What to do with second year carrots. What to do if carrots do not sprout. Necessary activities for culture

This vegetable was once a completely different kind, unsightly, less tasty, and not everyone would dare to eat it. Now carrots are a wonderful and literally indispensable vegetable that is used from feeding children to food for the elderly. And, it would seem, what is easier? I prepared a garden bed, sowed carrot seeds, even planted onions nearby so that there was no onion fly at all, but the harvest was just not there. What is the reason and what to do? In this article, we will look at 12 possible causes of poor carrot growth and tell you what to do in this or that case.

Growing carrots. © Terese

1. The vagaries of the weather

As you know, carrot seeds germinate well already at three degrees Celsius, and carrots grow well if it is from +18 to +24 degrees above zero outside the window, but if it is hotter, then its growth slows down sharply.

How to help? I would advise you to cool the soil in the evening by watering it with a hose, but not by sprinkling, but by gravity, so that the soil cools down at least a couple of centimeters, naturally, it will lower the air temperature, this sometimes helps.

2. Dry, too wet or dense soil

Carrots grow best in light and moderately moist soils. If it is dry, the root crop will not grow, there is also no chance on excessively damp soil, if the soil is dense, it can grow, but bizarre and clumsy.

How to fix dense soil? A bucket of river sand per square meter (this is 12 or 13 kg), until the soil becomes loose and fluffy, then the carrots will just be very comfortable, and you will be surprised how perfect it will be.

Those who think that carrot seeds can be sown directly on the surface of the turf are also very mistaken. Contrary to the opinion that came from somewhere that carrots are practically a weed, they need prepared soil. Therefore, before sowing carrot seeds, be sure to dig the soil deeply into a full bayonet of a shovel, loosen it, and then I advise you to also walk with a rake so that the bed for sowing carrots is softer than grandmother's feather bed.

3. The location of the beds with carrots in the shade

Continuing the theme of the soil, root crops will grow well only on soils completely open to the rays of the sun, they can no longer tolerate even a short shadow and slow down their development.

Ideally, the vegetable grower should arrange the beds with carrots in such a way that each plant is lit by the sun and does not obscure each other. Naturally, the location near large crops, such as corn, is unacceptable or permissible only if these (tall) plants are located on the north side of the carrot, that is, they will not create any shade for it.

4. Too acidic soil

Carrots are a capricious crop, and if the soils of your site are too acidic (pH 5.5 and below), then in the fall, before the spring sowing of carrot seeds, be sure to add a glass of dolomite flour per square meter to the soil.

Ideally, soil for carrots should have a pH of 6-7. You can check the pH with a simple litmus paper by dissolving the soil in a glass of water, and dipping a piece of paper there, and then comparing the color of the paper with the scale on the package.

5. Loosening the soil

How do you feel about soil in general? Do you know that the most crucial moment for carrots is the period when seeds germinate, shoots appear? So during this period it is extremely bad if there is a soil crust on the surface of the soil.

Ideally, after each rain or watering, you need to be as careful as possible, but destroy it. If you have carrots in your country house, then so that the soil crust does not slow down its growth, it is necessary after each watering, before leaving, to cover it with a thin (a couple of millimeters) layer of wood ash (this is a good potash fertilizer, and it also contains trace elements).

Important! Always try to water the soil or wait for rain and then loosen the soil, and not vice versa.

6. Wrongly selected seeds

By the way, few people know that length does matter. So, the shorter and smaller the carrot root, the faster it ripens and vice versa. Therefore, when choosing seeds, read what is written on the bag, and do not chase gigantism, it is of little use.

A lyrical digression for those who are not satisfied with the growth rate of carrots - we read the packaging more carefully, early ripening varieties have a ripening period of 55-65 days. It cannot be said that yesterday I sowed, but today I have already harvested. Yes, and such varieties are not stored at all - I was convinced from my own experience.

7. Wrong crop rotation

Predecessor? Have you forgotten? But, fortunately, everything is not so complicated with carrots and, choosing a previous crop, you can only focus on a couple of main requirements.

The first, and, I think, this is the most basic requirement is that in the garden where there were carrots, it is at least stupid to re-sow carrots, wait two years, and preferably three, and you will see for yourself that the result will be completely different.

Well, the second rule is that carrots grow best only after tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, cabbage, onions, garlic, greens, but it’s better not to plant after leaf lettuce and parsley, everything is simple here - there may be common pests.

8. Thickened crops

Have you pulled carrots at all? Do you know that the optimal row spacing when planting carrots should be 22-23 cm, and the width of the beds should not be more than one and a half meters? On this one - just a row of four carrots fits, but more is not needed.

Thickened crops, by the way, are pulled through in the phase of a pair of true leaves, and after a while (usually two or three weeks) again, so that there is 4-6 cm of free space between each carrot. And before thinning, first water the bed, and then pull up the desired bush. If the bed is not watered, then you can affect neighboring plants, and this will just affect their poor growth in the future.

9. Wrong planting depth

This is what beginners do, for some reason they try to shove it deeper, but why? The optimal depth of carrot seeds on dense clay soil can be only a centimeter, but if the soil is loose and sandy, then you can push deeper - up to four or even five centimeters. Here, of course, it also depends on the moisture content of the soil, otherwise it can be planted deeply, and then watered so superficially that moisture will not reach the seeds.

