Planting carrots in spring in open ground

To say that carrots are a popular vegetable is almost an understatement. This is an extremely useful and necessary for health root crop, which has a rich vitamin and mineral composition and many biologically active substances. Growing carrots is not difficult – even a novice gardener can get a rich harvest by following simple agrotechnical rules.

For carrots, as for any garden plant, there are certain planting dates. Their observance is of great importance for the quality and quantity of the crop. It is equally important to correlate the estimated dates with the category of ripeness. Early-ripening varieties can be planted later, but belated sowing of late-ripening varieties can lead to the fact that the vegetable does not have time to gain the desired condition. The exact dates vary from the beginning of April to the end of May, depending on the region of cultivation. Approximately carrots are sown at a soil temperature of + 4-6ºC. Many prefer to plant according to the lunar calendar. For example, in 2022, the following numbers are considered the most favorable for sowing carrots in spring and before winter:

Spring:

• in March – 13 and 16, as well as 20 and 22;

• in April – 1, 4, 6, 8 and 28;

• in May – 2, 5, and 6;

• in June – from 10 to 12, 20 and 22.

Winter:

• in September – from 1 to 3, as well as 24, 26, 29;

• in October – 2 and 4, from 21 to 24, 29 and 30;

• in November – 1, 2 and 4, from 24 to 25 and from 29 to 30.

In addition to the lunar calendar, you should also focus on weather conditions. For sowing carrot seeds in open ground, warm, dry and calm weather is important. The latter factor will exclude the possibility of scattering of the material under the influence of gusts of wind. Each region has its own terms, optimal for the climatic features of the region. In the Leningrad region and the Moscow region, this is one time, in the Urals and Siberia it is completely different: tender shoots are afraid of frost, so they sow there later. In the middle lane, spring sowing is carried out in April or the beginning of the next month.

For successful cultivation of a root crop, it is necessary to choose the right place and soil composition. It is from the observance of these factors that the taste of carrots and its yield depend. If the composition does not correspond to the recommended one, then special attention should be paid to this.

It is very important to equip the beds in a well-lit place, completely devoid of shade. Even penumbra negatively affects the development of the plant. Loamy, sandy or peaty soil should be breathable, with neutral acidity and a sufficient level of fertility. The beds should be prepared in advance, at least 3-4 weeks before planting.

1. Choose an area corresponding to the above parameters.

2. Clean the surface of the earth from debris and superficially apply fertilizer: per square meter 1 bucket of compost or humus with the addition of one glass of wood ash, bone meal, and 10 grams of superphosphate and potassium sulfate. Do not use fresh manure, as this inevitably leads to clumsy root crops.

3. Heavy soil ennoble by adding river sand and peat at the rate of 0,5 buckets per 1 sq. meter, because carrots love loose soil.

4. After that, the soil is dug up to the depth of the shovel bayonet., removing weed roots, and level with a rake.

The seeds of the culture germinate for a long time, so they are classified as a tight category – from sowing to the first shoots, it takes up to three weeks. This is due to the presence of a shell of essential oils that prevents moisture from entering. Given this feature, it is necessary to pre-treat the seeds.

• Soaking in growth stimulants, for example: “Zircon” or “Epine-extra”. After the procedure, the seeds should be thoroughly dried to ensure flowability.

• Bubbling. This activity will help flush out the essential oils and is done using a bubbler or aquarium compressor. Water is heated to a temperature of 40ºC. Seeds are placed in a gauze “shell”, then in a container with water and a bubbler. The process takes a day, after which the seeds are dried and applied to the soil.

• Contrasting heat treatment. The technology involves the processing of seed in hot water at a temperature of 50–55ºC for a quarter of an hour. The seeds are then kept for the same amount of time in cold water. A contrast bath helps to activate internal processes and increases germination.

There is another way, but the least popular with regard to carrot seeds. This stratification. In early spring, planting material is placed in a canvas bag, moistened and buried in the garden on a spade bayonet, the procedure time is 2 weeks. During this time, the seeds swell, saturated with moisture, and begin to germinate. The germinated seeds are dug up and brought into the prepared ridges.

