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Carrots are one of the healthiest and most nutritious vegetables around. For the first time, this root vegetable was found in Asia, that carrot was painted purple and was completely unsuitable for consumption. Only carrot seeds were used, they were considered useful and even medicinal. Later varieties already resembled a modern vegetable - they had an orange color and juicy, crispy flesh.
Various varieties of carrots are grown almost all over the world. There are more thermophilic crops, cold snap-resistant species. Carrot varieties popular in 2019 with photos and descriptions will be discussed in this article..
How carrots are grown
Carrots are an unpretentious culture. It is very easy to buy seeds and grow this vegetable. Carrots do not require any special soil composition, they do not need regular and frequent watering.
Sow carrots with seeds directly into the ground (the culture is not grown by seedlings). After the emergence of seedlings, the plants are thinned so that the distance between the seedlings is at least 5 cm.
You can plant carrots in any soil: both sandy and black earth or clay. The plant does not require special feeding, it rarely becomes a "target" for pests and diseases.
In the country or in the garden, almost any site is suitable for carrots. There should not be high humidity, otherwise, carrots are unpretentious.
What seeds to choose for planting
The choice of varieties of carrots for planting largely depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. But this is not the only factor. Equally important:
- type of soil on the site;
- required rate of fruit ripening (early, medium or late carrots);
- the purpose of the crop (processing, sale, storage, fresh consumption);
- harvest volumes;
- taste of carrots.
It is clear that when choosing seeds, you need to take into account all these factors, having decided on the most priority ones.
For example, for commercial purposes, foreign hybrids are most often grown - they give stable yields, have the same and even fruits. However, such vegetables do not differ in high taste, their taste is less pronounced than that of domestic counterparts.
In order to provide your own family with fresh vegetables, you can opt for varieties and hybrids of Russian selection. Such crops are more adapted to the local climate, have the best taste, and can be stored for a long period.
For those who value the speed of ripening, seeds of early ripening vegetables are suitable. But it must be remembered that early carrots will not be very shelf-stable - they cannot be stored for a long time. Mid-season and late varieties are more suitable for stocks for the winter.... By the way, in such carrots, not only the appearance will be preserved, but also useful vitamins.
In 2019, new varieties of carrots may appear, but the varieties of this vegetable that exist today are quite enough.
"Tushon"
Like all early ripening varieties, "Tushon" is intended for fresh consumption and processing (freezing, canning, cooking various dishes).Vegetables ripen about 80 days after sowing the seeds into the soil.
Ripe fruits have a cylindrical shape, elongated - their length is about 20 cm. The peel has many small "eyes", its surface is smooth. The color of the root vegetable is rich orange. The shape of the fruit is correct and identical.
The weight of each root vegetable ranges from 90 to 150 grams. The core of the carrot is dense, juicy, colored in the same orange shade as the peel. The taste characteristics of the "Tushon" variety are good - the fruits can be added to various dishes or eaten raw.
Carrots contain a large amount of carotene, give high yields - up to 4.5 kg per square meter of land.
"Alenka"
One of the most productive varieties of carrots ripens on the 100th day after planting the seeds, therefore it belongs to the mid-season. The fruits grow small - their length is about 15 cm, and the diameter reaches 4 cm.
But from each square meter, you can get up to 10 kg of root crops. Moreover, their quality is excellent: the carrots are juicy and crispy, suitable for long storage, root crops do not crack, are resistant to most diseases characteristic of carrots.
Alenka carrots are suitable for growing in any region of the country: both in the south and in the Urals.
"Vitamin 6"
It is impossible not to include the well-known variety "Vitaminnaya 6" in the rating of the best root crops. Carrots ripen about 100 days after sowing the seeds, they are mid-ripening. The plant is resistant to major diseases, unpretentious in care.
The fruits are colored red-orange, their peel is smooth, with small "eyes". The shape of the root crop is cylindrical, regular, with a blunt end. The length of the carrot is about 18 cm, the weight is up to 170 grams.
Fruits contain a very large amount of carotene and other vitamins; after winter storage, the vegetable retains most of the nutrients.
"Karotel"
One of the most famous varieties is Karotel. The culture begins to bear fruit on the 90th day after sowing the seeds into the soil. The variety has a high yield - up to 7 kg per square meter.
The culture is unpretentious and versatile - suitable for growing in any region of the country.
Root crops have the shape of a blunt-pointed cylinder, short - up to 15 cm. The weight of one vegetable reaches only 100 grams. The main feature of the variety is its taste. "Karotel" has a juicy pulp with a characteristic "carrot" aroma and pronounced taste.
The harvest can be stored until the next gardening season. Root vegetables contain so many vitamins that they are often used in the production of baby food and diet food.
"Nantes 4"
One of the common table varieties is the Nantes 4 carrot. Root crops become mature about three months after sowing seeds in the ground.
The fruits are in the shape of a cylinder, the tip of the root crop is rounded. The carrots are colored orange, the skin is smooth. Each vegetable weighs about 120 grams and is up to 16 cm long.
