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Black carrot, also called scorzoner, goat or black root – This is a little-known vegetable crop in Our Country. There is only one reason for such low popularity – the lack of information about this plant. The situation is different in the countries of Europe, Asia and the East. There, this black root is not only actively grown, but also used for medicinal purposes.
The benefits of black carrots
The homeland of black carrots was the south-west of Europe, where they later began to cultivate it as a vegetable crop.
The benefits of black root have been known since the time of Alexander the Great. It was she who was served at his table as a delicacy. In addition, scorzonera was actively used as an antidote for snake bites.
Its composition is rich in various useful substances, such as:
- saccharides;
- vitamins C, B1, B2, E;
- iron;
- phosphorus;
- calcium, etc.
Scorzonera is highly digestible and helps in the fight against diseases such as:
- avitaminosis;
- obesity;
- anemia;
- diabetes and others.
It will be especially useful for the elderly and those who need diet food.
This variety of carrots is consumed raw, after soaking in salt water. Black carrots can be grated, used for salads. It can be boiled, fried and stewed, frozen and canned. In addition to the root crops themselves, you can also use young scorzonera greens.
Characteristics of varieties
There are very few varieties of black carrots or scorzonera and it is quite difficult to see them on sale. Only three varieties are listed in the State Register of the Federation: Overseas delicacy, Medical and Solnechnaya premiere. But it is extremely rare for a gardener to stumble upon varieties such as Giant and Gypsy.
overseas delicacy
This mid-season variety of black carrots has a semi-raised rosette 17 cm high and up to 12 cm in diameter. It is formed by medium-sized green leaves.
The root crop of the Overseas delicacy has the shape of a cylinder and is colored dark brown. Its length will not exceed 35 cm, the diameter will be from 2,2 to 3,2 cm, and the weight will be in the range from 100 to 130 grams. The flesh of this black carrot is white. The yield of the variety from one square meter will be no more than 2 kg.
Medical
The harvest of this variety of black carrots will have to wait up to 120 days. The leaves of the plant are ovate-elongated and have long petioles. A semi-raised rosette of these leaves hides a long dark brown root. It has a conical shape and weighs no more than 80 grams. The white tender pulp of the Healing variety is perfect for cooking. It is very juicy, sweetish and has an astringent taste.
giant
The stem of the giant grows up to 75 cm in height. It has ovate oblong leaves that form spreading branches. In the second year of vegetation, the plant is covered with yellow inflorescences from several baskets. The root crop of this variety has the shape of a cylinder and a rich vitamin composition.
Solar Premiere
This variety of black carrots will ripen in 110 days. It has a vertical rosette of ovate-elongated leaves on a long petiole. The cylindrical root crop has a length of 31 cm and a weight of up to 80 grams. Its cross-sectional diameter will be 3 cm. The dark brown surface of the carrot hides white tender flesh. The yield of the variety will be about 1,8 kg per square meter.
Gypsy
An excellent diet variety for people with diabetes. In the first year of its two-year growing season, the plant grows a rosette of leaves, under which there is a root crop. Its cylindrical shape is painted black. Gypsy carrots grow up to 30 cm in length. Its white flesh contains a lot of milky juice and has a sweetish astringent taste. In the second year of vegetation, the plant grows up to 1,5 meters and begins to branch. During the flowering period, the plant forms baskets of large yellow flowers.
The video shows scorzonera plants:
Recommendations for growing
It is difficult to find a more unpretentious culture than scorzonera. For its cultivation, you can choose a site that is not suitable for other crops or place it on the same bed with other perennial crops. Excellent results are shown by planting black carrots after plants such as:
- cucumber;
- tomato;
- bow;
- potatoes.
In addition, it does not hurt to fertilize the ground before planting with any mineral fertilizers or wood ash.
Scorzonera is grown from seeds that are planted outdoors. At the same time, it can be planted in spring, summer and even autumn:
- With spring sowing, root crops are obtained in the first year of vegetation. To do this, pre-soak the seeds. They are planted at the end of April, immediately after the soil dries out. For better germination, they should be covered with a film.If you delay the sowing a little, then black carrots will grow thin and tasteless.
- When sown in summer, the black root is grown as a biennial plant. Even freshly harvested seeds of plants of the second year of vegetation are suitable for this. Summer planting allows plants to take root better before autumn and safely overwinter. With this planting, roots and seeds are formed in the second year after planting.
- Autumn planting allows you to get a crop earlier than spring planting.
The first shoots of black carrots will appear quite quickly: with spring or summer sowing after 14 days, with autumn – after 7. When young black root plants grow 7 cm in height, you can mulch the soil under them. Before that, it is first loosened and watered well. You can not mulch the soil, but then it will have to be loosened often.
When the first 2-3 pairs of leaves appear, the rows of young plants thin out. They must be removed so that a distance of at least 15 cm remains between them. If less space is left between neighboring plants, they may begin to form flower-bearing stems. To ensure a good harvest, they should be removed without regret.
Further care of plants is quite simple:
- regular watering;
- loosening the soil – only if mulching was not carried out;
- top dressing with mineral fertilizers.
It is necessary to harvest on average 110-120 days after the appearance of the first shoots. Black carrots must be dug very carefully, as they are quite brittle.
It is important to make it before the onset of cold weather. When the soil is frozen, it will be very difficult for the scorzonera to dig. If the gardener did not have time to dig up black carrots before the onset of cold weather, then he can do it in the spring. The root crop will overwinter well in the soil.
Black carrots are an incredibly vitamin-rich vegetable crop that will still compete for a place on our plots. It is undemanding to care and is very useful both for the treatment of many diseases and for their prevention.