And a personal secret, if you see that the spring is dry, if there is a minimum of rain and the water dries up, falling immediately to the surface of the soil, and the soil, among other things, looks like a desert, then it is quite possible to sow the seeds to a depth of five centimeters, and if the soil dense and it rains often, then close up the seeds almost at the very surface.

Did you forget about hilling? It seems to be a simple operation, but for some reason few people do it. The thing is that during the growth period, a small, but still part of the carrot root, located on top, seems to stick out of the soil, it becomes bare, it becomes not the carrot color we are used to, but less pleasant - green, and with might and main begins to accumulate, albeit not very dangerous, but still a poison called solanine. At the same time, the growth of carrots stops, freezes.

Therefore, you need to monitor the plantation and spud it in time, which is especially effective after watering, rain or on cloudy days, when the years of the carrot fly are minimal or absent at all.

11. Well, about watering

Watering carrots is a complicated thing, and here many just start to panic, asking questions why root crops do not grow. In fact, carrots love the golden mean: prosperity, but not excess moisture.

It has carrots and its biological subtleties, which a real gardener should know about, for example, the growth of root crops actively begins after the end of leaf mass growth, and there is no need to pull the tops out of the soil and shout “where is the root crop ?!”.

Usually, the growth of the root crop occurs in the last quarter of the growth of the above-ground leaf mass. It follows that during the period of active growth of carrot moisture, a maximum is needed, but if you moisten the soil when the root crops finish growing, then this can slow down their development or lead to cracking.

Of course, we must not forget about the norms of watering carrots so that the root crop does not stop its development. So, for example, in hot weather, when moisture evaporates, you can water carrots three times a week in the evening, spending only four liters of water per square meter on young plants. But already in the middle of the growing season of carrots, you can water once a week, pouring a bucket of water per square meter, and reduce again towards the end of the growing season, as we mentioned earlier.

12. Proper feeding

Carrots may not grow for the simple reason that you feed them incorrectly. You don’t need to do a lot of top dressing, otherwise angry reviews about the amount of nitrates will fall and that there are also a lot of useful things in the air. On my site, I spent only three top dressings and that was enough.

Both I and many gardeners did the first dressing after the emergence of shoots - after three weeks. To do this, they used top dressing in liquid form - usually a tablespoon of nitrophoska in a bucket of water. The carrots were re-fed after 15-18 days, two were already used, but teaspoons per bucket of water, also in dissolved form.

Carrots respond very well to the introduction of a solution of potassium sulfate (literally 6-7 g per bucket of water at a consumption rate per square meter). It turns out - this is the third top dressing, it has a positive effect on the growth of root crops, and on their taste (they will be sweeter).

Decided to fertilize the soil with manure? Well, then apply it in the spring at 5-6 kg per square meter of soil. During the season before planting carrots, let the manure decompose, dissolve, go into a form accessible to plants, and then add 500 g of wood ash per square meter in the fall and you can safely plant carrots. The result will be wonderful.

Well, here we tried to answer all the questions about why carrots do not grow, and what to do about it. If you have questions then ask them in the comments. If you have your own secrets for getting a good harvest of carrots, we will also be happy to learn about them.

Not all root crops are afraid of frost and snow

The crop has already been harvested almost completely, the blanks have been made, it remains to enjoy the work done in the country. But not all fall goes so smoothly. For one reason or another, troubles happen when there were already severe frosts, and the vegetables were not removed to the basement. Someone was on vacation, someone was sent on a business trip, someone just hesitated and forgot to cover the bag of carrots on the balcony. Resentment - do you really have to throw away supplies and eat tasteless store-bought vegetables? Do not rush, we will tell you what to do if the carrots are frozen, and you will save your crop completely.

Are vegetables susceptible to frost?

Let's first talk about the fact that not everyone is afraid of frost. Of course, if this temperature is not more than minus 5-7 degrees. Even if you did not have time to remove the vegetables from the garden, this does not mean that all efforts were wasted. Yes, greens, potatoes, peppers will suffer, but carrots, beets may well feel good in the soil. The latter is not afraid of autumn frosts, but only the weather must be dry before this, otherwise the root crops are saturated with water and can be poorly stored in the future. Carrots are dug up as late as possible, since after that it will be much better to lie in the basement.

For information! Do not rush to harvest vegetables early in the fall, because it is during this period that they accumulate a maximum of vitamins.

Frozen carrots are no reason to panic

As you understand, the orange beauty is quite resistant to cold. But you can say - yes, but my crop froze already on the balcony or on the street after it was dug up. Do you really have to throw everything away, because frozen vegetables are unpleasant, watery, have a sweetish aftertaste after processing. Do not rush to conclusions, and even more so do not prepare bags for disposal. Let's rework it.

frozen carrots

Every housewife knows that carrot stocks are easily stored in the freezer - this is very convenient and saves time. You can immediately mix the grated root crop with onions or even prepare a roast. Then you need to get it and put it in a soup or stew. So, why not grind the vegetables from the balcony that the frost grabbed? Then you put them in the freezer and that's it.

Carrots need to be brought in, do not wait for it to warm up, but immediately start peeling. Then grate the vegetables on a grater or in a food processor, blender. In the latter case, the fraction turns out to be a little small, but many housewives do not pay attention to this, because household appliances save a lot of time, especially for mothers.