The pulp of carrots is juicy, tasty, contains a lot of carotene and fiber. The fruits tolerate transportation and long-term storage well.
"Samson"
Very similar to the previous variety - carrots "Nantes". This vegetable is better adapted to the climate of the Central Russia.
The fruits are cylindrical in shape, the tip of each is slightly pointed. The color of the root crop is orange, the surface is smooth. The weight of each vegetable can be up to 150 grams.
The lined, beautiful fruit is simply for sale. However, this variety is not only attractive in appearance - the carrot is also tasty, it can be stored for a long time or consumed fresh.
"Chantenay Royal"
This carrot can also be attributed to mid-season varieties - the fruits can be harvested 120 days after sowing the seeds into the soil. The variety is versatile, it can be grown in any region, any type of soil is suitable for this.
The fruits are bright orange and cone-shaped. The length of each reaches 17 cm, and the diameter is 5 cm. The surface of the root crop is smooth, the shape is leveled.
The culture is resistant to most diseases, including flowering.
Carrot harvest can be stored for up to 9 months, consumed fresh, added to canned food and various dishes.
"Queen of Autumn"
To get an early harvest of this variety, you need to plant the seeds in the fall. With a normal (not winter) planting, the culture bears fruit three months after the first shoots appear.
The fruits are very smooth, cylindrical, smooth surface. The length of the carrot reaches 22 cm, weight - 170 grams. The inside of the fruit is juicy and fragrant. High commercial qualities allow to grow the "Queen of Autumn" in large quantities for sale.
The plant is resistant to low temperatures, the most frequent "carrot" diseases, has a good yield - up to 9 kg per meter.
"Sentyabrina"
Carrots of this variety are harvested at the end of summer, when about 120 days have passed from the moment of sowing. The fruits grow quite large: their weight is, on average, 300 grams, and their length is 25 cm.
The root crop is colored in a standard orange color, the surface is smooth, the shape is elongated conical. This vegetable is great for fresh consumption, cooking, and canning. But it is better not to leave “Sentyabrina” for winter storage - there will be practically no nutrients and vitamins left in root crops.
"Abaco"
Moody enough hybrid created on the basis of several well-known varieties of carrots at once. The culture is very dependent on external conditions: temperature and humidity. To get a high and high-quality crop of root crops, you will have to water the plants often and abundantly, plant seeds only after a constant air temperature has become around 15-17 degrees.
If the carrots do not have enough moisture, they will crack, change shape, and lose their presentation. The length of the root crop is 20 cm, the core has a rich orange color.
The vegetable is very tasty, great for salads, heat treatment, canning. For a long storage Abaco carrots are not suitable.
"Emperor"
Hybrid carrots can vary significantly depending on the seed manufacturer. Some vegetables of this variety are very surprising sweet pulp, others strike with increased fragility - they break at the slightest pressure.
Root vegetables are colored deep orange, have a pointed downward shape. The maximum weight of each vegetable can reach 550 grams, and the length is 35 cm.
The taste of the variety is also quite unusualdifferent from the standard "carrot" flavor.
"Nandrin"
Carrot variety "Nandrin" belongs to the early maturing subspecies, however, it differs in that it is perfectly stored for a long period. The culture is unassuming - it feels great both on a modest summer cottage and on a huge farm field.
The fruits are large enough - up to 25 cm in length, colored orange, have the shape of a cone. The vegetable is juicy and aromatic.
Custom carrots
In addition to the well-known orange carrots, there are many other varieties of this vegetable. Of these, you can name:
- White carrots - in shape it resembles the usual one, the difference is that the vegetable has no pigment, therefore it is painted white. The root vegetable tastes very appetizing and juicy, contains a lot of useful substances. For a long time, white carrots were used as a fodder vegetable (for livestock), but today they are a favorite variety of many summer residents and gardeners. The fruits are stored for a long time, they are used for cooking various dishes.
- Red carrot - the champion among all types in terms of lycopene content. This pigment is responsible for cleansing the body of harmful toxins and toxins, prevents the appearance of neoplasms, including cancerous ones. You can store red carrots for a long time, but it will lose more than half of the substances it contains.
- Black - a very unusual variety that differs from the rest not only in appearance. Pulp black carrot tender and juicy, has a pronounced vanilla flavor.Such root vegetables are not afraid of low temperatures, even with a slight frost, the vegetables will remain intact. Another feature of this species is the yellow inflorescences, emitting a pleasant exotic smell.
- Yellow carrot contains more nutrients than any other species. Xanthophyll is responsible for blood vessels and the heart, and the substance lutein protects the eyes from ultraviolet radiation. It is not difficult to grow yellow carrots, it only needs timely watering. Root crop yields are high enough.
- Fodder varieties intended for feeding domestic animals (cows, pigs, rabbits, poultry). These root vegetables do not have a pleasant taste, but they contain a lot of nutritious fiber and nutrients.
The choice of carrot variety for the 2019 gardening season should be based on several important factors. To obtain a large amount of high-quality product, it is better to choose hybrids of domestic and foreign selection, and for growing carrots for your own needs, proven varieties of local selection are quite enough.
