Contents
- Is it possible to plant carrots before winter
- Varieties of carrots for planting before winter
- When to plant carrots in the fall before winter
- How to plant carrots before winter
- How to prepare a bed for carrots in the fall
- Rules for sowing carrots before winter in the regions
- Garden care after planting
- Conclusion
Planting carrots before winter is beneficial in that young juicy root crops can be obtained much earlier than usual. For an organism weakened in winter by a lack of sun and fresh herbs, such a vitamin supplement to the table will be very useful. Carrots grow by mid-June. Although this time can no longer be called early spring, at the beginning of summer there are still few fresh fruits and vegetables. Early root crops will help make up for the lack of vitamins.
The idea of planting carrots before winter, rather than in spring, may seem strange. After all, even in the spring, gardeners are constantly afraid of freezing plantings, but here they offer to actually plant them under the snow. Moreover, carrots come from countries where winters are very warm.
Is it possible to plant carrots before winter
The main doubts for planting carrots before winter are that it will really freeze if it has time to germinate. In the region of origin, this root crop enters the growing season precisely in winter, when the rains begin. But in hibernation, the achenes lie not at sub-zero temperatures, but at intense heat. But properly sown in autumn, carrot seeds tolerate frost well and sprout already in spring.
Seed material is planted in already frozen ground when the water is frozen. Unmoistened seeds calmly endure the winter.
The benefits of pre-winter sowing carrots
Podzimnye seeds, lying under the snow, get a good hardening and seedlings are no longer afraid of spring frosts. Achenes germinate in soil filled with moisture. Water remains in the ground for a long time, and root crops grow large and juicy.
Another plus of winter sowing is the friendly germination of seed material. In the process of snow melting, they have time to absorb moisture and “wash off” essential oils from themselves. Due to this, with the onset of warm days, the seeds sprout together.
The disadvantage of the autumn planting of carrots is that early root crops cannot be stored for a long time. But why store almost spring carrots if root crops ripen for long-term storage in the fall.
Varieties of carrots for planting before winter
Not every variety of carrots is suitable for sowing before winter. In the case of sowing an unsuitable variety of seedlings, there will either not be any at all, or they will freeze in winter or early autumn.
What carrots are better to plant before winter
For winter sowing, frost-resistant varieties of carrots are chosen. In addition to frost resistance, such varieties must be capable of friendly germination. Therefore, it is preferable to take hybrids specially bred for winter plantings. The richest harvest with this method of sowing root crops is given by mid-season and early-ripening varieties.
The best varieties of carrots for the winter
There are already quite a few varieties of carrots suitable for planting before winter:
- Nantes-4;
- incomparable;
- Losinoostrovskaya-13;
- Vitamin;
- Nantes improved;
- Shantane-2461;
- Moscow winter.
In the “set” there are varieties of all maturation periods. Nantes-4 and Incomparable – early (90 days from germination to harvest); Losinoostrovskaya-13, Nantes improved and Vitaminnaya – mid-season (100-110 days); Shantane-2461 and Moscow winter – late-ripening (130-150).
With the right selection, these varieties of carrots can be planted before winter at the same time. Carrots will ripen gradually, and the gardener will be provided with juicy root crops until the fall. And in the fall, the carrots planted in the spring will ripen.
Nantes-4
The variety is able to grow on loose and heavy soils. Root vegetables with bright orange juicy pulp. Length no more than 16 cm, weight 100-150 g. Despite the large size, the roots are not sinewy. Nantes-4 has a large amount of sugars.
Unparalleled
On most soils, the variety gives a good harvest. Average indicators: 5-6 kg / m² with a weight of root crops of about 200 g. The length of the fruit is up to 17 cm, the diameter is 4,5 cm. The carrot has a cylindrical shape. The tip is rounded, blunt. The color is bright orange. The core does not differ in color from the pulp.
Incomparable is intended for cultivation in the Far Eastern District, Central Our Country, the South Urals and the North Caucasus.
Losinoostrovskaya-13
Mid-season variety with relatively medium-sized root crops. The length of the carrot is 15 cm, the average weight is 100 g. The root crop is completely immersed in the ground, it has a semi-erect rosette of leaves. The color is orange, saturated. The pulp is juicy, tender.
Due to cold resistance, it is well suited for cultivation in the North-West region of Our Country. Resistant to bloom.
Vitamin
High-yielding, flowering resistant variety. Root crops are juicy, sweet, with a high content of provitamin A.
The shape is cylindrical, with a blunt end. The average weight of root crops is 130 g, diameters are up to 5 cm. The color of the pulp is red-orange. The core is small.
