Carrots are grown everywhere. The Urals are no exception, because the root vegetable has firmly entered the daily diet of Russians. Neither first nor second courses are prepared without carrots. This root vegetable is always present in preparations and pickles.
The culture is very unpretentious, everyone knows about its benefits. That's why the vegetable is so popular. It would seem that growing carrots is not difficult. However, mistakes are made, sometimes even by experienced gardeners.
Landing dates
No one will give a clear answer to the question of when plant carrots in the Urals. The reason lies in the characteristics of the region. The length of the Ural Mountains from north to south is 2500 km, so the climate in its different parts is very different. In general, the climate of the Ural region is continental, with characteristic features: frequent weather changes and uneven distribution of precipitation.
To successfully plant carrots in the Urals and get a harvest, you should focus on the climatic conditions of your area. Carrots begin to be sown if the soil has warmed up to +8 degrees. The culture tolerates slight drops in temperature well.
The soil warms up to the required temperature in some areas of the Urals already at the end of April, in others at the beginning or middle of May. In 2023, spring did not spoil us with warmth, so the time for sowing carrots in the Urals has shifted in anticipation of comfortable weather, when it becomes warm during the day (up to +10+15 degrees) and at night (+5+8 degrees).
Seed preparation
When purchasing seeds, give preference to those that are bred and zoned for the climatic conditions of the Urals. Domestic varieties and hybrids are superior to foreign ones in keeping quality and taste, and are more suitable for our unpredictable Ural climate.
The following varieties are suitable for growing in the Urals: Alenka, Kinbi, Laguna F1, Viking, Leander, Nantes 4, Chance, Selecta and many other varieties that grow well when the temperature drops.
Carrot seeds take quite a long time to germinate, sometimes up to 3 weeks. In the regions of the northern Urals, the growing season is limited by short summer conditions. It is necessary to reduce the period allotted for germination, so the seeds are prepared before planting in the Urals.
Pre-planting preparation is carried out in several ways:
- The seeds are placed in a linen bag and buried in the ground to a depth of 30 cm. They are kept in the soil for about two weeks. Then they are taken out and dried for flowability, so that it is convenient to sow. Advantages of this method: the seeds receive enough moisture to sprout faster. Usually on the 5th day after sowing;
- Bubbling. The method is very good, but, unfortunately, not available to everyone. The seeds are placed in a jar, filled with water, and an aquarium compressor is placed in the water at the bottom. Seeds are in constant motion under the influence of oxygen. The process takes 20 hours. Next, the seeds are removed from the water, placed between layers of damp cloth and placed in the refrigerator for 5 days. Before planting, the seeds are slightly dried for ease of sowing;
- The simplest soaking in water will speed up the process of germination of carrot seeds in the Urals. Soaking the seeds in a liter of water with dissolved wood ash (1 tbsp.) will help increase the quality of seeds and, accordingly, the yield.l.) or in a solution of sodium humate, or “Effecton” (1 tsp per 1 l of water);
- You can use aloe juice for soaking - a natural growth stimulator (20 drops of juice per 1 liter of water). Manufacturers offer ready-made growth stimulants: “Epin”, “Zircon”, “Obereg”, “Prorostok” and others;
- Warming up: the seeds are immersed in water at a temperature of +52 degrees and kept for 20 minutes, then taken out and dipped in cold water. The germination of seeds increases, the seedlings are strong and resistant to diseases;
- Seed stratification is also used to improve the germination of carrot seeds. To do this, the seeds are placed in a damp cloth and placed in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Hardening promotes the appearance of seedlings in the Urals a week earlier, and the harvest 2 weeks earlier;
- Use seeds to plant carrots in the Urals in granules. The granules are large, bright, and visible on the soil. Seed material is saved, since granules can be planted immediately according to the scheme, which will save you from thinning the crops in the future.
Any method you choose will significantly speed up the emergence of carrot shoots in the Urals.
Soil preparation
Carrots sprout and grow much more actively in sunny areas. Therefore, sow the seeds in that part of the garden where the plants will receive the maximum amount of sunlight and heat, which is especially important when planting carrots in the Urals.
Heavy clay soils are not suitable for growing carrots. The composition of such soils can be improved by adding peat, sand, ash, and lime. Sand makes clay soils less moisture-holding, ash improves the mineral composition, peat loosens, lime reduces acidity. They also recommend planting in high beds, loosening and mulching more often.
Sandy loam and loam are considered ideal for carrots - light, loose, free-flowing, well permeable to moisture and air. Such soils are good because they warm up quickly and are easier to cultivate. But the disadvantages include poverty of nutrients, which can be corrected by adding compost, humus, and peat.
Preparing the soil for sowing carrots in the Urals begins in the fall. They dig up the soil, get rid of plant debris, and select weeds and especially their roots. If you do not do this, the weeds may grow in the spring before the carrots. Experienced gardeners know how difficult it is to weed carrots. And spores of fungi and bacteria, as well as pests, overwinter in plant debris.
It is better to apply fertilizers in the fall. To increase the yield by 1 sq. m of soil, add: superphosphate (35 g), urea (15 g), potassium chloride (15 g).
In the spring, the soil is dug up again and beds are formed based on the type of soil. Width convenient for further maintenance.
Sowing
Furrows are made in the prepared beds: up to 1 cm deep on clay soils, 2 cm on sandy and sandy loam soils. The distance between rows is up to 20 cm.
Carrot seeds are placed in the grooves, trying to place them evenly, since they are very small. If you use seeds in granules to sow carrots in the Urals, then the task is greatly simplified. Place planting material at intervals of 5 cm from each other. The step between the seeds depends on the variety you choose; if the manufacturer states that the root crops are short-fruited and cone-shaped, then this means they will grow wider rather than deeper. Consequently, for such varieties there is a slightly different planting scheme.Maintain a distance between seeds in granules of up to 10 cm.
To facilitate the process of sowing carrot seeds, they resort to the following tricks: mix the seeds with coarse sand and sow them. Or mix carrot seeds with radish or lettuce seeds. These crops grow earlier, you will get double benefit, easier sowing, and then a kind of thinning of the plantings. Seed material is not wasted. For an unusual method of planting, watch the video:
After sowing, the furrows are filled with soil, slightly compacting it.
Care
Further care for carrots involves regular watering. At first, 2 times a week, if the nature of the Urals does not spoil it with rain. Starting from the time of fruit formation, you can reduce watering to once a week, but making it more abundant. Before harvesting, watering is stopped.
The loosening process should not be avoided, especially on clay soils, since the flow of oxygen has a beneficial effect on the formation of root crops. The absence of a dense crust on the soil surface makes it possible to form correctly. They grow evenly and have an attractive appearance.
Regular weeding promotes active growth of carrots and prevents the development of diseases and pests, which are very fond of thickened plantings.
If you did not plant carrots in pellets, you will soon need to thin out the plantings. When two true leaves appear, carry out the first thinning, leaving a distance of 3 cm, the second thinning 3 weeks after the first.The amount of space you need to leave between plants depends on the variety. For long-fruited varieties 5 cm, for short-fruited varieties 10 cm.
Conclusion
Planting carrots in the Urals is not fundamentally different from other regions. Wait until warm weather sets in and feel free to plant carrots. Follow agricultural practices and get a decent harvest by growing carrots in the Urals.
