Black carrots: properties, cultivation and application

Black carrot, it is also called scorzonera - this beauty from the Mediterranean.It looks as black as night, and its taste is very similar to our sweet radish. This root vegetable is a close relative of the carrot we are used to; Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt are its homeland. Such a carrot is still considered a wonder for our man.

Scorzonera (it is also called Kozel or sweet root) grows in southern Europe and vast territories of South-West Asia. She began to grow and use in the preparation of various dishes c XVI century. Currently, it is cultivated in many countries, and in Russia gardeners practically do not plant it due to the fact that they have little information about agricultural technology and methods of use and processing. When creating the necessary conditions for growth, it is able to produce a good harvest in our latitudes. In appearance, Scorzoner is practically no different from our orange carrot, it also looks like, there is only one difference - its root is black.

Depending on the variety, the stem has a height of 30 to 70 cm. The leaves are dark in color, depending on the variety, differ in their shape. They may be ovoid or lanceolate. In May, flowering begins, the flowers are yellow, the smell is very reminiscent of delicate vanilla. Seed ripening occurs in the middle of summer.

The root crop appears in the first year and can be stored all winter in the ground. Root scorzonera has a rich black color, the flesh at the root is juicy and white. The length of the root crop reaches about 15 cm, its diameter is no more than 5 cm, its weight is about 150–200 g. In China and Tibet, scoroner is very much eaten, it is practiced to make many medications that are necessary in the treatment of diabetes , anemia and vascular disease.

Many types of scoroner can be found in shops in Turkey. In this southern country, you can buy seeds of exotic varieties "Black Knight", "Lilac Dragon" and Pusa Asilta, which will not take root in our climatic conditions, they can be grown only in greenhouses.

It is worth considering varieties that are well adapted and grow on our plots.

• "Overseas Delicacy" - It is mid-seasoned. Its yield is 2 kg from 1 square. m. This species has a slightly elevated outlet, a cylindrical root crop, the height does not exceed 17 cm, the weight is not more than 130 grams, the color is dark brown. Young leaves are very well suited for making salads.
• "Solar Premiere" is a very early variety, the fruits of which ripen in just 110 days. Its rosette consists of elongated ovoid leaves with long petioles, the root is brown in color. The weight is quite small - about 80 grams. The length of the root is 30 cm, with 1 square. m is going to harvest from 1.5 to 2 kg.
• "Roma" - This is a dietary variety, in which development occurs within two years. The root of the cylindrical form is black, the length of which does not exceed 30 cm. The root crop has a sweetish taste with astringent properties; there is a lot of milky juice in the pulp, useful for people with diabetes.

The nutritional value of scorzonera in many ways exceeds the orange carrot. It contains many vitamins of group B and C, various macro- and microelements necessary for the body, such substances as inulin, asparagine, potassium, zinc and phosphorus. Scorzonera has the following healing properties:

• reduces pressure;
• improves eyesight;
• helps to improve metabolic processes;
• boosts immunity;
• has anti-inflammatory and anti-cough properties;
• is an effective antioxidant.

Since ancient times, black carrots have been used to make an antidote to viper bites. It contains insulin, so the root crop is recommended for people with diabetes.In scoroner there is a lot of lutein, much more than in orange carrots, so it is used to improve eyesight.

Black carrots have such contraindications as:

• can not be used for gastritis and gastric ulcer;
• You must be careful when you first use the fetus, as individual intolerance may occur.

Land for cultivation must be sandy or loamy. Soil with high acidity should be treated with lime. For planting a root crop, it is necessary to choose a sunny plot that has protection from strong winds. Before planting the seeds, we must get rid of weeds and last year's grass, dig up the ground well, after making fertilizer. The prepared soil should be loose.

To improve seed germination and protect against drying, the top layer of soil should be well mixed with sawdust or peat. For better germination, it is necessary to soak them for several hours before planting. Pop-up seeds should be thrown out, and good ones should be removed from the water, put on a damp cloth and within two days try to maintain the required level of humidity. Soon the seeds will turn and they can be planted in the ground. The plant has a fairly large vegetative period - four months should pass from planting seeds to harvesting. Scorzoner seeds are planted in the spring and can be planted in the summer.