For successful cultivation of carrots, it is necessary to properly position and cover its seeds. Sowing is carried out in several ways. Which is better to plant, the gardener determines individually. In private gardens, they usually use a row planting scheme on long narrow beds, which are easy to care for by hand: water, loosen, weed. The distance between the lines is 15–30 cm, between each seed is 3–5 cm. The nuances depend on the availability of free land, its composition and the large-fruited variety.

This is the classic and most common method, requiring minimal effort on the part of the grower.

• On the beds they make neat grooves 2–3 cm deep. The distance between them is 15–20 cm.

• The grooves are spilled with hot water or a solution of “Fitosporin”, if this is not done in advance.

• If during digging it was not brought wood ash, then it can be poured into the grooves along with tobacco dust.

• Seeds are placed in prepared grooves and fall asleep. Among gardeners, it is customary to compact the earth from above, but a more correct method is when the soil is compacted in a recess, and the surface of the bed is left loose. This technique guarantees easy biting of tender shoots.

This method is the simplest. When planting, pelleted (granulated) seeds are used. The manufacturer covers them with a special shell, consisting of nutrients and making the material larger. Such a technique reduces the consumption of seeds, but increases their cost and reduces the percentage of germination with a lack of moisture.

The method contributes to a more uniform distribution of seeds and reduces consumption. In this case, river sand is mixed with seed. In a small bucket, pour it half the volume. Add two tablespoons of seeds to it, mix well and then fall asleep in the grooves. Then sprinkled with earth and watered.

A more time-consuming method, but popular. You don’t have to use toilet paper for this method. Paper tape or strips of cut loose sheets will do. On sale you can find seeds glued on paper, but the price of packaging is much higher than for ordinary packaged ones. Similar blanks can be made independently.

Landing on the tape:

• a paste is boiled from starch or flour and left to cool;

• meanwhile, the paper is cut into strips 2–3 cm wide and marks are made on the blanks at a distance of 5–6 cm;

• the cooled paste is dripped onto the marks and the seeds are glued;

• dried tapes with seeds are wound on the base and stored in a dry place until planting.

On the prepared bed, grooves are made and ribbons are laid out. The trenches are covered with earth and watered. The next watering is carried out in about half a month. The spacing between each seed on the paper tape can vary.

The method of sowing in egg cartons is less popular than the above, but it not only eliminates thinning, but also eliminates weeding. If the farm has a stock of such cardboard cells, then they can be used in this way, at the same time saving yourself from many garden procedures.

• Sowing in trays is carried out a month before the planned planting in the garden.

• The cells are installed in specially selected pallets, small drainage holes are made at the bottom.

• Ground is poured into egg trays and 2-3 seeds are placed in each compartment.

• Further, regular watering is carried out, preventing the soil from drying out.

• After the seedlings appear, only one, the strongest, is left.

• The blanks are installed on the bed directly in the trays, and in the future they will not have to be weeded and thinned out. In this way, you can sow carrots immediately before planting and install the cells in open ground without waiting for seedlings to appear. This will save the living space from unnecessary seedlings.

Methods for sowing carrots are varied, the main thing is to comply with the deadlines and the agrotechnical complex of measures in order to get a good harvest of tasty, juicy, healthy root crops in the fall.

So that after summer labors in the garden, the carrot harvest will please the gardener, it is best to use some of the recommendations of experienced owners of garden and summer cottages.

• To save carrots from pest damage, it can be surrounded by onion and garlic crops from different sides. Such landings make up a wonderful symbiosis in the fight against onion or carrot fly. Some place onions and carrots on the same bed, alternating rows.

• The crop can be used as a winter and get early root crops next summer. Autumn sowing is carried out 1,5 months before the onset of winter.

• The use of biohumus when planting eliminates the need to engage in top dressing during the season.

• Too much moisture leads to cracking carrots.

Carrots germinate much later than weeds, and so that early weeding does not harm future seedlings, marker crops should be used during sowing:

Their seeds are brought into the same grooves. Ascended before the main crops, they will indicate the rows of future carrot seedlings. All these tricks are not difficult, but they are of great importance for obtaining a crop.