On a note! After freezing, vegetables do not need to be thawed, but immediately sent for frying. Together with carrots and onions, you can store chopped peppers, garlic, horseradish, greens, asparagus in the freezer.

vegetable dressing

If there are too many carrots to grind and keep everything in the freezer, then you can make blanks. You might say that the canning season has passed, but you can make borscht dressing. Again, you will save your frozen carrots, and save time in the future on cooking.

We will need:

• carrots - 1 kg;
• beets - 3 kg;
• cabbage - 2 kg;
• peppercorns - 6 pieces;
• salt - you can take sea salt - 2 tablespoons;
• onion - 1 kg;
• vegetable oil - a glass;
• garlic - 2 heads;
• bay leaf - 2-3 pieces;
• vinegar - concentration 9% - 3/4 cup;
• sugar - at will and taste.

We're getting ready to ship.

We take out our carrots that are frozen on the balcony, immediately clean and grate. We also do with beets, we also chop cabbage. Peel the onion and cut into half rings. We send all the vegetables to the pan, pour olive or sunflower oil, simmer until boiling and wait 10 minutes after. Next, pour in our vinegar, add spices as desired, granulated sugar, salt, put pepper. We simmer the appetizer for 45 minutes, twist it into sterile jars.

Advice! If the carrots are very frozen, there is frost, then first let it cool in the refrigerator, but not at room temperature.

We hope we have answered the question of what to do if the carrots are frozen, and now you will not be upset because of this trouble. For next year, follow the forecast in advance, wrap the bags on the balcony more tightly.

Two simple ways can completely save the entire frozen crop. Of course, not everyone has a freezer to store a large amount of carrots, but it’s really possible for everyone to make a dressing. This is better than wasting energy in vain, growing a crop, and then throwing vegetables away.

Carrots are an excellent source of large amounts of vitamins and minerals.

• phytoene;
• phytofluene;
• lycopene;
• carotenes;
• essential oils;
• B vitamins;
• vitamin D;
• pantothenic and ascorbic acids;
• anthocyanins;
• umberylsfront;
• lysine;
• flavonoids;
• ornithine;
• histidine;
• cysteine;
• aspargin;
• threonine;
• proline;
• methionine;
• calcium;
• zinc;
• magnesium;
• selenium;
• phosphorus.

Carrots are also high in glucose, which is why they taste so sweet. It also contains starch, pectins, fiber.

The most useful will be a ripe carrot, it is in it that all the useful substances are contained in the maximum amount.

The benefits of carrots for the body

A feature of carotene contained in carrots in large quantities is that it is not destroyed during heat treatment. That is, even in boiled or fried form, carotene is absorbed by the body, where it turns into retinol.

However, for this, the body must contain at least a small amount of fat, since the vitamins contained in carrots dissolve in it and are absorbed better.

This is not the only useful property of carrots. It's good to know the following:

• It has been scientifically proven that a large number of useful elements are contained in the peel, so it is recommended not to peel it, but to rinse it thoroughly with running water before use.
• In the composition of carrots, a large proportion is occupied by water, which makes it very useful for the intestines, and this significantly affects the entire work of the whole organism.
• Carrots are indispensable for diets, since any dietary restriction leads to a lack of vitamins and minerals in the body. The orange root vegetable contains them in large quantities and helps to maintain the proper functioning of all body systems.
• Regular consumption of carrots helps maintain and even improve eyesight. The classic manifestation of a lack of vitamin A, which is found in the root crop, is the so-called night blindness, when a person does not see well in the dark and twilight.
• The substances contained in the root crop dissolve stones in the gallbladder.
• Helps to strengthen the immune system, making the body more resistant to diseases.
• It has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect, so it is useful to eat carrots for ailments, especially in case of stomach diseases. Grated root crop is good for burns and purulent wounds.
• A large amount of the product has a laxative effect. This property can be used if it is necessary to cleanse the intestines of toxins.
• Used as a tonic or facial lotion, it allows you to refresh the skin and make it soft and silky.
• Carrots are the perfect natural remedy for worms.
• Enhances intestinal peristalsis.
• Drinking juice helps relieve fatigue, improve appetite and complexion.

Due to this, you can use the vegetable as an additional aid in the treatment and prevention of the following diseases:

• cholelithiasis (renews kidney and liver cells);
• stomatitis and inflammation of the oral cavity (you need to rinse your mouth with diluted carrot juice);
• anemia (due to iron content);
• hypertension (low blood pressure);
• oncology (scientists have proven that regular consumption of root crops reduces the risk of getting cancer by 40%);

How to preserve the beneficial properties of carrots?

However, it is known that many vitamins are destroyed during heat treatment, for example, if a vegetable is boiled or fried. Fiber at high temperatures breaks down into simple sugars, the large use of which leads to fullness. Therefore, the preparation of carrots must be approached very carefully. So, you need to grind carrots immediately before cooking, since peeled carrots quickly wither.

Cooking will destroy some of the vitamins, however, in order to better preserve vitamin C, you should put the vegetable directly into boiling water and maintain an even boil throughout cooking. The lid of the cookware should be closed, and there should be as little free space under it as possible.

You can also eat dried carrots. It will no longer contain vitamin C, but will remain: carotene, vitamins of group A, mineral salts.

As for cooking methods, frying has the most gentle effect on the beneficial substances contained in carrots than boiling. Most trace elements die during the quenching process. At the same time, boiled carrots are much more nutritious than fresh ones.

