How to plant carrots with seeds in open ground, terms and methods of sowing

Every gardener wants to grow tasty and healing root crops on his own plot. To do this, you need to learn how to properly and when to plant carrots with seeds in the open field, as well as how to properly organize the care of seedlings. And a vegetable grown in the garden will serve as a delicious ingredient for preparing many culinary masterpieces.

Timing

The right time is a prerequisite for obtaining a quality crop when planting carrot seeds in open ground. Gardeners are guided by their experience and acquired knowledge. Some begin landing work according to the recommendations of manufacturers, others try to focus on the lunar calendar.

Lunar calendar

Depending on the region

Although carrots belong to cold-resistant crops and can withstand frosts down to -4 degrees, when choosing the time for planting seeds in open ground, it is important to take into account the climate conditions of the region in which the garden with delicious carrots will be placed.

Sowing seeds of carrots in open ground in the southern latitudes is advised to be carried out as soon as the snow melts, in the last decade of March – early April.

In the middle lane, planting work should begin in the last days of April or the first decade of May, and in Siberia and the Urals – not earlier than May. To enjoy the taste of carrots as early as possible, you need to plant seeds in open ground in autumn or spring in April. And for the long-term preservation of the crop, it is better to do this later – in May or the deadline is the first decade of June.

carrot cultivation

Moon calendar

A thousand years ago, people developed a lunar calendar, which has received centuries-old practice and is still popular today, helping to figure out what numbers and what to plant in gardens. Therefore, from the beginning of the year, you can open the carrot planting calendar and plan your actions.

When is it favorable to plant carrots in 2022:

carrot planting calendar

Since April, carrot seeds of late varieties should be sown, but cover the bed with a film to protect it from frost. From the last days of April and in the first decade of May, plant late varieties. At the end of May, plant only early varieties of the crop.

Deadline

Delicious carrots can be planted before winter, in November. The seed material is resistant to frost. The sprouts of the plant sprout at a temperature of +3-4 degrees, so they can be seen already in April. Only for planting in the fall, choose varieties that are frost-resistant.

carrot cultivation

Soil preparation for sowing

The gardener should prepare a bed for the root crop in the fall. To enjoy a decent harvest, they prefer well-loosened soil. If the soil is characterized by lightness, then process with a rake. In other cases, it is necessary to loosen with special care, since it will be necessary to harvest the crop, which is characterized by crooked root crops of small size.

Site Selection

When choosing a place for planting, consider that carrots belong to sunny vegetables. Therefore, it is better to plant in open areas so that it is illuminated by the rays of the sun throughout the day. Since even insignificant shading can delay the growth of fruits. Carrots prefer light, loose, loamy and peaty soil with neutral or slightly acidic acidity (6,3-7,5 pH).

digging the soil

Reconstruction

Start preparing the selected site in the autumn by digging the beds to a depth of 25 cm. It is also important to free the site from all weeds, and the soil from all large pebbles.

Fertilizer

Fertilize the soil on the selected bed in the fall, mix with nutrients such as compost, peat, sand. It is recommended to add manure that is well rotted. It is important to bear in mind that using it fresh will negatively affect the crop: the bushes will have dense tops, the fruits will have an unpleasant taste, small size, and curved shape.

Due to the fact that carrots react negatively to acidic soil, it is required to enrich the site with ash, dolomite flour. Having fertilized the soil with all the nutrients in the fall, in the spring it remains only to loosen the bed and proceed to the next stage – sowing seeds in open ground.

soil in hands

Predecessors

Crop rotation of vegetable crops is a necessary alternation of grown plants in the beds. To obtain a quality crop, it is important to know all the subtleties and nuances of this agricultural technique.

Tomatoes

There are no contraindications for planting carrots after tomatoes. But it does not grow very well after tomatoes. To stimulate its growth, it will be necessary to saturate the soil with minerals.

Potatoes

Gardeners are guided by this principle: after the roots, tops should be planted. Therefore, carrots are not sown after potatoes.

a lot of potatoes

Pumpkin

Carrots will get along normally in the area where the pumpkin was cultivated.

squash

A good predecessor is zucchini.

Cucumber

For carrots, former cucumber beds are also suitable, but only after 2 years. After cucumbers, organic matter remains in the soil, and the plant does not tolerate its excess and often dies even at the initial phase of development.

Cabbage

It is allowed to plant an orange root crop after cabbage.

