to show defects;
- Winter storage of a vegetable can be carried out in containers with sand or sawdust filler, as well as in moss, clay, onion husks, and a plastic bag.
The optimal conditions for winter storage of carrots are humidity 90-95%, temperature 0- + 10C. In such conditions, the carrots of the "Queen of Autumn" variety can be preserved until the next harvest without loss of quality.
Conclusion
Choosing the "Queen of Autumn" variety is an excellent solution for farmers who not only want to get a rich, tasty carrot harvest, but also to preserve it throughout the winter period. After all, fresh, juicy carrots in winter can become a delicious treat and a natural source of vitamins.At the same time, a vegetable grown by your own hands is doubly tastier and healthier.
