When to harvest carrots from the garden for storage, what determines the period

The quality of root crops, their nutritional value, storage time depends on the timely and proper harvesting of carrots. With early or late digging of root crops, they will not be well preserved in the basement or cellar, they will rot or dry out. When determining the timing of harvesting, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the variety, the appearance of mature carrots.

What determines maturity

The timing of harvesting carrots depends entirely on:

  • what kind of vegetable is planted in the garden;
  • what are the climatic and weather conditions for growing root crops;
  • what is the composition of the soil in the garden;
  • when the culture reaches biological ripeness;
  • What is the purpose of the vegetable crop?

You can not keep the plant in the garden until frost. But even when it is warm outside, the carrot crop may not endure temperature changes when placed in a cold cellar.

Grade

In the last weeks before harvesting, the root crop accumulates nutrients and vitamins more intensively. Root crops ready for use and storage must be harvested in a timely manner. The term for digging carrots depends on the variety of the plant.

Early

It is worth starting to pull out carrots of early varieties already in mid-June. Selectively remove large specimens first. Due to the vacated space, the remaining part of the root crops also begins to grow faster. The pits left from the harvested fruits are best covered with earth. Then the larvae of harmful insects will not touch the carrots.

ripe carrots

By the end of the first month of summer, all vegetable plants are often harvested. You can pull out carrots at a time, and plant seedlings of cauliflower, broccoli, and vegetable beans on the beds.

The middle-ripening

The ripeness of carrots, which is related to the average ripening period, occurs in mid-September – early October. Then the juiciness and nutritional value of the fruits will allow them to be used for preparing winter salads and sauces. It is not recommended to keep vegetable varieties in the ground longer, as it will lose its useful qualities.

Late

A little later, they begin to harvest the late-ripening vegetable. After the 20th of September, carrots that have reached biological ripeness begin to be harvested from the beds. It is necessary that the root crop ripen, otherwise early harvesting will lead to spoilage or drying of the product.

ripe carrots

Timing depends on weather conditions. With the onset of a cold snap, it is necessary to clean the culture earlier. Fruits begin to rot in the garden if the bad weather lasts a long time and with prolonged rains.

Weather

It is impossible to delay the harvesting of the root crop, especially if autumn is famous for its changeable weather in the region. At an air temperature of 10 degrees Celsius and above, you should wait with the harvest. This applies to those varieties of vegetables that will be stored. High humidity due to constant rains is bad for the condition of the fruit. Carrots will begin to crack, grow new roots.

When the summer season passes in sunny weather with a minimum of precipitation, the timing of digging up the vegetable is shifted to earlier. When it is damp and cold for a long time, then it is necessary to clean it later.

ripe carrots

fertilizers

The best time for digging carrots is September. The vegetable ripens faster on nutritious, humus-rich soils. If you need to collect early carrots, then pay attention to the introduction of minerals. The culture needs to be fed in consistently dry or rainy seasons.

appointment

Carrots are grown for fresh consumption. These are early ripe varieties that begin to pull out even when they have not reached biological ripeness. The procedure is combined with the secondary thinning of plants in the garden. But in the middle of summer, some of the root crops are already ready for use.

If vegetables are grown for winter harvesting, then September is suitable for harvesting fruits.

Store those fruits of the vegetable that are intended for this. They are harvested at an air temperature of 3-6 degrees Celsius, not lower and not higher.

ripe carrots

Signs of maturity

The terms of digging the root crop are determined by external signs. Observing the state of the carrot garden, they calculate when it is possible to start harvesting on time, without delay.

Yellowing or drying of lower leaves

When the lower leaves on the stems of the vegetable began to turn yellow, then you need to start digging up ripe specimens. If the middle leaves are already drying up or turning yellow, then the harvesting period has been missed. Such carrots will be tasteless. And it will be problematic to keep it during the winter.

Haulm lodging

The readiness of the root crop is determined by the state of the tops. The nutrition of the underground part improves, and the stems lack vitamins and minerals. Hence the lodging of the tops. If the entire bed is 50-60% dead, then you urgently need to dig up a vegetable.

Appearance and taste

To check if the carrots are ready for digging, 1-2 copies are pulled out and inspected:

  1. In early ripe varieties, the fruit should reach a mass of 200 grams. The length of ripe carrots is within 10-15 centimeters. With an orange color of the surface of the root crop, its middle is small.
  2. Mid-season carrots usually have cylindrical, blunt-ended fruits. The pulp is juicy and sweet in taste.
  3. In late carrot hybrids, sugar contains about 14-15%, and carotene – 21 milligrams. The readiness of the fruit is determined by a bright orange color, a flat surface. The tip is pointed, the bark with the core is red.

ripe carrots

The fruits should not have cracks, damage, roots.