Bow

The best solution is to sow carrot seeds in the area where onions were grown last year.

a lot of onions

Garlic

A suitable precursor for carrots would be garlic.

Neighborhood with onions

Delicious carrots can be planted on the same bed with onions. These vegetables are considered good mutually beneficial neighbors. It is important to observe the distance between crops, since onions grow more actively and can drown out carrots.

Preparation of planting material

The essential oil found in carrot seeds makes it difficult for moisture to reach the embryo, which inhibits their germination. Therefore, before planting in open ground, pre-sowing preparation is performed by soaking the seeds, germinating them, and subjecting them to heat treatments.

how to plant carrot seeds outdoors

Zamachivanie

Before sowing in open ground, soak carrot seeds for 3 days and dry. This will help to develop dissimilar specimens and force germination.

Germination

Line a gauze cloth in a deep container and pour carrot seeds into it. Cover the top with gauze moistened with water, which should be damp, but not wet. Send the container to heat. Regularly turn the gauze with carrot seeds to activate the access of oxygen.

You can germinate the material using growth stimulants. To do this, in a bowl with a solution diluted with warm water, put a bag of gauze cloth with carrot seeds. Soak for 12 hours, then dry and plant in open ground.

seeds in hand

Heat treatment

Pour the seed material into a cloth bag and lower it into water, the temperature of which is 50 degrees. Then immediately cool the carrot seeds by applying cold water and drying, sow in open ground. This operation will eliminate the internal infection and increase the chances of friendly seedlings.

Bubbling

This is a method of treating carrot seeds in water with oxygen supply, which promotes the active formation of sprouts. Place the aquarium compressor and seed material in a bowl of water. They must move evenly from the supplied air flow. The duration of the procedure is about 24 hours, the fluid is changed every 12 hours. Dry the seed material to flowability and sow in open ground. Carrot seeds will hatch in a week.

carrot seeds

The grandfather’s way

Put the seeds of the plant in a cloth bag and bury in moist soil to a depth of 25-30 cm and keep for 2 weeks. During this period, the seedlings will swell and undergo natural stratification, which will positively affect their immunity. Before sowing in open ground, remove the bag from the ground, dry and sow.

Seeding methods

To facilitate the cultivation of carrot fruits, gardeners are finding new methods to sow plants without thinning.

Using a manual seeder

Gardeners with experience acquire manual seeders. Devices are considered the ideal solution for those who have large areas intended for the cultivation of vegetable crops with seeds in open ground.

how to plant carrot seeds outdoors

“Maple-1”

This unit ensures the correct penetration of carrot seeds into the soil to the required depth. At the same time, the planting material does not suffer and is rationally used.

QMS-5

With the help of the device, carrot seeds enter to a predetermined depth, evenly distributed over the soil, while the planting material is not damaged, and planting work is accelerated by 5-10 times.

Sowing with sand

To plant carrot seeds evenly in open ground, they are combined with dry sand, so they do not stick together and are evenly placed in rows.

With the help of a paste

To make a paste, you should combine a spoonful of flour with water in an amount of 1 liter. Send to the stove and turn on a low fire, brew the composition. Pour them with carrot seeds, after cooling it to 35 degrees. Stir the mixture and pour it into the grooves in a thin stream.

With the help of a paste

Seeds in granules

Dried carrot seeds with a protective and nutritious shell are placed in the grooves, keeping a distance of 5-7 cm from one another. It is important to buy planting material from trusted manufacturers.

Tape

Buy carrot seeds glued in a row on a long paper ribbon. So the grains are already distributed at the required distance. For sowing, stretch it along the beds, fill it with soil substrate and water it. In wet conditions, the paper will swell and the carrot seeds will germinate.

in a pouch

In winter, place carrot seeds in a bag of fabric, with the onset of spring, transfer it, without removing it, to the hole. Already after 2-3 weeks, sprouts will form, which, having combined with sand, are sent to open ground.

carrot cultivation

With the help of the mouth

Pour the carrot seeds into a glass, add a little warm water and stir. Take the composition in your mouth and spit it into the holes. Repeat this until the bed is planted.

Percolator

To sow, arm yourself with a strainer, into which to pour carrot seeds and, walking along the garden, scatter them into the holes. It is important to observe the necessary distance of grains from each other. Then cover with earth, moisten.