Why carrots are harmful to the human body

It is worth limiting the use of an orange root crop in several cases:

• - to prevent an excess of vitamin A in the body, which is very toxic in overdose;
• if present, increased acidity of the stomach, colitis;
• if you are allergic to a vegetable.

Overeating carrots leads to the so-called "carotene jaundice" - the skin becomes orange. However, this does not pose any danger to health, it is enough to stop eating carrots for a while and everything will pass. Yellowing of the skin is not due to the presence of carotene, but to the fact that toxins in the liver and passages begin to dissolve. If there were a lot of them in the body, then the intestines and kidneys can not cope with the excretion of waste and toxins come out through the skin. They are orange or yellow in color.

Drink only freshly squeezed carrot juice. A packaged drink can contain a huge amount of additives, flavors and dyes that destroy all the beneficial properties.

As such, carrot juice cannot cause harm to the body, the main thing is to observe the measure and not drink more than 2 liters of juice per day. If you want to use the root vegetable in treatment, you should consult a doctor.

Excessive consumption of carrots or carrot juice can lead to lethargy and drowsiness.

Benefits of carrot juice

Doctors usually recommend eating as many onions and garlic as possible for flu or colds, as they have an antiseptic effect. However, these products leave a strong odor. It is terrible to imagine what will happen if everyone around during the epidemic follows such recommendations.

Carrot juice has no less useful properties, but it does not leave an unpleasant odor and has a sweet taste. At the same time, it not only increases vitality and strengthens the immune system, but also improves the process of blood formation and cleanses the body.

If you regularly drink a glass of carrot juice, you can lower cholesterol levels and remove heavy metals from the body that adversely affect health.

Carrot juice is especially useful for women, as it accelerates the synthesis of female sex hormones and allows you to stay young and attractive longer. In men, after drinking this drink, potency improves. Also, representatives of the stronger sex can drink orange juice to relieve stress after intense physical exertion.

The root also contains daucosterol. This is an endorphin that affects the pleasure center in the brain, making a person satisfied and happy. Therefore, when a stressful situation arises, it will not be superfluous to drink a glass of carrot juice.

The simplest step-by-step carrot recipes

It is difficult to imagine a daily diet without carrots - it has become so tightly integrated into the life of a modern person. Many dishes without this root vegetable lose their memorable taste. Cooks from all over the world recognize carrots as an important element in cooking. Almost everything can be made from it - from juice to cake.

Thanks to the use of seasonings and additional ingredients, carrot dishes can be completely different. Consider the simplest in terms of preparation:

Korean carrot

To prepare this simple, but many favorite salad, you will need:

• 1 kg of carrots;
• a teaspoon of table salt;
• a tablespoon of sugar;
• 50 ml of vegetable oil;
• dry seasonings to taste;
• clove of garlic;
• vinegar.

The cooking process will take no more than 40 minutes. Sequencing:

1. Grate carrots on a special grater.
2. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, pour over vinegar, knead the mixture with your hands and leave for 15 minutes so that the vegetable starts juice.
3. Add black and red pepper to taste, mix well.
4. Heat the vegetable oil (can be in the microwave), pour over the mixture and mix again.
5. Squeeze the garlic, add to the carrots and leave the dish to simmer for at least 12 hours.

Carrot in Korean will perfectly cope with the desire for something spicy. In addition, it is a good side dish for any meat or vegetable dish.

Raw carrot salad with walnuts

To prepare this dish you need to take:

• 1 kg of carrots;
• 2 tablespoons of honey;
• a handful of walnuts (you can also use almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts);
• a teaspoon of olive oil.

Preparation consists of simple steps:

1. On a fine or coarse grater (optional), grate the carrots.
2. Pour in vegetable oil.
3. Chop nuts and fry without oil.
4. Add nuts to salad.
5. Heat honey in a water bath and pour into the mixture.

A simple but very healthy salad is ready! It can be eaten for breakfast, and the salad is also perfect for baby food - the honey in the composition makes the dish sweet, which kids will surely like.

Cabbage with carrots

The combination of these two vegetables is one of the most affordable. At the same time, dishes containing carrots and cabbage at the same time are very healthy and will perfectly complement any meal. The simplest, but vitamin-rich recipe is coleslaw with carrots. It is usually served in school canteens.

Ingredients:

• half a kilo of chopped white cabbage;
• 1 carrot;
• salt to taste (0.5-1 teaspoon);
• 4 tablespoons of vinegar (to give a slightly different taste, you can use instead of the usual apple or rice);
• 1 tablespoon (without a slide) of sugar;
• oil to taste (olive, sunflower, linseed, etc.).

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Put the cabbage in an enameled pan, add vinegar and salt and put on a strong fire and heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Grate carrots on a large, small or special grater for Korean carrots.
3. Cool cabbage and add carrots to it.
4. Add sugar and vegetable oil, mix.
5. Put the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours, after draining the resulting juice.

The dish is ready to serve!