To obtain the harvest in the current year, the landing should be made at the end of April. Never use for planting seeds obtained from an annual plant, because they are hard to germinate and the crop will be very small.

In regions where there is no severe frost in the winter, crops are sown before winter. The depth of planting seeds should not be more than 3 cm. On a plot of 10 square meters. m need 15 grams of planting material. In regions where there are late spring frosts, it is possible to provide for early sowing in greenhouses or to use covering material. Seed shoots appear on the tenth day.

To get a good harvest, you should adhere to such basic rules of agricultural engineering as:

• constant and timely watering;
• loosening the soil after watering;
• covering mulch material;
• weed control;
• timely fertilization.

Young bore should not be very abundantly watered, with the growth of water for irrigation is recommended to increase. In the middle of the vegetative period, watering is carried out once a week. On very hot days, water should be at least three times a week.

The day after watering should be loosening the soil. After plants reach five centimeters of growth, cover the ground with mulch of sawdust or peat. Before mulching it is necessary to clear the soil from weeds and loosen. The complex for the care of root crops includes mandatory weed cleaning. They by their presence reduce the necessary space for the growth of roots and take nutrients from the soil.

For the entire vegetative period, it is necessary to feed twice:

• about a month after the emergence of shoots, when the bore is completely strengthened;
• in mid-June, when the active growth of the root.

The best for root crops are liquid fertilizers prepared from a mixture consisting of nitrophosphate, wood ash, superphosphate, potassium nitrate and urea. It is recommended twice a month when watering to add infusion of wood ash, which is a good potash fertilizer for plant growth and a means to repel insect pests.

It is worth considering the main problems with which the gardener can meet on the way at cultivation of a root crop.

• Waterlogging. With a large waterlogging Scorzonera affected by rot, as a result of the roots can be very cracked.
• Lack of moisture leads to the fact that the deformation of the root. It stops growing, side shoots start to go. The taste of this fruit is bad, because it becomes very bitter.
• Excessive thickening leads to long and very tasteless root crops. Plant damage by fungal diseases.

• The presence of insect pests. From the bear will save the solution of vinegar or laundry detergent "Lotus", dissolved in water. From the moth it is best to sprinkle a decoction of tomato tops. Get rid of nematodes can "Decarisom." When dealing with slugs, use a solution of salt. An elderberry or chive bow growing near the beds with root vegetables will scare away many pests. From insects well the scattered wood near the beds is used.
• Different diseases. The most common diseases that can spoil the crop are various types of rot, bacteriosis, and chalcosporosis. The main methods of fighting diseases are the systematic loosening of the soil, spraying with preparations containing copper. When fighting with black rot, spraying is performed with “Roar”, brown spot is cured with a decoction of nettle, and Bordeaux liquid will help a lot with cercosporosis.

By the end of September, roots can be cleaned. To facilitate the collection should be slightly wet the soil in advance. After the whole carrot has been pulled out of the soil, it is necessary to shake off the ground and cut off all the tops. Two days should be allowed to dry for the fetus, putting it in a place where there are no direct sunlight. Only intact fruits are sent for winter storage. Root crops will best be stored in basements in a box with wet sand or moss.

Black carrot is a very tasty product, and its flesh has many beneficial properties. The fruit is widely used in the preparation of various dishes and for medical purposes. Root crop is added when cooking soups, salads and main dishes. It goes well with meat and mushroom dishes. Scorzonera is eaten fresh, its taste is the same as that of black radish. To remove the bitterness from the root, it is best to soak it in salted water before drinking.

Salads in combination with scorzoner, cabbage, beetroot and ordinary carrots turn out very tasty. Depending on personal preferences, they fill this salad with lemon juice, soy sauce, mayonnaise or sour cream. Freshly squeezed scorzonera juices are very helpful. They are prepared both in pure form and in conjunction with other juices, for example, with apple. The root crop is consumed boiled, stewed, fried, it is added when canning vegetables. Scorzoner prepare delicious sauce for meat, mushroom and vegetable dishes.

In the next video you will learn everything about the black carrot variety Scorzonera.