Mixed

This method involves mixing the seeds of carrots, radishes, and adding river sand to make planting easier. Scatter the resulting composition into the wells and carry out abundant watering.

ripe carrots

The radish sprouts first, which ripens quickly and is consumed, then a place is formed for carrots. Due to the combination of different seeds, the sprouts do not germinate as densely and do not require thinning.

Классический

Sow carrot seeds in open ground, keep a distance in rows of 3-5 cm from each other, and maintain a distance of 15-20 cm between the grooves.

egg laying

A simple method that allows you to make even beds of carrots. To implement it, you should use the form with cells from eggs. It is better to use 2 pieces at once, putting one into the other: this way the design will be durable. Then press the forms into the soil – as a result, even rows will come out, in which to sow 1-2 seeds.

carrot cultivation

Care

When growing carrots with seeds in open ground, it is important to organize care, which must be carried out in accordance with all the rules.

How to water correctly

At all phases of plant development, water moderately. High-quality watering will allow you to enjoy even, juicy vegetables.

Weeding and loosening

It is important to constantly eliminate weeds, loosen the soil in the beds to saturate the soil with moisture and prevent the formation of a crust.

carrot cultivation

Additional fertilizing

Fertilize twice during the growing season – 30 days after germination and 60 days later. The best option would be to feed the plant with a liquid nutrient composition. Before fertilizing, water the carrots in advance.

Thinning

One of the agricultural practices is thinning. No matter how hard gardeners try, small seeds still fall next to each other during sowing, which in the future will prevent root crops from developing normally. If this event is ignored, the vegetables will grow thin, frail and rot during storage, and they will be unsuitable for the table. Thinning should be on the 12th and 22nd day from germination.

carrot cultivation

How to dive

At the beginning of the picking process, moisten the soil. Loosen the soil around the seedlings with a peg. Remove one plant with your fingers by the leaves. Plant it in the hole and firmly fix it by pressing the soil near the stem.

Diseases and pests

Carrots demonstrate resistance to diseases, but one should not exclude the risk of disease damage and the reproduction of pests, but perform all operations to protect the plant in time.

During growth, the culture is susceptible to the influence of harmful microorganisms. Fungal diseases that cause rotting and spoilage of fruits are dangerous for her.

It is important to carry out prevention, namely, observe crop rotation, plant in a timely manner, apply potassium-based fertilizers, loosen the soil, and destroy the remains of vegetation in the fall.

carrot cultivation

Carrots are afraid of such an insidious pest as a carrot fly. The presence of a golden brown color on the foliage gives a signal of its occurrence. The affected vegetable acquires a bitter taste, becomes loose and unfit for consumption. To prevent the occurrence of this insect, it is necessary to loosen the soil in the beds, to prevent both stagnant water and shading. And if an insect is found, destroy it by treating it with insecticides.

Seedling method

It is possible to resort to the seedling method when cultivating carrots. It is important to take into account all the advantages and disadvantages of this method.

Pros

Advantages:

  • the harvest will please a month earlier;
  • care excludes such an event as thinning;
  • the vegetable is less attacked by the carrot fly.

carrot cultivation

Cons

Disadvantages:

  • root crops grow small, short and clumsy;
  • the occupation is quite laborious and a positive result is not always noted;
  • the harvest is poorly preserved, and the fruits come across even unsuitable for eating.

Answers to questions

Gardeners are concerned about the issue of growing carrots using seedlings, because they know that the culture does not like transplants. With the experience of cultivating a plant by this method, seedlings are even able to overtake carrots planted with seeds in growth.

carrot cultivation

To do this, take the packaging cells from sweets, fill them with soil composition, after moistening it, and sow 2 pieces in each. Cover the cells with a plastic bag and send to heat. Seedlings will not take long to wait and will form in a week, and after 15 days the first real leaves will grow.

When transplanting carrots into open ground, follow the planting pattern. In the garden, dig rows 15 cm deep and equip them with humus. Water the seedlings and plant them at intervals of 6 cm. Close the bed using mowed grass to prevent the plant and soil from drying out. Subsequently, traditional care is assumed, without thinning.

Vegetables from the garden – the most healthy and delicious! Therefore, taking into account all the nuances and adhering to the rules when growing carrots with seeds in open ground, even a novice gardener, if desired, will cope with several beds of not too whimsical plants.

Anna Evans

Author-editor

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