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Carrots are one of the healthiest and most nutritious vegetables. This root vegetable was first found in Asia, that carrot was purple in color and completely unsuitable for eating. Only carrot seeds were used, they were considered useful and even medicinal. Later varieties already resembled a modern vegetable – they had an orange color and juicy, crispy flesh.
Different varieties of carrots are grown almost all over the world. There are more heat-loving crops, cold-resistant species. Carrot varieties popular in 2019 with photos and descriptions will be discussed in this article..
How carrots are grown
Carrots are a hardy crop. It is very easy to buy seeds and grow this vegetable. Carrots do not require any special soil composition, they do not need regular and frequent watering.
Sow carrots with seeds directly into the ground (the crop is not grown in seedlings). After germination, the plants are thinned out so that the distance between seedlings is at least 5 cm.
You can plant carrots in any soil: both in sandy and in black earth or clay. The plant does not require special feeding, it rarely becomes a “target” for pests and diseases.
In the country or garden for carrots, almost any site is suitable. There should not be high humidity, otherwise, carrots are unpretentious.
What seeds to choose for planting
The choice of carrot varieties for planting largely depends on the climatic features of the region. But this is not the only factor. No less important:
- type of soil on the site;
- the required rate of fruit ripening (early, medium or late carrots);
- purpose of the crop (processing, sale, storage, fresh consumption);
- crop volumes;
- taste qualities of carrots.
It is clear that when choosing seeds, you need to take into account all these factors, having decided on the highest priority ones.
For example, foreign hybrids are most often grown for commercial purposes – they give stable yields, have the same and even fruits. However, such vegetables do not have high taste qualities, their taste is less pronounced than that of domestic counterparts.
In order to provide your own family with fresh vegetables, you can opt for varieties and hybrids of selection. Such crops are more adapted to the local climate, have the best taste, and can be stored for a long period.
For those who care about the speed of ripening, seeds of early ripening vegetables are suitable. But it must be remembered that early carrots will not be very keeping – they cannot be stored for a long time. For stocks for the winter, mid-season and late varieties are more suitable.. By the way, in such carrots not only the appearance will be preserved, but also useful vitamins.
In 2019, new varieties of carrots may appear, but the varieties of this vegetable that exist today are quite enough.
“Tushon”
Like all early ripe varieties, “Tushon” is intended for fresh consumption and processing (freezing, canning, cooking various dishes). Vegetables ripen approximately 80 days after sowing the seeds in the soil.
Mature fruits are cylindrical in shape, elongated – their length is about 20 cm. There are many small “eyes” in the peel, its surface is smooth. The color of the root crop is rich orange. The shape of the fruit is correct, identical.
The mass of each root crop ranges from 90 to 150 grams. The core of the carrot is dense, juicy, painted in the same orange hue as the peel. The taste characteristics of the Tushon variety are good – the fruits can be added to various dishes or eaten raw.
Carrot contains a large amount of carotene, gives high yields – up to 4,5 kg per square meter of land.
“Alenka”
One of the most productive varieties of carrots ripens on the 100th day after planting the seeds, therefore it belongs to the mid-season. The fruits grow small – their length is about 15 cm, and the diameter reaches 4 cm.
But from each square meter you can get up to 10 kg of root crops. Moreover, their quality is excellent: carrots are juicy and crispy, suitable for long-term storage, root crops do not crack, and are resistant to most diseases characteristic of carrots.
Carrot varieties “Alenka” is suitable for cultivation in any region of the country: both in the south and in the Urals.
“Vitamin 6”
It is impossible not to include the well-known variety “Vitamin 6” in the rating of the best root crops. Carrots ripen approximately on the 100th day after sowing seeds, they are mid-ripening. The plant is resistant to major diseases, unpretentious in care.
The fruits are painted in a red-orange hue, their peel is smooth, with small “eyes”. The shape of the root is cylindrical, regular, with a blunt end. The length of the carrot is about 18 cm, weight – up to 170 grams.
Fruits contain a very large amount of carotene and other vitamins; after winter storage, vegetables retain most of the nutrients.
“Carotel”
One of the most famous varieties is Karotel. The culture begins to bear fruit on the 90th day after sowing the seeds into the soil. The variety has a high yield – up to 7 kg per square meter.
The culture is unpretentious and versatile – suitable for growing in any region of the country.
Root crops have the shape of a blunt-ended cylinder, short – up to 15 cm. The mass of one vegetable reaches only 100 grams. The main feature of the variety is taste. “Karotel” has juicy pulp with a characteristic “carrot” aroma and a pronounced taste.
Harvest can be stored until the next gardening season. Root vegetables contain so many vitamins that they are often used to produce baby food and diet food.
“Nantes 4”
One of the common table varieties is Nantes 4 carrots. Root crops become mature about three months after sowing the seeds in the ground.
The fruits have the shape of a cylinder, the tip of the root crop is rounded. Carrots are colored orange, the peel is smooth. Each vegetable weighs about 120 grams, its length is up to 16 cm.
