So, you have sown carrots, looked after them all summer, and now the most important and interesting part awaits you – harvesting and storing the crop. Below we will tell you how to properly organize this process so that the root crops safely lie down until next spring, in which cases it is advisable to use a harvester for harvesting carrots and what storage methods are recommended by experienced gardeners.
How to clean
First of all, you need to figure out the timing of the harvest. Each variety has its own characteristics, but for long-term storage, mid-ripening and medium-late options are more suitable. Therefore, cleaning should be planned for September – mid-October, but in any case before the onset of frost. Until this time, the vegetable will pick up the desired sweetness and form a dense peel.
If carrots are beaten with frost, you should not hope for good keeping quality. The most important indicator of ripeness is the state of the tops. If the leaves begin to turn yellow and wilt, then it’s time to dig up the roots. The weather plays a special role. It is important that 1-2 weeks before the planned harvest there was no rain and the soil dried out well enough. It is clear that additional watering is also out of the question. Otherwise, carrots can quickly rot.
Carrot harvesting itself does not require special knowledge and skills. For convenience, use a garden fork or a bayonet shovel. Use them carefully, only slightly digging the root crop so as not to damage it. Pulling carrots by hand from dry soil is not recommended. At this time, the tops are no longer so strong and there is a high probability that the leaves will remain in your hands, and the root crop in the ground is very high.
After harvesting, the entire crop is carefully sorted out and spoiled vegetables are thrown away. Then you need to remove the remnants of the tops. The stems are cut off at the very root. Peeled carrots are dried for several hours in a shaded and well-ventilated place. To do this, spread the carrots in an even thin layer on burlap or oilcloth. Putting carrots on the ground is not necessary.
If you grow this crop on an industrial scale, then you will need a carrot harvester. There are two types of them. The first option is a pulling machine. She grabs the vegetable by the tops, so the stems do not need to be removed first. The only thing you need to take care of is to remove the weeds. Otherwise, automated equipment may go astray.
Conventional harvesters can only work with areas where the haulm has been cut. For short-fruited varieties that are used for industrial processing, potato harvesters with digging nozzles are used. The productivity of such harvesters is higher, but root crops are damaged. Carrots after such harvesting are not suitable for long-term storage.
Video “How to store”
Proper storage
Carrots tolerate winter storage well if the right conditions are created for it. First of all, it is necessary to prepare a suitable room for the harvest. This culture loves cool and damp cellars. So that root crops do not succumb to the attack of fungi and bacteria, it is necessary to disinfect the room and storage containers with copper sulphate or lime. The temperature should not exceed +10°C, and the air humidity should be at the level of 95%.
Carrots are stored in open plastic bags, wooden or plastic boxes, cardboard boxes, and also in bulk. At the same time, there are several effective tricks that will help keep the crop in its original form until spring. Sprinkling layers of carrots with different materials, such as sand, is very popular. To do this, prepare a box and pour a layer of wet loamy sand on its bottom. Lay carrots on top so that individual root crops do not touch and pour sand again. Repeat the manipulations to the very top of the box.
In the same way, you can layer root crops with dry sawdust, peat, onion peel. A great way to store carrots is in clay. Prepare a liquid clay solution and dip the roots there. As a result, an additional protective shell will be obtained on top of the peel.
If you decide to put carrots in plastic bags, then leave them open so that excess condensation does not accumulate inside. Also keep an eye on your nearest neighbors. You should not place the crop next to apples. Remember to carry out preventive checks, especially when storing in bulk. It is important to throw away rotten vegetables in time, otherwise they will begin to spoil healthy root crops around.
Video “How to store carrots”
How to properly store carrots, you will learn from this video, which describes various secrets and techniques.