Carrot cake from Armen Arnal

Few people know how delicious carrot cake is. The best part is that it can be made with simple ingredients. So, to make a carrot cake from Armen Arnal, you only need:

• half a kilo of carrots;
• 200 gr. Sahara;
• 4 eggs;
• 50 ml of olive oil;
• 20 gr. dough baking powder;
• half a teaspoon of salt;
• 160 gr. flour.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Grind carrots in a blender or grate on a fine grater.
2. Beat eggs with butter and sugar, add to carrots.
3. Knead the dough by adding flour and baking powder.
4. Pour the dough into a detachable form, covered with baking paper and place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 50 minutes. Readiness can be checked with a bamboo stick - it should remain dry if the dish is ready.
5. Let the cake cool down and put on plates.

Serve with cream, maple syrup, sour cream, dried fruits and nuts.

carrot cutlets

This dish is an excellent solution for a vegetarian table. To cook carrot cutlets you will need:

• half a kilo of carrots;
• 3 onions;
• a tablespoon of flour;
• 2 tablespoons of semolina;
• salt and spices to taste;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Wash and peel the carrots, grate on a fine grater.
2. Finely chop the onion and mix with carrots.
3. Add flour, semolina, salt, spices, mix and let stand for half an hour.
4. Form small cutlets, roll them in semolina before frying - this will prevent them from falling apart.
5. Fry cutlets in vegetable oil until golden brown.

You can serve this dish with sour cream, salad.

Useful video

Video about the beneficial properties of carrots in the program of Elena Malysheva

Carrots are one of the most common vegetables grown in vegetable gardens. Some vegetable growers ask themselves why carrots do not sprout after planting. If you are faced with the fact that shoots did not appear, then you will have to re-plant the seeds. However, before that, it is better to familiarize yourself with how to plant carrots so that they sprout quickly.

Before planting seeds, you need to familiarize yourself with when carrots sprout after planting. After all, not everyone knows how many carrots sprout. There are various reasons due to which the duration of germination may vary. The time of emergence of seedlings depends on the soil in which the plant is grown. Shrubs germinate much faster when grown in sandy and loose soil. Also, the germination of carrots depends on whether the seeds were prepared for planting. Some vegetable growers, in order to speed up the germination of carrot seeds, pre-treat them.

However, despite all these reasons, it is possible to determine how many days after planting carrots sprout. When planting treated and peeled seeds, the first shoots of carrots appear within a week. In cold rooms, their germination is delayed for three weeks.

You can also determine how many days carrots sprout after planting using the weather. In cloudy weather, the first shoots will appear only 20-25 days after planting. However, if you know how to quickly germinate carrot seeds, then this period can be reduced several times.

Reasons for poor germination

If carrots have not risen, you should familiarize yourself with the main reasons why this can happen.

Poor quality seeds

Before sowing carrots, you need to select seeds. There are times when people acquire low-quality or defective seeds that do not begin to grow. To avoid such a problem, it is necessary to calibrate the planting material before sowing. To do this, all seeds are placed in a saline solution for 5-10 minutes. Poor quality seeds will float to the surface during this time.

Unsuitable soil

Sometimes carrots in granules do not grow well due to poorly suitable soil. Shoots do not appear in areas with a lot of fresh manure. It is better to plant the plant in 2-3 years after using such a fertilizer.

deep seeding

If the carrots did not rise on time, then it is worth checking the planting depth. The plant will not sprout well if planted too deep. Seeds are recommended to be planted to a depth of no more than 10 cm. At the same time, they are not sprinkled with a thick layer of soil. If the vegetable does not sprout due to the depth of sowing, then you will have to dig up the seeds and plant them again at a shallower depth.

However, you should not plant them on the very surface of the soil, because because of this they can freeze slightly, which will also negatively affect the germination rate.

Little moisture

Caring for planted carrots should include periodic watering. If the soil is constantly dry, then the germination of seeds will slow down several times. During irrigation, it is recommended to use a special covering material with which moisture will linger in the ground longer.

seed processing

In order not to think about how many days carrots sprout after sowing, you need to try to control the time when the first shoots appear. To do this, accelerate their germination. To understand how to speed up the germination of carrot seeds, you should familiarize yourself with the basic methods of processing seeds.

Soaking in water

Before you accelerate the germination of carrot seeds, you need to understand the features of this method.

All seeds should be soaked in warm water. To do this, the seeds are wrapped in gauze and placed in a container with a liquid heated to 25 degrees. Such processing of carrot seeds before planting should last no longer than three hours. During this time, the seed should swell well.

By treating the seeds in this way, you can see how the first shoots look in two weeks.

hardening

Having figured out how to soak carrot seeds before planting, you can begin to harden them. Sometimes a vegetable sprouts for a long time due to the fact that the seed has not been hardened in advance.

For hardening, the seeds are placed in a refrigerator for two weeks, in which the temperature should be kept at about three degrees Celsius. This procedure will help increase the rate of seed germination. Also, hardened sprouted sprouts will be more viable and stronger.

Use of vodka

Experienced vegetable growers who know how to prepare carrot seeds for planting quite often use vodka for this. Pre-sowing soaking of carrot seeds in vodka is carried out to remove essential oils, which may be the reason why carrots do not germinate well. Soaking planting material in vodka is quite simple.

To do this, all the seeds are placed in a small cloth bag and lowered into a container of vodka for 25 minutes. During this time, alcohol should remove a layer of oil from the seeds, which will increase their germination rate. When the preparation of carrot seeds for sowing is completed, all seeds are washed with heated water. If the first procedure for soaking carrot seeds before sowing did not help, then the seeds can be soaked in vodka again.

