Content
- 1 Is it possible to plant carrots before winter?
- 2 Carrot varieties for planting before winter
- 3 When to plant carrots in the fall before winter
- 4 How to plant carrots before winter
- 5 How to prepare a bed for carrots in the fall
- 6 Rules for sowing carrots before winter in the regions
- 7 Caring for beds after planting
- 8 Conclusion
Planting carrots before winter is advantageous 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 vegetables will help compensate 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 their plantings freezing, but here they actually propose to plant under the snow.Moreover, carrots come from countries where winters are very warm.
Is it possible to plant carrots before winter?
The main doubts about planting carrots before winter are that they will actually freeze if they have time to germinate. In the region of origin, this root vegetable enters the growing season in winter, when the rains begin. But in hibernation, the achenes lie not at sub-zero temperatures, but in intense heat. But carrot seeds sown correctly in autumn tolerate frost well and sprout in spring.
The seed is planted in already frozen ground when the water is frozen. Unmoistened seeds easily survive the winter.
Advantages of pre-winter sowing of carrots
Pre-winter seeds, lying under the snow, receive good hardening and the seedlings are no longer afraid of spring frosts. Seeds germinate in soil filled with moisture. Water remains in the ground for a long time, and root crops grow large and juicy.
Another advantage of winter sowing is the uniform germination of seed material. As the snow melts, they have time to become saturated with moisture and “wash off” the essential oils. Due to this, with the onset of warm days, the seeds germinate together.
The disadvantage of planting carrots in the fall is that early root crops cannot be stored for long periods of time. But why put almost spring carrots into storage if root vegetables ripen for long-term storage in the fall.
Carrot varieties for planting before winter
Not every carrot variety is suitable for sowing before winter. If an unsuitable variety is sown, there will either be no seedlings at all, or they will freeze out in winter or early autumn.
Which carrots are best 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 uniform germination. Therefore, it is preferable to take hybrids specially bred for winter planting. The richest harvest with this method of sowing root crops is produced by mid-ripening and early-ripening varieties.
The best varieties of carrots for winter
Today 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.
The “set” includes varieties of all ripening periods. Nantes-4 and Incomparable - early ripening (90 days from germination to harvest); Losinoostrovskaya-13, Nantes improved and Vitaminnaya - mid-season (100-110 days); Shantane-2461 and Moscow Winter are late-ripening (130-150).
With the right selection, these varieties of carrots can be planted at the same time before winter. The carrots will ripen gradually, and the gardener will be provided with juicy root vegetables until the fall. And in the fall, the carrots planted in 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 their large size, the root crops are not stringy. Nantes-4 contains a large amount of sugars.
Incomparable
On most soils the variety gives a good harvest. Average indicators: 5-6 kg/m² with a root crop weight of about 200 g. Fruit length up to 17 cm, diameter - 4.5 cm. Carrots have a cylindrical shape. The tip is rounded, blunt. The color is bright orange. The color of the core is no different from the pulp.
Incomparable is intended for cultivation in the Far Eastern District, Central Russia, the Southern Urals and the Northern 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 and has a semi-erect rosette of leaves. The color is orange, rich. The pulp is juicy and tender.
Due to its cold resistance, it is well suited for growing in Northwestern region Russia. Resistant to color fade.
Vitamin
High-yielding, blossom-resistant variety. Root vegetables are juicy, sweet, and high in provitamin A.
The shape is cylindrical, with a blunt end. The average weight of root vegetables 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. Intended for cultivation in almost all regions of Russia, except for the North Caucasus District.
Nantes improved
Externally 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. It rises early and vigorously. Of the minuses: poor keeping quality.
Shantane-2461
Root vegetables are medium in size - 13-15 cm. Cone-shaped, rounded tip. The pulp is sweet and juicy. The core is almost invisible.
This variety has a number of hybrids of medium and early ripening. Thanks to the variety of hybrids, the variety can be grown in different climatic conditions. Productivity varies depending on climate at 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 Russia. Grows well in Ukraine and Belarus.
When to plant carrots in the fall before winter
Deadlines sowing carrots during the winter they vary 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 settled.
There are recommendations to sow seeds when the daytime air temperature is consistently below +5°C. But here you need to look by region. In some areas it rains at this time. The seeds will not germinate at this time, since the air temperature is too low, but they will become saturated with moisture and rot. It's better to wait for frost.
When to sow carrots before winter in the Moscow region
Since carrots are planted in frozen ground, it is necessary to wait until the climatic winter sets in. That is, a period when the average daily temperature will stably remain below 0. Climatic winter does not coincide with either the astronomical or the calendar. In the Moscow region it begins around November 15th. But much depends on the specific year, which may be warmer or colder than the statistical 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 begins in this region from November 15th.
Dates for sowing carrots in Siberia
Siberia is a very large territory with different climatic conditions and different timing of the arrival of winter. Therefore, gardeners here have to focus on the weather of their specific region. On average, carrots are planted early before winter, 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 autumn differs from spring work. In early autumn, prepare a bed for carrots. With the onset of frost, seeds are sown in the garden bed and protected from future erosion by melt water. Seeds cannot be watered. Almost no further care is required until spring.
