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Carrot harvest time
The vegetable that we find in all vegetable gardens is carrots. The timing of harvesting carrots is different for different types of varieties. But it is very important to harvest the carrots at the right time to prevent carrot diseases, cracking and loss of the sweet taste of the root vegetable.
How to correctly determine the harvest time for carrots of different varieties?
All carrot varieties are divided into:
Early ripening.
Mid-season.
Late ripening.
When determining the timing of the harvest, it is important to build on this. Carrots, which are early ripening varieties, are harvested in mid-July. But it is not suitable for long-term storage during the winter, it needs to be consumed in the near future.
It is important to observe the timing of harvesting carrots, otherwise the carrots will lose their sweet taste and will be susceptible to various diseases
Mid-season carrot varieties become ripe 80–100 days after planting. Usually, the yellow lower leaves indicate the ripening of the root crop. If not only the lower leaves have become yellow, then this indicates a plant disease. In this case, the entire crop should be dug up as soon as possible.
Late-ripening varieties are harvested during the first two weeks of autumn. But it’s also important to pay attention to the weather. If you still have warm weather, then wait until the temperature drops to 4 degrees, since sudden temperature changes are harmful for carrots: if you dig them out of warm soil and immediately place them in a cold storage place, this will shorten the period its keeping quality. Also, the yellow lower leaves of the plant indicate ripening.
If it is still difficult for you to immediately determine whether the carrots are ripe or not, then dig up a few root vegetables, look at their appearance and try. Over time, you will learn how to determine if carrots are ready for harvest without digging out a few fruits.
Dig up the carrots, holding them by the tops or digging them up with a pitchfork or shovel. It is important to do this carefully so as not to damage the roots.
Some people believe that it is not necessary to cut off the tops of the carrots for a while. But this is wrong: it is better to cut off the tops at once, otherwise it will take all the nutrients from the crop.
There are different ways to store carrots.
In plastic bags. Before this, carrots are thoroughly washed, dried, and then placed in a bag and holes are made in it for ventilation.
In sand. The sand is pre-moistened with water. A liter of water is enough for 10 kg of sand. Then they take a box and put a small layer of sand on the bottom, lay a row of carrots on it, then fall asleep again and lay out another row. And so on until the space in the box runs out.
In boxes. Some people store carrots in regular boxes for storing and transporting vegetables. Before this, the boxes must be dried.
In the freezer. People who live in an apartment, but grow carrots in the country, sometimes store them in the apartment in the freezer. Carrots are washed, dried and grated. And then they are frozen in the freezer.
Choose any method that suits you. It is more convenient to store carrots in the apartment in plastic bags or in the freezer. In a private home, carrots are best stored in sand or in boxes.
Now that you have figured out the timing of harvesting carrots and their storage, the harvest period will not be so difficult for you. Over time, you will gain more experience, and the process will get easier each time. As a result, you will receive a tasty and high-quality harvest.