When to plant carrots?

Carrots are one of the most popular crops grown in our gardens and cottages.This is an extremely useful and nutritious root crop, rich in various vitamins and microelements, and besides, it is widely used to prepare the most delicious culinary delights.

You can buy carrots in the store, but that root is more useful that is grown on its own plot.

Planting carrots produce seedless way - that is, the seeds directly into the open ground. If you first plant a seed in a pot and then swoop, then the likelihood of damage to the roots is high, in this case it does not make sense to wait for strong and large root crops. In this regard, most gardeners have an important question - when to plant carrots so as to get a good harvest.

Most varieties are planted in early spring as soon as the snow melts. At the same time, it is well known that carrots differ in varieties, and each of them has its own agrotechnical features and requirements at the time of sowing.

An important role is played by the climatic zone in which the crop is planted - for example, the sowing period in the south and in the northern regions will vary greatly.

Each summer resident, as a rule, has his own experience of growing certain crops and is guided by his own experience, choosing the dates for growing carrots. Others follow the lunar calendar or manufacturer's advice. But the main factor that primarily affects the timing of planting is the weather conditions and the climatic features of the region.

The following indicators are considered ideal for planting carrots: at night - + 5 ... 7 degrees Celsius and during the day - + 15 ... 18 degrees. Such conditions provide rapid seed germination and early ripening.

On this basis, carrots should be planted in central Russia no earlier than the 20th of April, since the threat of night frosts usually persists for a rather long time and even until the first decade of May.

But in the Urals, in the Leningrad region and other cities located in the north, one should not plant seeds before May 10-15, the sowing campaign in Siberia can only be started at the end of May, because there is snow for quite a long time.

Separately, it is necessary to dwell on the cultivation of carrots for the winter - in this case, there are clear deadlines for work: from October 20 to November 25.

For the northern regions, the autumn planting of carrots is not recommended, because even with careful shelter of the site, cases of full seed freezing out after 30-40 degrees frosts are quite often.

Equally important when choosing the time of planting are varietal characteristics of ripening carrots. Early, middle and late ripening varieties are distinguished.

The rate of full ripening of early ripe varieties is 85-90 days;

• middle ripening - 100-110 days;
• late maturity - 120 days.

Before the onset of cold weather in October, even the late-ripening variety will have time to grow, and if the frost comes earlier, the root crop will stop developing and growing, however, the crop itself will not die, only its size will be much smaller than planned.

Unfortunately, the vagaries of the weather are unpredictable, and it is impossible to say exactly when the first cold can be expected. That is why one must be very careful about late planting of various varieties that ripen more than 110 days.

It is very simple to calculate the optimum period for planting: the late-ripening growing season lasts 120 days, so taking into account the fact that the probability of frost is quite high by mid-October, then such carrots should be planted no later than April 15.

If you do not have the opportunity to plant a carrot in the spring, then you can use a summer planting, but in this case it is better to pick varieties in the early season.

The most popular varieties that ripen late are considered the “Queen of Autumn”, “Sweet Winter”, “Red Giant”, “Moscow Winter”, and also “Olympus”.

Among the middle-ripened most often planted "Nantes", "Losinoostrovskaya" carrots, as well as varieties "Shantane" and "Anastasia".

But among the early ripening species such as Alenka, Napoli, Laguna and Orange Muscat are most common. These varieties can be planted both in May and at the end of June - in any case, it will have time to ripen until mid-September.

By the way, many experienced gardeners believe that summer cultivation of carrots is most justified, since it is on summer days that the activity of such a crop pest as a carrot fly stops, and also at this time the insect-threatening plant insects are the least dangerous.

It was also noted that in most Russian regions, during spring planting, the seeds lie for a long time in the ground - this is due to the extreme instability of the temperature regime.

Cultivation of carrots, like any other type of agriculture, is one of the very first sciences that separated civilized humanity from primitive. Nowadays there are many scientific developments, meteorological instruments and many such that affect the yield. In ancient times, people did not have such knowledge, so they were guided by the moon. It is precisely with its activity that the characteristics of planting and caring for plants are associated. In recent years, modern gardeners are increasingly returning to the advice of "stars", so each year a lunar sowing calendar is compiled, which indicates the optimal days for growing a particular culture.

The lunar calendar is a simple table in which the names of the crops and the days favorable for planting are indicated. It is compiled, focusing on the phases of the moon, which affect not only the ebb and flow of the sea, but also the activity of all living things. It is believed that the vital activity of terrestrial plants attains the highest activity at the stage of a growing moon, and carrots, beets and other root vegetables, on the contrary, reach a diminishing moon, therefore, carrots should be planted after a full moon.