Plant seeds in the same way as in spring:
- mixed with sand;
- pasted on paper tape;
- dragee.
The only method that is contraindicated when sowing in late autumn is mixing seeds with paste. In this case, the seed will be saturated with water and can 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 planting not even in the fall, but at the end of summer. The main attention is paid to choosing a place for planting and preparing the soil.
The beds for carrots are made high so that water does not stagnate there in the spring. The height of the bed above the level of the plot is at least 10-15 cm.
Choosing a suitable location
For pre-winter planting of carrots in early autumn or summer, choose a flat, sunny area. Future beds should also be protected from the wind.
The following should have grown to carrots in the chosen place:
- onion;
- potato;
- cucumbers;
- tomatoes;
- cabbage;
- melons
These are the optimal predecessors of carrots. They have different pests and the carrots will be protected from the carrot fly for some time.
You cannot plant carrots where representatives of the celery family previously grew:
- parsley;
- dill;
- celery;
- fennel;
- carrot.
The pests remaining in this place from 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 get macro- and microelements for full growth.
The selected place is cleared of plants and their remains and carefully dug to a depth of 25-30 cm, selecting the roots weed. Carrots need loose soil to grow well. When planting in the fall, you need to take into account that over the winter the soil will cake and become denser. It will no longer be possible to dig it up in the spring. Therefore, in the fall the soil is loosened as thoroughly as possible. When digging, fertilizers are added to the soil.
Enrichment of soil 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 turn into tops, and the root crops will be small and branched. Instead of fresh manure, humus is added to the beds. For 1 m² of plot you will need:
- ¼ bucket of humus;
- ½ tbsp. potassium salt;
- 1 tbsp. superphosphate.
Ash is added to acidic soil. When exhausted - a little less than a tablespoon of urea. If the clay soil on the site is too heavy, half-rotten sawdust or sand is added to it when digging. Fresh sawdust or other undecomposed organic matter cannot be added. Fresh organic waste attracts carrot flies.
The video shows how to plant carrots before winter:
Rules for sowing carrots before winter in the regions
The rules for planting carrots in winter and caring for them are similar in all regions. Only the timing and degree of insulation 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 soil 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 rain does not wash away the prepared grooves for planting.
The maximum depth is made if the carrots grow in light soil that is prone to drying out: sandy or sandy loam. Minimum - used on heavy clay soils.
Planting is carried out in late autumn, often by clearing away the snow cover. The soil temperature should not exceed +7°C. It should be taken into account that when thaws occur and the air temperature rises even 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 soil freezes.
The planting method depends on the choice of seed material: groove or hole. Holes are made for the pellets. The usual planting method uses grooves. Two basic rules are common for any planting method:
- seeds are placed deeper than when planted in spring;
- Before winter, 20% more seed material is taken.
When the time comes for planting, seeds are sown in the prepared grooves. The seeds are sprinkled on top with dry soil, sifted through a sieve.
After the onset of frost, the soil structure changes and such soil is not suitable for covering planting material. The sifted dry soil 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 should be planted no earlier than the end of November, and preferably in December. Depending on the Moscow region, carrots are planted either to a depth of 1 cm in clay soil, or to a depth of 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. It is better to make the beds higher than normal. Depending on the site, the height of the bed can reach up to 30-35 cm. When preparing the bed, lime is added to the soil.
Since the climate is maritime, frequent thaws are possible in winter. Due to frequent weather changes, even within a day, the Leningrad region is the most difficult to forecast. You will have to plant carrots here not in the fall, but in the winter: in January - February. Or it is better to postpone planting until the onset of stable above-zero temperatures.
How to sow carrots before winter in the Urals
Planting rules in the Urals do not differ from the rules in the regions of central Russia. But due to fairly cold winters, most gardeners in the Urals are wary of planting carrots in the fall.
Those who dare to undertake this event should take into account that they need to plant carrots no earlier than 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 regions where the soil is acidic, lime is added. Carrots are planted with the onset of persistent cold weather.
Caring for beds after planting
After the carrots are planted, the beds are covered with insulating material, and then snow is poured in.It is important to ensure that there is sufficient snow cover on the beds throughout the winter. Additional snow is added if it is blown away by the wind.
In the spring, after the snow melts, the insulating material is removed. Before the carrots sprout, the weeds will begin to grow. They are carefully removed so as not to turn the carrot achene out along with the roots.
Sprouted carrots are thinned out as needed. Since, in addition to carrots, other vegetables can be planted before winter, some gardeners use a 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 plenty of room to grow.
Due to the fact that winter carrots do not exist. Winter crops are plants that were planted in the fall and began to grow before the snow fell on the ground. Carrots will freeze under such conditions. Therefore, only carrot seeds are planted before winter.
Conclusion
Planting carrots before winter allows you to save time and labor on spring garden work. Getting an early carrot harvest will also please the gardener. But there is also a risk of crop loss due to a sudden thaw in the middle of winter.