White roots on the root crop

White hairs on the fruits of carrots indicate that the plant lacks moisture. In addition, roots appear when the carrots are ripe for a long time, but they do not dig them up. There is a fouling of the fetus with white hairs because the vegetable is preparing for wintering. Therefore, inspect excavated specimens carefully. If the rudiments of white roots are found, it is urgent to remove the vegetable from the garden.

Cleaning technique

A number of rules for the competent harvesting of carrots are determined:

  1. 2 weeks before harvesting stop watering the beds.
  2. Choose a day when it is dry and sunny.
  3. It is advised to perform the procedure during the waning of the moon.
  4. A garden fork is used to dig up vegetables. Deepen them away from the shoulders of the fetus.
  5. Try not to damage the root crop when extracting from the ground.
  6. Shake off the rest of the earth carefully.
  7. It is necessary to dry the crop in a well-ventilated place.

ripe carrots

It is necessary to dig carrots in such a way as to keep the entire crop intact. The tops should be cut off immediately after digging up the root crop. The collection is completed before the start of rains and the temperature drops.

Proper pruning after harvest

As soon as the earth dries up on the fruits, they begin pruning the green stems. A sharp knife is used for the operation. From the root crop, 2 millimeters are cut along with the tops. If you need to leave carrots on the seeds, then leave a stump of 2-3 centimeters. It is not recommended to keep the harvested carrot crop outdoors for a long time. It will begin to dry out, losing its juiciness. Only whole, undamaged fruits should be stored.

lots of carrots

Features of storage

Before laying the vegetable crop for the winter, the premises are prepared correctly:

  • insulating walls, ceilings;
  • taking out garbage, waste;
  • drying;
  • installing ventilation;
  • conducting disinfection.

Carrots are among demanding crops. To prevent wilting of the root crop, care must be taken to maintain a humidity of 80-95% in the storage. Otherwise, the harvest will wilt. A decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the room and an increase in carbon dioxide play a large role. There will be a slowdown in the respiratory processes of the vegetable, and it will last longer.

Ventilation devices, artificial and natural, will regulate the air exchange in the vault.

The storage temperature of carrots starts from +10 degrees for 8-12 days, then it goes down to 1 degree. All winter, 6-7 months, make sure that the temperature is within 1-10 degrees Celsius. In the spring, the storage is heated to 12 degrees for 2 weeks.

ripe carrots

Prevention

Properly carried out measures to prevent damage to carrots by fungi and rodents will save root crops until the next harvest. Before laying, it is necessary to treat the structures of the cellar or basement with disinfectant solutions.

Copper sulfate

They process boxes for storing culture and walls, the ceiling of the premises with a solution of copper sulphate. Prepare it according to the instructions. Then the wooden parts are whitewashed.

River sand

In order for the vegetable to be better preserved, the fruits are laid out in piles, sprinkling the rows with wet sand. You can determine the sufficient moisture content of the sand by squeezing it in a handful. If it does not crumble, then it is suitable for storing the root crop. Sand will prevent the formation of rot on the vegetable.

River sand

It is necessary to moisten the dried top layers of sand regularly. For 100 kilograms of carrots, 3-4 buckets of wet material are enough.

Chalking

Chalk powder or slaked lime is used to preserve the root crop. It is necessary to eliminate the aggressiveness of the substance so as not to burn the roots of the plant.

Dry method

Sand is mixed with dry chalk or lime. This composition covers the rows of carrots. They widely use pollination of fruits with dry chalk. For 10 kilograms of carrots, 150 grams of powder is enough. A slightly alkaline environment will not allow diseases to develop in the storehouse, keep the fruits fresh for longer.

River sand

Wet

Lime milk will help to avoid spoilage of the product in the basement. Root crops are dipped in a coated solution. After drying, a crust forms, preventing the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms.

Infusion of onion peel

Spraying with infusion of onion peel is used to prevent the spread of diseases. The vegetable will not rot after such processing.

clay shell

Clay talker is prepared in order to lower the fruits of the vegetable there before storing. The protective film that forms on them will become a barrier to the penetration of the pulp of the infection.

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Anna Evans

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