Carrot pulp is juicy, tasty, contains a lot of carotene and fiber. Fruits tolerate transportation and long-term storage well.
“Samson”
Very similar to the previous variety – Nantes carrots. This vegetable is better adapted to the climate of Central Our Country.
The fruits are cylindrical in shape, the tip of each is slightly pointed. The color of the root crop is orange, the surface is smooth. The mass of each vegetable can reach 150 grams.
The aligned, beautiful fruits are just for sale. However, this variety is not only attractive in appearance – carrots are also tasty, can be stored for a long time or eaten fresh.
“Chantene Royale”
This carrot can also be attributed to mid-ripening varieties – fruits can be harvested 120 days after sowing the seeds into the soil. The variety is universal, it can be grown in any region, any type of soil is suitable for this.
The fruits are bright orange and cone shaped. The length of each reaches 17 cm, and the diameter is 5 cm. The surface of the root crop is smooth, the shape is leveled.
The culture is resistant to most diseases, including flowering.
Harvest carrots can be stored for up to 9 months, consumed fresh, added to preservation and various dishes.
“Queen of Autumn”
To get an early harvest of this variety, it is necessary to plant seeds in the fall. With a normal (not winter) planting, the culture bears fruit three months after the appearance of the first shoots.
The fruits are very even, have the shape of a cylinder, a smooth surface. The length of the carrot reaches 22 cm, weight – 170 grams. Inside the fruit is juicy and fragrant. High commercial qualities allow mass-growing “Queen of Autumn” for sale.
The plant is resistant to low temperatures, the most common “carrot” diseases, has a good yield – up to 9 kg per meter.
“September”
Carrots of this variety are harvested at the end of summer, when about 120 days pass from the moment of sowing. The fruits grow quite large: their weight is, on average, 300 grams, and the length is 25 cm.
The root crop is painted in a standard orange color, the surface is smooth, the shape is elongated cone-shaped. This vegetable is great for fresh consumption, cooking various dishes, canning. But it is better not to leave “Sentyabrina” for winter storage – there will be practically no useful substances and vitamins left in root crops.
“Abaco”
A rather capricious hybrid was created on the basis of several well-known varieties of carrots at once. Culture is very dependent on external conditions: temperature and humidity. To get a high and high-quality crop of root crops, you will have to water the plants often and abundantly, plant seeds only after the air temperature has become constant in the region of 15-17 degrees.
If the carrot does not have enough moisture, it will crack, change shape, and lose its presentation. The length of the root crop is 20 cm, the core has a rich orange color.
The vegetable is very tasty, great for cooking salads, cooking, canning. Abaco carrots are not suitable for long-term storage.
“Emperor”
Hybrid carrots can vary significantly depending on the seed producer. Some vegetables of this variety surprise with very sweet pulp, others amaze with increased fragility – they break at the slightest pressure.
Root crops are painted in a rich orange color, have a pointed downward shape. The mass of each vegetable can reach a maximum of 550 grams, and the length is 35 cm.
The taste qualities of the variety are also quite unusual, different from the standard “carrot” taste.
“Nandrin”
Carrot varieties “Nandrin” belongs to the subspecies of early ripening, however, it differs in that it is perfectly stored for a long period. The culture is unpretentious – it feels great both on a modest summer cottage and on a huge farm field.
The fruits are quite large – up to 25 cm in length, painted orange, have the shape of a cone. The vegetable is juicy and flavorful.
non-standard carrot
In addition to the well-known orange carrots, there are many other varieties of this vegetable. Of these, one can name:
- white carrot – in shape it resembles the usual one, the difference is that the vegetable does not have pigment, therefore it is painted white. The taste of the root crop is very appetizing and juicy, contains a lot of useful substances. For a long time, white carrots were used as a fodder vegetable (for livestock), but today it is a favorite variety of many summer residents and gardeners. Fruits are stored for a long time, used for cooking various dishes.
- red carrot – the champion among all species in terms of lycopene content. This pigment is responsible for cleansing the body of harmful toxins and toxins, prevents the appearance of neoplasms, including cancerous ones. You can store red carrots for a long time, but it will lose more than half of the substances it contains.
- Black – a very unusual variety that differs from the rest not only in appearance. The pulp of black carrots is tender and juicy, has a pronounced taste of vanilla. Such root crops are not afraid of low temperatures, even with a slight frost, the vegetables will remain intact. Another feature of this species is yellow inflorescences that emit a pleasant exotic smell.
- Yellow carrot contains more nutrients than any other kind. Xanthophyll is responsible for blood vessels and the heart, and the substance lutein protects the eyes from ultraviolet radiation. Growing yellow carrots is not difficult, it only needs timely watering. Root crop yields are quite high.
- Feed varieties designed for feeding domestic animals (cows, pigs, rabbits, birds). These root crops do not have a pleasant taste, but they contain a lot of nutritious fiber and nutrients.
Choosing a carrot variety for the 2019 gardening season should be based on several important factors. To obtain a large amount of a high-quality product, it is better to choose hybrids of domestic and foreign selection, and for growing carrots for your own needs, proven varieties of local selection are quite enough.
