Content
Carrots are an undemanding plant, they have enough watering and sunlight for successful growth. But if the yield of this root crop leaves much to be desired, you need to pay attention to the soil, perhaps it is depleted. To make up for the lack of nutrients, you need to choose the right fertilizer. Fertilizers are applied directly to the soil or the plants are fed during the growing season.
Fertilizing the beds before planting
Carrots grow best on neutral or slightly acidic soils, loose, filled with sufficient nutrients. The preparation of carrot beds begins in the fall, after the previous crop has been harvested. The best precursors for carrots are potatoes, peas, and green crops.
The harvest of carrots growing on acidic soils will always be scarce, the root system does not work well under these conditions, the plant is hungry. You can determine the increased acidity by eye, focusing on weeds plants, or by purchasing special test strips. The following plants readily grow on acidic soil: field horsetail, horse sorrel, buttercups. If there are many such plants on the site, then liming should be carried out before planting carrots in order to reduce the acidity of the soil. For these purposes, you can add lime and dolomite flour. Adding wood ash can also help.
Unscrupulous producers can sell high-acid peat under the guise of lowland peat. A large amount of such peat can significantly increase the acidity of the soil.
Heavy, rocky soil prevents the formation of a quality root crop. During the autumn preparation of the beds, it is necessary to add humus or well-decomposed peat to the soil, if necessary, you can add sand. The amount of humus depends on the density of the soil, if it is very dense, you will need at least 2 buckets per square meter of beds, on lighter soils you can do less. Sand is added at least 1 bucket for very dense soils, for the rest, half a bucket per square meter of beds is enough.
If the autumn processing of the beds did not take place, these manipulations can be carried out during the spring digging.
Carrot nutrients can be added to the soil using mineral or organic fertilizers. When deciding which fertilizers to apply, it is necessary to focus on the last season, if then a lot of fertilizers were applied, their amount this season should be halved.
Organic matter must be applied to carrot beds very carefully, an excess of nitrogen fertilizers can completely destroy the crop. Roots overfed with nitrogen grow deformed, dry and bitter. If the fruits nevertheless grew even, having a marketable appearance, they will not be stored in winter.
It is advisable to apply organic fertilizers to the soil a year before growing carrots, under the previous crop.Since organic compounds are not immediately available for absorption, fertilizers remaining in the soil from last year can serve to feed carrots. If organic matter was not applied to the beds, you can fertilize the soil in the fall. Before the autumn digging of soil, half a bucket of well-rotted manure is applied per square meter of beds, it is necessary to scatter the manure in an even layer so that fertilizers are evenly distributed during digging.
Carrots are very demanding on the content of potassium, magnesium and phosphorus in the soil; without these trace elements, the normal development of carrots is impossible. These elements can be added to the soil in fall, spring, or during the growing season of carrots. In autumn, it is advisable to use dry long-acting fertilizers, the amount of fertilizers for carrots is determined according to the instructions for the product. In the spring, fertilizers for carrots can be applied to the soil in dry or liquid form; during the growing season, it is advisable to use nutrients in liquid form.
Seed treatment
Carrot seeds sprout long enough to accelerate germination, you can use soaking in a solution of mineral fertilizers, adding growth stimulants.
For soaking, it is necessary to choose products with a high content of potassium and magnesium, these microelements help accelerate germination, increase energy, seedlings are stronger. The solution is prepared according to the instructions; 2-3 hours are enough for soaking. After soaking, the seeds are dried and sown in the usual way.
Fertilizers during the growing season
During the growing season, you need to feed the carrots at least three times. If natural fertilizers are used, at least once a month.
If nitrogen fertilizers were not applied last year, this must be done before the fourth true leaf appears in the carrots. The choice is made in favor of complex chelated fertilizers, since they contain nitrogen in a form that is available for rapid absorption by the root system. You can combine the application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers.
When the tops of the carrots reach a size of 15–20 cm, a second feeding is carried out. At this time, carrots are in great need of potash and magnesium fertilizers. The application can be carried out both by watering at the root, and by foliar method, spraying the foliage.
Third time feeding carrots spend a month after the second. This time they also use fertilizers that contain magnesium and potassium.
Signs of nutritional deficiencies
If carrots are deficient in nutrients, this can often be seen by their appearance.
Nitrogen
Lack of nitrogen is expressed in the slow development of root crops. The foliage becomes darker, the formation of new leaves and the development of the root system are suspended.
An excess of nitrogen can be seen from the disproportionate development of the root crop - carrots build up large tops to the detriment of the root crop.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus deficiency is externally expressed in a change in the color of carrot foliage, it acquires a bluish tint. If fertilizers are not applied on time, the leaves dry out, and the root crop becomes very hard.
Excessive phosphorus content in the soil can interfere with the absorption of other trace elements by the root system.
Potassium
Lack of potassium slows down all processes in the plant, at first the lower leaves of the carrot change color and dry out, gradually all the foliage can dry out. The root crop becomes tough, inedible.
Excess potassium can slow down the development of carrots, and the foliage becomes darker in color. By using natural sources of fertilizers such as wood ash, it is impossible to obtain an excess of potassium.
Magnesium
If there is too little magnesium in the soil, the foliage suffers first, gradually, starting from the lower leaves, photosynthesis stops, and the leaf dies off. If a large number of leaves are affected, the carrots will die.
It is difficult to get an excess of magnesium, observing the recommended dosages, it is impossible to overdose on fertilizers.
Boron
An insufficient amount of boron interferes with the formation of full-fledged leaves, the tops grow small, undeveloped. The root system does not develop. An excess of this element is very rare.
Natural sources of fertilizers
Commercial fertilizers can be substituted with natural products that are excellent nutrient suppliers. These fertilizers for carrots can be used for planting and during the growing season.
Weed grass
The cut grass is placed in a large barrel of 25 liters or more. Pour it with warm water, add ash, a glass of sugar and leave to ferment in a warm place. After 1-2 weeks, depending on the air temperature, the fertilizer is ready. Before use, it is diluted with warm water, in a ratio of 1: 5. To process one bed, you need about a bucket of funds. You can use the infusion to fertilize the beds many times by adding weeds and water. The frequency of processing carrot beds is once every two weeks.
Milk serum
Whey contains many beneficial substances that can improve the yield of carrots. To prepare the nutrient solution, wood ash is added to the whey; 0.5 liters of ash is needed for 5 liters of whey. The resulting solution is diluted in water 1: 2, 3-4 liters of fertilizer will be needed per square meter of beds. Top dressing is carried out twice a month.
Onion peel
In addition to providing nutrients, onion skins can protect carrots from their main pest, the carrot fly. A kilogram of husk is soaked in 5 liters of warm, clean water, half of black bread and a glass of ash are added. After 3 days, the fertilizer is ready. It is diluted with water, in a ratio of 1: 5, about 3 liters of finished fertilizer will be needed per square meter of the garden. You can apply not only watering with infusion, but also spraying carrot tops with it.
Conclusion
Well-fertilized beds can produce a large, tasty crop of carrots if fertilized carefully and wisely. It is necessary to carefully observe the dosage and formulation when introducing nutrients.
