Winter sowing of carrots
The popularity of winter sowing of carrots lies in the ability to harvest root crops a couple of weeks earlier than the harvest of any early variety planted in spring. Planting carrots before winter in the Moscow region and other regions of the country is carried out taking into account some rules and agricultural techniques.
Winter sowing of carrots
When is the best time to sow
Sowing dates for carrots depend on the climatic conditions of the growing area.
Some gardeners make a big mistake and start planting carrots before winter, failing to maintain the recommended planting dates (before the onset of the established cold weather), as a result, the seeds germinate in the fall. Such seedlings are not able to withstand the winter and die.
Sowing dates in the Moscow region and in the middle lane are mid-October-early November, in Siberia - the second decade of October and early November.
After which it is better to sow
The best predecessors of this garden crop:
- potato;
- plants of the pumpkin family: squash, squash, pumpkin;
- bow;
- watermelon;
- cucumbers;
- all varieties of cabbage.
Do not sow carrots in winter after parsley, dill, celery and beans. Also, do not plant this crop on the site where carrots previously grew. Taking into account the requirements of crop rotation, it is allowed to plant carrots in this place before winter only after 4 years. After carrots, it is permissible to sow beets before winter.
Sowing rules
Fresh seeds are planted in winter
Planting seed material consists of several stages.
Seed preparation and selection
The process of sowing carrots in autumn before winter begins from the moment the seed is prepared. You can buy it in any gardening store. For these purposes, it is better to give preference to early varieties:
- Moscow winter A-545;
- Shantane-2461;
- Losinoostrovskaya-13;
- Natskaya-4;
- Vitamin-6;
- Incomparable.
For successful cultivation, ordinary fresh seeds are used, which have not previously been subjected to any processing. For winter sowing of carrots, seeds glued to a tape or coated seedlings are not suitable.
Seeds for planting for the winter will require a quarter more than for spring sowing.
Site preparation
The preparation of the beds for planting is carried out in advance, before the onset of cold weather (early October). So the soil has time to be saturated with useful substances.
This crop grows well on loose, light and fertile soil with neutral acidity levels. For this, sandy loam or loamy soil enriched with organic matter is suitable.
The soil is cleared of vegetation residues. Then the nutrient mixture is added:
- humus - 3 kg;
- superphosphate - 20 g;
- potassium salt - 15 g.
This amount of ingredients is calculated for a plot of 1 sq. m. After fertilization, the site is deeply dug onto the bayonet of the shovel.
The soil is loosened, leveled, grooves with a depth of 3-4 cm are pulled out. The bottom of the grooves is compacted and waiting for the onset of frost.
Additionally, dry soil is harvested for filling furrows.A nutrient mixture is also prepared: humus, compost or peat soil at the rate of 5 buckets per 1 sq. m plot. Organics and garden soil for backfilling seeds are stored in a warm place.
Landing
Sowing carrots before winter is carried out after the soil is frozen to a depth of 6-7 cm. Seeds are sown even in snowy weather. The beds are cleared of snow, sowed and sprinkled with harvested garden soil, 3 cm mulched with a layer of humus. To prevent the seeds from scattering in the wind, the furrows are slightly compacted and covered with snow.
Care
Planting carrots before winter needs good care, otherwise the cultivation result will be unsuccessful.
If snow has not fallen before the time of sowing the seeds, sprinkle the beds with spruce branches or sawdust. After the first snowfall in winter, the site is covered with a snowdrift.
In the spring, when the thaw comes and the snow begins to melt, the snowdrift is removed, and the shelter is also removed. Metal arcs are installed on the site, a film is pulled over the crops.
Such spring care measures are mandatory and provide young shoots with protection from spring frosts.
Landing in different regions of the country
Each region has its own varieties of carrots
In order to properly sow carrots before winter, you need to choose a variety that is suitable for the region and plant it in open ground in time.
In outskirts of Moscow
Sowing carrots before winter in the Moscow region and in the regions of the middle lane is from the end of October to the beginning of November. By this time, the soil will freeze to a depth of 3-4 cm, and the air temperature will drop to -2 ° C-3 ° C. This is the time of stable frosts. The seeds have time to swell by the onset of frost.
For the autumn sowing of carrots before winter, you can use the following varieties:
- Losinoostrovskaya-13;
- Nantes-4;
- Incomparable;
- Moscow winter;
- a hybrid of Callisto.
They pull out grooves with a depth of at least 6 cm. For winter carrots, planting in the Moscow region is carried out according to the above scheme and rules.
In the Urals
The timing and rules for sowing this garden crop in the Urals are the same as for the Moscow region. Of the early varieties, it is permissible to sow the following species:
- Nantes-4,
- Shantane,
- Incomparable
- Altai shortened,
- Vitamin-6,
- Losinoostrovskaya-13.
In Siberia
For winter sowing of carrots in Siberia, the following hybrids should be planted:
- Losinoostrovskaya-13;
- Vitamin-6;
- Nastena is sweet;
- Altai shortened;
- Shantane;
- Autumn Queen;
- Dayana.
Sown in mid-October to mid-November. The best place to plant is a bed on a hill so that the snow thaws faster. Loamy or sandy loamy, loose, slightly acidic and organic fertilized soil is suitable.
Seeds are planted to a depth of 2-3 cm. The distance between seedlings in a row should be 10-15 cm. After sowing, the beds are covered, in the spring, when the snow melts, the shelter is removed.
Recommendations
To plant carrot seeds in the fall and grow a good harvest by spring, it is worth considering several important nuances:
- The tops of this plant lures the carrot fly, a pest that damages the crop of root crops, so this crop should be grown together with plants that scare off the parasite with their aroma. Often, crops of crops alternate with crops of onions and garlic.
- For winter sowing, only high-quality and proven seed with a valid expiration date is used.
- To plant this vegetable in the fall, you must try to maintain the sowing time, otherwise in the spring you will have to be left without a crop.
- It is important to carry out not only the correct podzimny sowing of carrots, but also to provide the plantings with timely care in the spring: regularly weeding, loosening the soil and watering.
Conclusion
Growing carrots in winter is a simple process. The main thing is to choose high-quality material, plant it on time and provide it with timely care.