Site selection

Before sowing carrots, you should choose a place to grow them. Landing should be carried out only in the most suitable areas for this. An incorrectly selected site increases the likelihood that the sprouts will not sprout.

Seeds should be planted in an area that is well lit throughout the day. If you germinate them with an insufficient level of lighting, then because of this, seedlings appear much later. For planting material, areas with loamy and porous soils are perfect. Planting a plant in heavy soil can adversely affect root crops. In such soil, they may form branched or have an irregular shape.

Soil preparation

When the preparation of carrot seeds for planting is completed, you should start preparing the soil. After all, it also depends on it on what day the first shoots will appear. Therefore, it is worth familiarizing yourself with how to properly prepare the soil for planting.

Care must be taken that carrots are not planted in open ground with a small amount of nutrients. It is recommended to plant it in prepared soil. Therefore, a little granular urea with chicken manure must be added to the soil in advance. However, you should not add too much top dressing to the open ground, as this may worsen the taste of the root crop.

Also, before planting, the earth should be made looser. To do this, special baking powder is added to it, which includes sand or peat. If the seeds are planted in such soil, then it will be easier to germinate them.

Landing

Having finished with the choice of a suitable site and soil preparation, you can start planting seeds. There are two main ways to plant them in the garden. The first method is suitable for people who plan to plant it in early spring. In this case, one large hole about 30 cm deep is created on the site. A small bag filled with seeds is placed in it. It is sprinkled with soil and watered with three liters of heated water. When the planted seeds germinate, they can be dug up and planted in separate holes.

The second method is simpler and that is why it is used much more often. First you need to mark the rows on which the plant will be planted. After that, small holes are created, the depth of which should be about 5-7 cm. If there are no night frosts on the street, then you can plant seeds at a depth of 3-4 cm.

The created holes are sprinkled with peat and watered with warm water. After that, 2-3 seeds are poured into each of them. Then they are all covered with earth and re-watered. In good weather, seedlings germinate within two weeks.

Acceleration of the appearance of the first shoots is carried out with the help of a covering material. The rows can be covered with old things or polyethylene film. All this will help moisture stay in the soil longer. When the first shoots appear, the beds should be fully opened.

Conclusion

Many novice vegetable growers do not know what to do if carrots do not come up. In order not to encounter this problem, you should know in advance how to properly plant carrots. You can also read other recommendations with photos and videos that will tell you what to do if carrots do not sprout and how you can speed up the growth of carrots.

On our table is constantly present - a root crop, which is a source of carotene, our orange miracle. It is one of our favorite and most important vegetables.

No other vegetable can replace it, because it contains many substances useful for our body: a large amount of vitamins, essential oils, phospholipids, sterols, mineral salts, trace elements.

And even, the middle of the root crop, which many gardeners dislike, contains apigenin, a substance that has a beneficial effect on the work of the heart. Finely grated carrots can heal burns, purulent wounds.

In Russia, carrot juice was used to treat inflammation of the nasopharynx, heart and liver diseases. Also, carrot juice relieves fatigue, spring beriberi, if you drink it in half a glass 3 times a day.

And almost everyone knows that it is very useful for people with vision problems.

Carrots are widely used in cooking, both raw and in the preparation of a wide variety of dishes, as well as for juice.

A bit of history

According to pundits, carrots were first grown in Afghanistan, where the largest number of its species still grows. Initially, carrots were grown not for the sake of the root crop, but for the fragrant leaves and seeds.

The first mention of eating carrot root is found in ancient sources in the 1st century BC. AD

Archaeological studies show that carrots were grown much earlier - almost 2 thousand years BC.

Modern carrots were brought to Europe in the 10th-13th centuries, and in our country it appeared during the time of Kievan Rus.

At first, yellow and white root crops were grown, and only at the beginning of the 18th century did mention of orange carrots appear.

And the legends also say that in the Middle Ages, carrots were considered a delicacy of the dwarves and they exchanged this root crop for gold bars...

carrot requirements

Carrots are quite a demanding crop, and especially to the soil. It likes to grow in fertile, light, loose, permeable and weed-free soil.

The best site for planting carrots will be the one on which manure was applied 1-2 years ago, since carrots react very poorly to fresh manure. In this case, many ugly, branchy root crops grow with very poor taste.

Also, non-standard carrots can grow under the following conditions:

if fertilizers containing chlorine are applied, the roots will bend or branch;

if you deoxidize the soil on the eve of planting, the carrot becomes multi-tailed;

if there are any obstacles in the soil, for example, pebbles, organic residues and the like;

if there is excess moisture in the soil, the root crop becomes hairy or cracks, the tops grow excessively;

if you apply and feed unnecessarily with nitrogen fertilizers, carrots begin to branch;

if we thin out seedlings incorrectly;

if during the growth of carrots there is not enough moisture - at the same time, carrots, trying to take the moisture it lacks from the soil, release lateral roots, which is bad for its taste and appearance (the pulp becomes rough, the root crop is short and “horned”).

Based on this, it is necessary to approach the preparation of the soil for planting carrots with all responsibility.

First of all , it is better to prepare it in the fall: carefully dig; if it is necessary to deoxidize the soil, then add lime or dolomite flour for digging; you can also add phosphate and potash fertilizers. But, in general, it is best to make all kinds of additives in the soil for carrots, given what type of soil is in your area.

If you have peat soil, then it would be good to add river sand, humus and clay soil to it.