The variety is mid-season. It is intended for cultivation in almost all regions of Our Country, except for the North Caucasian region.
Nantes improved
Outwardly similar to other representatives of this family of varieties. The root crop can grow up to 20 cm and weigh 150 g. It is distinguished by juicy pulp. Suitable for winter sowing. Rises early and friendly. Of the minuses: poor keeping quality.
Shantane-2461
Medium-sized root crops – 13-15 cm. The shape is cone-shaped, the tip is rounded. The pulp is sweet, juicy. The core is almost invisible.
This variety has a number of hybrids of medium and early ripening. Due to the variety of hybrids, the variety can be grown in various climatic conditions. Productivity depending on the climate varies at the level of 6-10 kg / m².
Moscow winter
Late-ripening variety with large root crops: length 17 cm, diameter – 4,5 cm, weight 150 g. Orange color. The variety is resistant to flowering. High yielding: 4,7-6,6 kg/m². Recommended for cultivation throughout Our Country. It grows well in Ukraine and Belarus.
When to plant carrots in the fall before winter
The timing of sowing carrots before winter varies depending on the region. Seeds must be planted on already frozen ground so that they do not have time to germinate in the fall. Theoretically, seeds can even be planted not in autumn, but in winter. But it’s cold and there’s a lot of snow. Therefore, it is easiest to plant carrots in the fall, when the ground is frozen, but the snow has not yet fallen.
There are recommendations to sow seeds when the air temperature during the day is consistently below + 5 ° C. But here it is necessary to look at the region. It rains in some areas at this time. The seeds at this time will no longer germinate, since the air temperature is too low, but they will be saturated with moisture and rot. It is better to wait for frost.
When to sow carrots before winter in the suburbs
Since carrots are planted in frozen ground, it is necessary to wait for the establishment of climatic winter. That is, the period when the average daily temperature will consistently stay below 0. Climatic winter does not coincide with either astronomical or calendar. In the Moscow region, it comes around November 15th. But a lot depends on the particular year, which can be warmer or colder than the average. You need to focus on the weather, but the average time for planting carrots before winter in the Moscow region is the end of November. Climatic winter comes in this region from November 15th.
Sowing dates for carrots in Siberia
Siberia is a very large territory with different climatic conditions and different timing of the arrival of winter. Therefore, here gardeners have to focus on the weather of their particular region. On average, planting carrots before winter is early, and planting dates are late in spring. In some areas, it will be possible to sow carrots before winter as early as October.
How to plant carrots before winter
The technology for planting carrots in the fall is different from spring work. In advance, in early autumn, they prepare a bed for carrots. With the onset of frost, seeds are sown on the garden bed and cover them from future erosion by melt water. Seeds cannot be watered. Further care of the bed is almost not required until spring.
Plant seeds in the same way as in spring:
- mixed with sand
- pasted on paper tape;
- dearer.
The only way that is contraindicated when sowing in late autumn is mixing seeds with paste. In this case, the seed will be saturated with water and may begin to germinate.
How to prepare a bed for carrots in the fall
Preparing a bed for carrots in the fall is not fundamentally different from spring work. But they begin to prepare a place for landing not even in the fall, but at the end of summer. The main attention is paid to the choice of a place for planting and soil preparation.
The beds for carrots are made high so that water does not stagnate there in the spring. The height of the beds above the level of the site is at least 10-15 cm.
Choosing the right place
For the winter planting of carrots in early autumn or summer, a flat sunny area is chosen. Future beds should also be protected from the wind.
Before carrots in the chosen place should have grown:
- bow;
- potato;
- cucumbers;
- tomatoes;
- cabbage;
- gourds.
These are the optimal predecessors of carrots. They have different pests and carrots will be protected from carrot flies for some time.
You can not plant carrots where representatives of the celery family have grown before:
- parsley;
- dill;
- celery;
- fennel;
- carrot.
The pests remaining in this place since the summer will continue their work next year and destroy the entire crop. In addition, plants from the same family consume the same nutrients from the ground, which means that root crops will have nowhere to take macro- and microelements for full growth.
The selected place is cleared of plants and their remains and carefully dug up to a depth of 25-30 cm, choosing the roots of weeds. Carrots need loose soil to grow well. When planting in the fall, it must be borne in mind that during the winter the soil becomes caked and becomes denser. It will no longer be possible to dig it up in the spring. Therefore, in the fall, the earth is loosened as thoroughly as possible. When digging into the soil, fertilizers are added.