For all months in the calendar compiled a list of optimal work. The days when the Moon is under the control of Cancer, Fish, Scorpio or Taurus are optimal for landing. If the Moon is in Aquarius, then it is better to abandon the sowing works, these days you should only water and remove weeds.

The lunar calendar is calculated anew each year, since the phases are not tied to a specific date and days of the week. Modern calendars are compiled in great detail, and although many are skeptical of such practices, the facts show that the behavior of nature largely corresponds to the lunar cycle.

Please note that the Lunar calendar is only advisory in nature, if you decide to focus on it, then by all means take into account the peculiarities of your region - it’s obvious that, for example, in the Krasnodar Territory and in Tyumen on the same day the weather conditions will be absolutely different.

Carrots are extremely demanding on crop rotation, so planting carrots in the same place for two years in a row is not recommended - re-planting is possible not earlier than in 3-4 years. If you strictly follow this rule, the problems with the harvest will never be.

The best predecessors for carrots will be:

• tomatoes;
• cabbage;
• bow;
• cucumbers;
• salad;
• potatoes.

If you alternate planting carrots with these crops, you can achieve optimal preservation of the soil structure and ensure that all the necessary micro and macro elements are present in it.

Parsley can be considered the worst precursor for carrots, because after its cultivation in the ground, pathogenic microorganisms accumulate, which can lead to the most unpleasant diseases of root crops. Even if the disease can be avoided, the fruits will be small, narrow, often crooked and completely devoid of juiciness. However, if there is no possibility to pick up another plot, then it makes sense to at least treat the land with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to avoid contamination.

The cultivation of carrots after beans, cumin, as well as dill, coriander and fennel is considered unsuccessful.

Carrots are considered to be a rather unpretentious crop, but they impose some requirements on the type and composition of the soil. Root crops grow best of all on loamy soil or sandy loam. It is important that the pH of the soil was slightly acidic or neutral. Solid ground with insufficient nutrients to the roots is not suitable, they will be weak, shallow and tasteless.

If the carrots are planted in clay soil, then the likelihood is high that most seeds will not germinate, because a solid film is always formed on the surface of this type of soil, which the young sprout cannot penetrate.

As for micro and macro elements, in this respect the soil should be moderately saturated, since high concentrations of nutrients often lead to the opposite result - the harvest is low, the shape of carrots is usually curved, and so-called horns are often formed.

To prepare the peat soil, the ground should be dug up with turf, fine sawdust, compost or humus, the plant will respond well to the added sand and rotted mullein.

Sawdust and sand should also be added to the chernozem soil, as well as to add superphosphate. If the soil is too sour, then add chalk or dolomite flour to it.

After the snow melts, the ground needs to be re-dug, as the carrot loves loose soil.

Shortly before planting, grooves are formed at a distance of about 15–20 cm from each other, after which they must be poured with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate. This disinfects the ground and reduces the risk of developing carrot disease.

For carrots, it is better to remove sunny, well-lit areas without shade. Watering the crop is rare, but deep, so it will be optimal to mulch the land with sawdust immediately after planting - this will preserve the required level of humidity and at the same time enhance the soil looseness.

Seeds of carrots germinate rather slowly. They sit in one place for a long time before the first shoots appear. This is due to the fact that they contain a large number of various essential oils that prevent the penetration of soil moisture to the embryo.

In the absolute majority of cases, seeds that have been planted dry without any preparation, germinate to the surface of the soil only after 20-25 days. Therefore, they use techniques that allow to “stir up” carrots. To activate the accelerated development, the seeds must first be washed under warm water, then put in a damp cloth, tied up and placed in a saucepan or deep dish with heated liquid - they have to lie there for a couple of days. Experienced gardeners are advised to add wood ash to water at the rate of 2 teaspoons per 1 liter.

As a rule, as a result of such manipulations, seeds appear in the roots, and they can be planted.

There is also a second method, in accordance with it, dry seeds are tied up in linen fabric and with the onset of early spring they are buried in the ground, and sprinkled on top of it with snow. During this period, the land is still cold, cold, but wet, so seed in this form should be left no more than 14 days. As a result, they will undergo a natural stratification and swell, and this will most beneficially affect the carrot's immunity in the future.

Shortly before the scheduled planting date, the seeds are removed from the soil, laid on the fabric and dried well, and only natural drying is allowed without the use of heating devices.

Seeds treated in this way usually germinate within a week.

Many people think that planting carrots is very simple. This is not true. There are several original options for planting it in the ground. Simple planting - in this case, the dry seeds are simply poured into the prepared grooves. This method is simple and easy, but it also has its own rather significant minus - it will take a long time to wait for the seedlings, and the seedlings will not grow evenly.

In this way, you can also plant wet seeds - in this case, the first time they need to be kept in a moist state, otherwise the seedlings may dry out and die.