If the soil is clayey - river sand, peat, humus, and with fertile chernozem soil, we only add sand in the spring.

Secondly , in the spring, the plot for carrots, prepared in the fall, must be loosened deep enough, adding a pre-complex mineral fertilizer; try to select all the pebbles so that nothing interferes with the growth of the plant.

Another important condition for the growth of carrots is good illumination of crops. Shading has a very negative effect on plant growth, especially in the initial stages.

If our plantings are thickened and there are a lot of weeds, then the carrots stretch out, the formation of root crops slows down and a lot of small root crops (the so-called undercut) are formed.

Carrots are relatively cold hardy and drought tolerant plants. Its seedlings can tolerate frosts down to minus 2 about C, and already adult plants and up to minus 4 about WITH.

But in those root crops that have suffered frosts, the keeping quality is still reduced.

Carrot seeds germinate at temperatures above 3 about C, and the optimum temperature for its growth is about 18-25 about C. If the temperature rises above 25 about Plant growth slows down.

When choosing a site for planting carrots, it is also desirable to take into account the fact that the best predecessors for it are plants such as: tomatoes, legumes, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers, green crops.

Sowing dates for carrots

There are several dates for sowing carrot seeds and they depend on when and for what purposes we want to get a crop.

So, for example, to get an early harvest, carrots must be sown from mid-April to early May ( early spring sowing). Carrots sown during these periods can be harvested in a bunch from the end of June to the end of July, and from August we already get a real root crop for summer consumption.

The next sowing date is from mid-May to early June ( summer sowing). This is the main period for sowing carrots, which we will lay for winter storage.

If we want to get young carrots in the fall, then short-fruited varieties can be sown as early as mid-July.

BUT winter sowing seeds (from October 20 to November 15) can provide us with an even earlier harvest. But not every site is suitable for these purposes. For winter sowing, it is necessary to choose a place in our summer cottage, where in spring the snow melts earlier and the soil should be light, sandy loam, so that in spring there is no flooding of crops.

When sowing seeds before winter, they are only disinfected, and then dried. In the spring, they will pick up moisture, swell and germinate naturally. It is not recommended to germinate seeds, as the sprouts will freeze. Using these sowing dates, we will be able to have fresh carrots from summer to next spring.

In addition, when sowing late carrots until the 20th of June, the development of plants does not coincide with the greatest activity of the carrot fly (in May), which makes it possible to grow better root crops.

How to sow carrot seeds

Essential oils contained in carrot seeds in large quantities prevent the rapid access of moisture to the embryo and delay germination. Therefore, before sowing, it is necessary to carry out pre-sowing preparation of seeds: disinfection, soaking, germination.

You can read about how, as well as correctly, in previously published articles.

Then the treated seeds are dried and sown. With this treatment, seedlings appear much earlier (after 6-10 days), while if sowing with dry seeds and in insufficiently moist soil, the emergence of seedlings can take up to 40 days.

It is best to grow carrots in garden beds. Before sowing, we thoroughly loosen the prepared beds to a depth of 10-15 cm, then level the surface and make narrow grooves up to 5 cm and a depth of about 2 cm. You should not make grooves deeper, as this can significantly slow down the germination of carrots. We make grooves at a distance of 25-30 cm.

In order for us to have friendly and uniform seedlings, the seeds must be planted to the same depth.

And experienced summer residents advise sowing carrot seeds so that they are soft on top and hard on the bottom.

To do this, we level the bottom of the grooves and seal them with a beam specially prepared for this purpose.

After that, we spill the grooves with water and sow the seeds in moistened soil, trying to keep the distance between them 1.5-2 cm.

Sowing small carrot seeds at such a distance is quite difficult. I want to advise several methods of sowing, with the help of which you can facilitate this process:

Mix small seeds with sand: mix 1 tablespoon of seeds with 1 glass of sand, then divide the resulting mixture into 3 parts and use each part for 1 m 2 of beds.

Mix carrot seeds with seeds of beacon plants (lettuce, radish). They sprout much earlier and thus show us where the carrot seedlings are. This gives us the opportunity to carry out the first weeding of the beds with carrots, without fear of damaging the plants, much earlier than usual.

Also very convenient is the liquid sowing of carrots, in which the germinated seeds are mixed with a liquid paste made from potato starch. Then carefully "pour" them into the grooves from the kettle.

Then we cover the seeds with loose sifted soil or a mixture of peat and sand, or clean peat with a slight compaction to ensure better contact of the seeds with the soil and moisture inflow.

Watering the soil after sowing is not worth it, as the seeds can move into deeper layers of the soil and will germinate for a long time, or even may not sprout at all. To avoid drying out of the soil, the bed on top can be covered with plastic wrap.

In addition, under the film, the earth warms up much faster. The film will need to be removed after shoots appear.

How to care for carrots

Carrots need our constant attention. Caring for it is periodic loosening of the soil, timely watering, top dressing if necessary, regular weeding and pest and disease control. The most crucial moment in the cultivation of carrots is the germination of seeds and the emergence of seedlings.

At this point, the formation of a soil crust is possible, which must be carefully destroyed (preferably after watering), as it prevents the timely emergence of seedlings. To prevent the formation of a soil crust, crops can be mulched with peat.

After the first shoots appear, you can proceed to the first loosening. At the same time, we act very carefully, trying not to damage the delicate sprouts.

