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Modern gardeners are offered more than 200 varieties of carrots for growing in the middle and northwestern strip of Our Country. However, among such a variety, one can single out the best types of root crops with high yields, excellent external and taste qualities, and other comparative advantages. Among them, of course, should include the carrot “Queen of Autumn”. A description of the main characteristics of this vegetable, its photo and features of agricultural technology are given in this article.
Description of the root crop
The proud name “Queen of Autumn” is not without reason given to this variety. It is characterized by late ripening and excellent carrot characteristics. Each root crop has an even conical shape, its length varies from 20 to 25 cm. The average weight of the vegetable is 60-180 g. The flesh of the carrot is bright orange with a reddish tinge, very sweet and juicy. You can compare the above description of the “Queen of Autumn” with the real external qualities of the root crop in the photo.
To simplify the classification, all varieties of carrots are divided into 10 varieties in accordance with the shape, size and main characteristics of the root crop. So, the carrot variety “Queen of Autumn” belongs to the Flakke variety type. In Our Country, it is customary to call him Valeria. All root crops in this category contain a relatively low amount of carotene, but at the same time they have a high yield and keeping quality. So, the yield of the variety “Queen of Autumn”, in the presence of favorable growing conditions, is 9 kg / m2. You can store the root crop throughout the winter period, until the onset of a new harvest season.
Features of agricultural technology
At first glance, there are no tricks in growing carrots. But for some reason, often, despite the efforts invested by the gardener, the vegetable is bitter, cracked, underweight, shaped defects and other shortcomings. In order to exclude them, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the agricultural technology of the cultivated variety.
Seed sowing
Loose soils are best suited for growing carrots. You can create them by mixing compost, sand and garden soil. Raised beds also provide a comfortable environment for root crops to grow. Dense, compacted soil is the main cause of carrot curvature.
The best predecessors for culture are tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, cereals. At the same time, it is unlikely that it will be possible to grow a full-fledged crop on depleted soils, so it is better to take care of fertilizing in advance in the fall.
Carrot seeds are initially suitable for sowing in the ground, however, many gardeners claim that pre-soaking the seeds for 3-4 days in water accelerates the plant’s growth process.
Taking into account the characteristics of the “Queen of Autumn” carrots, breeders proposed a scheme for sowing the seed of this variety. So, between rows there should be a distance of at least 20 cm, between adjacent seeds at least 4 cm. It is rather difficult to observe such an interval due to the small fraction of the seed. Therefore, gardeners use some tricks, for example:
- seeds are glued to the toilet paper tape at the required interval, after which it is embedded in the ground;
- seeds are mixed with dry sand and the resulting mixture is sprinkled into the furrows, thereby adjusting the distance between the seeds.
When sowing a crop, the recommended seed placement depth is 2-2,5 cm.
Cultivation
The variety “Queen of Autumn” is highly resistant to cold. So, even young shoots can successfully withstand frosts down to -4 0C. However, with long-term cooling, the growth of the root crop slows down significantly. The optimum temperature for growing a vegetable of this variety is +18 0C.
Under favorable conditions, seedlings of the culture appear 2 weeks after sowing the seed. In order that during this time the bed is not covered with abundant greenery and weeds, it should be covered with polyethylene. The construction of the shelter will also prevent evaporation of moisture and cracking of the soil.
When growing carrots of any variety, special attention should be paid to watering. It should be moderately plentiful and systematic. Otherwise, you may encounter the following situations:
- frequent abundant watering makes carrots rough and tasteless, like fodder;
- carrots without sufficient watering grow sluggish, unsweetened, and may even die. It is characterized by poor keeping quality;
- lack of systematic watering leads to cracking of the root crop;
- surface watering of the ridges leads to the abundant formation of small roots on the surface of the vegetable, as well as to its curvature;
Thus, the Queen of Autumn carrots must be watered abundantly, but infrequently. This will allow the root crop to form even, juicy, sweet.
Thinning is another must when growing carrots. The first thinning should be done 12-14 days after emergence. Secondary thinning should be done after 10 days. Thinning should be done with extreme care so as not to damage the root system of the remaining plants, as this can lead to subsequent ugliness of the vegetable. Densely growing carrots grow frail, thin, quickly rot during storage.
Top dressing of carrots during the growing period can be carried out with special fertilizers or superphosphate. At the same time, the use of fresh manure leads to the appearance of bitterness in taste and ugly curvature of the fruit.
Subject to all cultivation rules, the fruits of the “Queen of Autumn” variety ripen 117-130 days after sowing the seed. This period is considered to be quite long, however, it helps to improve the keeping quality of carrots.
An example of how to properly grow large, tasty carrots of the “Queen of Autumn” variety is shown in the video:
Vegetable storage
Carrots are a rather capricious vegetable for storage. Therefore, even such a specialized variety as the “Queen of Autumn” should be properly prepared for a long winter maturation. For this you need:
- Harvest in accordance with its ripening period, which is declared by the manufacturer, since unripe carrots are prone to decay, and overripe ones are susceptible to pests;
- Watering should be stopped a few days before harvesting. This will keep the sweetness and juiciness of the vegetable;
- Cut the tops below the growth point by 0.5 cm, so that the greens do not absorb the juices from the root crop;
- Prepared carrots must be dried in the sun for 2-3 hours, and then placed in conditions with a temperature of 10-140From for 2 weeks. This will allow the carrots to heal the damage, and the diseased fruits to show defects;
- Winter storage of vegetables can be carried out in containers with sand or sawdust filler, as well as in moss, clay, onion peel, and a plastic bag.
The optimal conditions for winter storage of carrots are humidity 90-95%, temperature 0-+10C. Under such conditions, the Queen of Autumn carrots can be preserved until the new harvest without loss of quality.
Conclusion
The choice of the variety “Queen of Autumn” is an excellent solution for farmers who not only want to get a rich, tasty carrot crop, but also keep it throughout the winter period. After all, fresh, juicy carrots in winter can become a delicious treat and a natural source of vitamins. At the same time, a vegetable grown by one’s own hands is doubly tastier and healthier.