Planting with sand - using dry seeds. They are mixed with river sand in a ratio of 1 tbsp. l seeds per 1 kg of sand, and then scatter the prepared mixture into the grooves. Shoots will be more uniform, and the sand will retain the necessary moisture and prevent the seed from drying out.

Planting with the seeds of other plants - carrot seeds are mixed with the seeds of radish and other fast-growing plants. They sprout earlier than carrots, making it easier for gardeners to designate beds for carrots and process the aisle more quickly.

Planting with a tape - the usual tape is moistened and gently laid out on its surface seeds. After that, the workpiece is placed in the grooves and sprinkled with soil. Sometimes they use toilet paper, but in recent years, some manufacturers offer for sale ready-made ribbon for planting carrots - you can buy it in all major shops for gardeners.

The third option is considered optimal because it allows you to achieve a more or less uniform germination so that the shoots are located relative to each other at the same distance (it should be in the norm of 23 cm). If the landing will be more frequent, then later it will be necessary to thin the garden, and this will have to be done far more than once.

Seeds are planted to a depth of 2-2.5 cm. Immediately before planting, the prepared depressions should be treated with boiling water and sprinkled with ground ash — only after the manipulations, can the seeds be placed.

The optimal distance between the grooves should be 20 cm, but not less than 10 cm.

For sowing, it is recommended to choose a warm and windless day.

After planting, the ground is covered; this is necessary in order for the sprouted shoots to immediately grow. The film cover is removed as soon as the first sprouts appear, otherwise the moisture level of the ground will be excessive, and young plants may simply rot. If a special material was bought for the shelter, then it can be left as it maintains the necessary level of moisture in the ground, allowing heat and light to penetrate.

Planting carrots is an important stage in crop farming, but caring for it does not end there. In order for the harvest to be large and the fruits tasty, you should follow several recommendations for the care of the plant.

If the carrot will not get enough moisture, it will grow small and tasteless. On the other hand, there is a perception that the more moisture a plant receives, the larger it will reach. This is not true, excessive moisture leads to the death of the root system and the termination of the growing season.

Therefore, watering should be carried out as necessary, it should be carried out as the earthen clod dries. In this case, watering should be carried out in such a way as not to fill the soil, as the roots do not like to grow in a marshy environment.

Fertilizing contribute before the seeds are planted. If fertilizer is applied at the time of vegetation and fruit formation, this may cause accumulation of nitrates when using ready-made complex fertilizers or attracting parasites, if manure, compost and other types of organic matter were used for feeding the plant.

Loosening the land, removing weeds and thinning the seedlings should be carried out as often as possible, because it nourishes the carrots with oxygen, which is very important for the full growth and development of the roots. In addition, loosening helps remove the crust on the surface of the earth, which allows moisture to penetrate deep into the earth and saturate the emerging fruit.

Particular attention should be paid to weeding, which should be as deep as possible - if the weeds are removed superficially, their roots will remain in the ground, sucking the beneficial substances intended for carrots. As well as weeds have a branched root system and the young growing fetus may simply not have room for growth and formation. There are cases when the roots of weeds pushed the young carrots to the surface, where it turned green and became completely unsuitable for food.

Many problems gardeners delivers carrot fly - a parasite that can ruin the crop of root crops. These insects lay their eggs in the ground in close proximity to the growing root crop. Soon, the eggs form larvae, which, in search of food, gnaw through the carrots and thus make it completely unsuitable for consumption.

Summer residents "with experience" recommend planting onions between the rows of carrots - a carrot fly does not tolerate its sharp smell. By the way, the onion fly, which is parasitic on the last one, does not create a nest where the orange beauty exudes its scent. This will allow one move to get rid of two pests at once.

As mentioned above, the use of ready-made fertilizers during the formation of the fruit is not recommended, however, there are old folk remedies, through which you can achieve a good harvest, while not harming either carrots or yourself.

Many feed the plant with a decoction of nettle. This herb contains a huge amount of the most useful trace elements - in its composition is present magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium.To prepare such a decoction, the nettle is crushed and poured with warm water, and then closed with an airtight lid and left for a couple of days to ferment.

To improve the fermentation process, sometimes a pack of yeast (just not dry) or ash is added to the infusion. Before using the solution is diluted with water and fertilized carrots.

Many people love carrot tops - they add it to salads and soups, and besides, they feed it to parrots and other pets. If the tops have become stunted, then foliar dressing can be carried out, for this, any fermented grass is filtered, diluted with water and sprayed on the aerial parts of the plant.

Carrots are a healthy vegetable crop, which, given the sowing time and conditions of care, produces a rich and high-quality crop.

On how to plant carrots, see the following video.