Why do carrots grow ugly?
In the process of growing a carrot crop, some gardeners are faced with the fact that carrots grow ugly, of different sizes and deformed shapes. The appearance of ugly carrots is associated with a number of agronomic reasons.
Why do carrots grow ugly?
Unsuitable soil and disturbed crop rotation
When growing carrots, it is important to comply with the soil requirements. Although a vegetable crop is undemanding to the fertility of the land, if vegetables are grown in heavy soil filled with clay and stones, the likelihood that horned or clumsy carrots will grow significantly increases. The reason for this is the need for a plant in the process of rooting and development of a root crop to overcome obstacles in the form of compaction encountered on the path of the root system.
When growing carrots in heavy soils with a heterogeneous structure, the growth of vegetables changes direction, as a result, gnarled and horned carrots grow.
Unsuitable soil for the correct formation of carrot fruits is one that has been fertilized with unripe manure or unripe humus. Horned and shaggy carrots grow when limestone, ash powder, potassium chloride are introduced into the soil immediately before planting, or an excess of calcium is allowed.
Organic fertilizers are applied in advance, a year before planting carrots, when growing predecessors.
The appearance of deformed carrot fruits prevents mixing of soil with river sand, which promotes the development of vegetables in the correct forms. It is also taken into account that in order to avoid the ugliness of the fruit, carrots are not planted immediately in loosened soil, but they are waiting for the soil to sink.
Violation of crop rotation
Among the reasons for the deformation of vegetables and the appearance of ugly carrots, non-observance of crop rotation is noted. So, it is recommended to choose a sowing area where tomatoes, cucumbers, onions or garlic have grown before carrot plantings.
Plant damage
Carrots bend from drought
Among the reasons why a curve or shaggy carrot grows, there is a violation of the integrity of the plant, especially its root system, including:
- when germination of sprouts was delayed, and the plant was transplanted with a formed root system damaged by transplanting a vegetable crop to a permanent place of growth,
- when the soil dries up at the stage of the appearance of the first shoots or at the initial stage of plant development, which led to the death of the root tip,
- when the thinning of carrot plantings was carried out in violation of the procedure or with a delay, after the first leaf that appeared,
- when the root system has been damaged by pests, including the carrot fly and the bear.
Improper watering and excess moisture
An overabundance of moisture in the soil leads to the appearance of an ugly carrot. At the same time, the integrity of the carrot fruits is violated, and ugly vegetables begin to burst.Most often, the reason for this is the collection of the carrot crop immediately after irrigation procedures or immediately after heavy rains.
To avoid cracking the carrots, it is recommended to wait several days without rain before harvesting.
In some cases, carrots crack in the soil. The reason for this is the loss of moisture by root crops at the stage of vegetable formation at the beginning of the summer season and the accumulation of excess moisture at the end of summer, when frequent rains begin to fall.
Lack of moisture results in shaggy carrots. This is due to the fact that the plant actively develops roots to search for moisture.
In order to avoid cracking and deformation of root crops due to an excess of moisture, it is recommended to adhere to the regularity of watering, actively and abundantly moisten the soil at the stage of growth of a vegetable crop, especially in dry times, and reduce the amount of watering when rainy days come.
Nutritional deficiency
Ugly carrots also grow due to inadequate nutrition during the growth and development of root crops. Among the rules for growing an even crop so that the carrot does not grow horny or clumsy are noted:
- mandatory fertilization of the soil with superphosphate during the autumn preparation of the soil for planting a vegetable crop,
- before the beginning of the stage of formation of root crops, the introduction of fertilizer complexes containing nitrogen, which can be replaced with double superphosphate and urea,
- feeding plants with compositions containing potassium and phosphorus, starting from the middle of the summer season,
- adding boron and manganese to the soil at the stage of gaining mass with vegetables.
The formation of uneven root crops and their shrinkage occurs due to the lack of fertilizing dressings.
When applying fertilizer complexes, it is important to strictly observe the application rates provided for by the instructions for the nutritional complexes, since an excess of some elements, as well as their deficiency, leads to a change in the shape of the vegetable.
Conclusion
In some cases, carrots grow in different sizes, sometimes crooked or horned. The deformation of root crops during cultivation is caused by soil unsuitable for a vegetable crop, a violation of crop rotation, mechanical injury to the root system, improperly organized watering of plants and malnutrition.