The best time for loosening is immediately after the rain, and if there is no rain for a long time, then we first water the carrots, and only then proceed to loosening.

When the carrots have 1-2 true leaves, we thin out the crops, leaving a distance of 3-4 cm between the plants. The second thinning is done 2-3 weeks after the first and after it the distance between the plants should be 4-5 cm.

With a smaller distance, the roots will not reach normal sizes, especially late-ripening varieties.

In order not to form ugly root crops, thinning of crops must be carried out correctly.

First, the bed is watered and only after that the extra plants are pulled out. Moreover, we pull up, and not to the side, without loosening, otherwise the main root of the left carrot may break off and the lateral roots will begin to grow, forming a “horned” root crop.

Thinning is best done in the evening, as the smell of carrots when plants are damaged can attract pests. Rejected plants should preferably be taken away from the garden and covered with earth or compost to drown out the smell.

Let me remind you once again that weeding and thinning should be carried out after rains or watering, and immediately after these operations, the bed should be watered again.

At the same time, the soil around the abandoned plants must be slightly compressed, and the holes in the ground should be filled up.

An operation such as hilling is also important, because during growth the upper part of the root crops is exposed and turns green in the light, forming solanine, which penetrates into the carrots during storage and gives it bitterness.

Hilling root crops is also best done on cloudy days or in the evening, so as not to attract carrot flies.

How much water do you need

Watering for carrots is of great importance, as this plant does not like both excessive moisture and dryness.

Carrots have one feature - late crop formation. The growing season lasts approximately 4 to 5 months.

And the growth of root crops begins only after the end of leaf growth, in the last quarter of the growing season.

Therefore, during the growth period, plants are very demanding on soil moisture, and at the end they do not tolerate its excess, and if abundant watering is carried out, root crops can crack.

In warm and sunny weather, when moisture from the soil quickly evaporates, carrots are watered 3 times a week.

Do not flood young plants too much; approximately 4 liters of water per 1 m 2 will be enough for them. With the growth of root crops, the amount of water is gradually increased.

In the middle of the growing season, carrots can be watered once a week, while already using 8 to 10 liters of water per 1 m 2.

What to feed?

If we have fertilized the soil well for planting carrots since autumn, then it is possible to grow a good crop of root crops even without top dressing.

But still, it is better to do 2-3 more top dressings during the entire growing season.

the first top dressing is desirable to be done a month after germination (1 tablespoon of nitrophoska per 10 liters of water), second- 2 weeks after the first. In early August, carrots can still be fed with a solution of potash fertilizer - this third top dressing. Root crops will become sweeter and also ripen earlier.

And it is best in the second half of the growing season, when watering carrots, add ash infusion to the water (1 liter of infusion per 10 liters of water), since ash is the best potash fertilizer, which is remarkably absorbed by all plants.

In addition, ash protects plants from many diseases and pests. You can even just sprinkle the carrot beds with wood ash once a week before watering.

It is also very good to carry out foliar feeding of carrots with a solution of boric acid (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water). It will be enough to carry out such top dressing twice: during the period of active growth of the underground part of carrots (the first half of July) and when the carrots begin to ripen (the first half of August).

When and how to harvest carrots

Harvesting carrots can be carried out in several stages.

Firstly, as soon as the root crops grow up, they can be pulled out selectively for food. From this, in the beds, the remaining plants become freer and they receive more nutrition, moisture and begin to increase their mass faster.

And late varieties of carrots intended for winter storage are harvested from the second half of September to the first half of October, before the onset of frost.

It is not worth rushing with harvesting, because root crops grow intensively in the second half of September. But at the same time, it is impossible to be late, since carrots that have fallen under frost are poorly stored and die.

Carrots can be pulled out by the tops if your soil is light. On denser soil, this will be quite difficult to do, and you can’t do without the help of a shovel. Shake off excess soil with your hands.

After pulling out, we sort the root crops: we leave the whole and healthy ones for winter storage, we put the damaged ones aside for quick processing, and it is best to throw away the small and sick ones.

Then, in those root crops that we are going to lay for storage, we cut the tops to the very head.

If you liked the cultivated variety of carrots and you want to get your own seeds of this variety, then select the best root crops (seeds) and leave about 2-3 cm of tops from them.

Then we dry the carrots processed in this way under a canopy (but not in the sun) and put them in storage.

How to store carrots

We store carrots in the basement (cellar) in wooden or plastic boxes. We put it in boxes in layers, pouring it with wet sand and try to arrange the root crops so that they do not touch each other.

It is also good to use moss instead of sand.

I want to advise another way to store carrots - "glazing" with clay. This is done as follows: we dilute the clay with water to the consistency of thick sour cream, dip the root crops into this “glaze” and put them on a wire rack so that the excess glass liquid and the coating dry.

In such a shell, our carrots almost do not lose moisture and remain fresh until spring. But of course, at the same time, the storage temperature should be around 0 0 C and the storage should be dry.

If for some reason the previous methods of storing carrots do not suit you, then you can still sprinkle the root crops thickly with crushed chalk, while reducing the likelihood of putrefactive processes.

And if you additionally sprinkle the root crops with onion peel, then they will be stored even better.

In this article, dear friends, I only touched on the issue growing carrots, but, about all their diversity and about diseases and pests that annoy carrots, I plan to tell in the following articles.

See you soon, dear friends!