Soil enrichment with nutrients
For planting carrots in the fall, do not use fresh manure. In winter, it will not decompose, and in spring the plants will go into tops, and the roots will be small and branched. Instead of fresh manure, humus is introduced into the beds. For 1 m² of land you will need:
- ¼ bucket of humus;
- ½ tbsp potassium salt;
- 1 tbsp superphosphate.
Ashes are added to acidic soil. In depleted – a little less than a tablespoon of urea. If the clay soil is too heavy on the site, half-decayed sawdust or sand is added to it when digging. Fresh sawdust or other undecomposed organic matter should not be added. Fresh organic waste attracts the carrot fly.
The planting of carrots before winter is well represented on the video:
Rules for sowing carrots before winter in the regions
The rules for planting carrots in the winter and caring for them are similar in all regions. Only the timing and degree of warming of the beds can differ. After the soil is ready and the bed is formed, it is left until November. During October, under the rains, the earth will compact itself. In October, the finished bed is harrowed to loosen the ground and retain moisture. In the formed harrowed bed, grooves or holes are made 1-5 cm deep. The grooves are made at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. The finished bed is covered with non-woven material so that the rains do not erode the prepared grooves for planting.
The maximum depth is made if the carrot grows in a light, drying-prone soil: sandy or sandy loam. Minimum – used on heavy clay soils.
Landing is carried out in late autumn, often raking the snow cover. Soil temperature should not exceed +7°C. It should be borne in mind that with the onset of thaws and an increase in air temperature even up to + 3 ° C, the seeds begin to hatch. To avoid freezing of the former crop, it is better to plant carrots in late autumn, when frost sets in and the ground freezes.
The method of planting depends on the choice of seed material: grooves or holes. For dragees make holes. Grooves are used in the conventional fitting method. Two basic rules are common with any landing method:
- seeds are placed deeper than when planting in the spring;
- seed material before winter is taken 20% more.
When planting time comes, seeds are sown in the prepared grooves. Sprinkle the seeds on top with dry earth, sifted through a sieve.
After the onset of frost, the structure of the soil changes and such land is not suitable for sheltering planting material. The sifted dry earth is stored in a box in a warm place. The finished bed is covered with insulating material and left until spring.
Planting carrots before winter in the Moscow region
Planting carrots before winter in the Moscow region is not particularly difficult. But it is necessary to plant it not earlier than the end of November, but better in December. Depending on the region near Moscow, carrots are planted either to a depth of 1 cm in clay soil, or 5 cm if the soil is sandy.
Rules for planting carrots before winter in the Leningrad region
The main problems of the Leningrad region: groundwater close to the surface and acidic soil. The beds are better to do above the norm. Depending on the site, the height of the beds can reach up to 30-35 cm. When preparing the beds, lime is added to the soil.
Since the climate is maritime, frequent thaws are possible in winter. Due to frequent weather changes even during the day, the Leningrad region is the most difficult to predict. It will be necessary to plant carrots here not in autumn, but in winter: in January – February. Or is it better to postpone landing until a stable positive temperature sets in.
How to sow carrots before winter in the Urals
The landing rules in the Urals do not differ from the rules in the regions of Central Our Country. But because of the rather cold winters, most gardeners in the Urals are wary of planting carrots in the fall.
Those who dare to this event should take into account that carrots should not be planted until the soil temperature drops to + 7 ° C, and weather forecasters promise a steady cooling. After planting, the grooves are additionally covered with dry peat.
Planting carrots before winter in Siberia
Sowing carrots before winter in Siberia is carried out in the same way as in the Urals. In those regions where the soil is acidic, lime is added. Carrots are planted with the onset of stable cold weather.
Garden care after planting
After the carrot is planted, the beds are covered with insulating material, and later snow is poured. It is important to ensure that throughout the winter there is sufficient snow cover on the beds. Snow is added additionally if it is blown away by the wind.
In the spring, after the snow melts, the insulation material is removed. Before carrots germinate, weeds will grow. They are carefully removed so that, together with the roots, the carrot achene is not turned out.
Sprouted carrots are thinned out as needed. Since, in addition to carrots, other vegetables can be planted before winter, some gardeners go to the trick and plant a mixture of radishes and carrots. Radishes grow faster and require less depth to grow. Once the radishes are removed, the carrot roots have enough room to grow.
Due to the fact that winter carrots do not exist. Winter crops are plants planted in autumn and started growing before snow fell on the ground. Carrots will freeze under such conditions. Therefore, only carrot seeds are planted before winter.
Conclusion
Planting carrots before winter saves time and labor in spring gardening. Getting an early harvest of carrots will also please the gardener. But there is also the risk of crop loss due to a sudden thaw in the middle of winter.