The main difficulties faced by gardeners in the Leningrad region are increased soil moisture and recurrent frosts. To cope with them and grow an excellent harvest of this root vegetable, you need to know some rules.
Priming
Soil is important for growing carrots. It must be light, loose, and free of large stones.
Carrots grown in heavy clay soil develop very slowly, accumulate starch and sugar with difficulty, and are poorly stored. If the soil contains a lot of large stones, the carrots will turn out deformed.
To improve the structure of the soil, it is dug up twice - in the fall, when the weather is consistently frosty, but the snow has not yet fallen, and in the spring after the snow has melted. During spring digging, sand and humus are added to the soil. As a rule, about a bucket of humus needs to be added per square meter of bed, the amount of sand depends on the soil, 2 buckets of sand are added to heavy clay soils, and a bucket to lighter soils.
During spring digging, a complex of fertilizers is added to the soil.Most of all, root crops require sufficient amounts of potassium fertilizers.
Landing dates
When deciding when to plant carrots in the Leningrad region, you need to know that sowing can be done in spring and autumn. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Autumn sowing
Carrot seeds sown in autumn undergo natural stratification. In this case, the carrot seeds germinate quickly and vigorously, and their growth vigor increases. They do not suffer from carrot pests such as carrot fly. Late varieties of carrots have enough time to fully ripen and are stored better in the future.
Disadvantages of autumn planting - carrot seeds can sprout during a thaw, when frost returns, the seedlings will freeze completely. Also, when the snow melts, the beds with carrots can be washed away.
Carrot seeds are sown in October or November, when the weather is consistently frosty. In pre-prepared beds sowing carrot seeds to a depth of 5 cm, sprinkle with soil. There is no need to water carrot crops.
It is not advisable to mix seeds of carrot varieties with different growing periods.
If you cover the bed with a thick white film during the thaw, you can avoid waking up the carrot seeds. You can also throw it on the bed and compact the snow tightly.
Spring sowing
Spring sowing of carrot seeds can begin as early as April. When the snow has completely melted and the ground has thawed, you can sow carrots. Beds are marked on the prepared land.For one root crop, a distance of at least 5 cm is required; in denser plantings, carrots develop very poorly, the fruits may be deformed, and some root crops may grow together. The distance between the rows is at least 20 cm, between the beds - 40 or 50 cm.
When the soil temperature is above 4 degrees, the awakening of carrot seeds begins. It will take them 2-3 weeks to germinate. If you plant carrot seeds when the soil warms up to 10-15 degrees, seedlings will appear faster.
Carrot seeds that have begun the growth process require constant moisture, otherwise they die very quickly. You can avoid overdrying the soil by covering wet beds with white agrofibre or newspapers.
Emerging carrot shoots are not afraid of low temperatures and can withstand frosts down to -3 degrees without consequences. Covered with a layer of snow, carrot seedlings tolerate temperatures dropping to -5. If the thermometer drops lower, the carrot seedlings will die.
Planting methods
The carrot yield also depends greatly on the planting method. Carrots can be planted in the following ways:
- Smooth;
- In the ridges;
- On high beds.
The smooth method of sowing carrots is least suitable for the Leningrad region. In this case, the earth takes a long time to warm up; the carrot root system is not protected from high humidity.
To grow carrots using this method, the dug up soil is leveled and rows and paths between them are marked. The sown seeds are covered with soil and carefully watered.
If you plant carrots in beds, they will not be subject to waterlogging, because excess water flows into the spaces between the rows. In this case, the earth warms up much faster, and the carrot root system begins active development earlier.
The ridges are formed manually or using special equipment. The height of the embankment should be at least 40 cm, the distance between the ridges should be 20-30 cm, and it should be convenient to care for the ridges. Carrot seeds are sown on the surface of the ridge; it is most convenient to use two-line sowing.
It is very convenient to grow carrots in high beds. Seeds sown on a properly prepared high bed carrots sprout quickly, have enough nutrients, the root system is protected from waterlogging.
The preparation of raised beds begins in the fall. The bottom layer must consist of drainage material, at least 15 cm high. For drainage, you can use gravel, cobblestones, and broken bricks.
The second layer of the raised bed is made of organic matter. You can use vegetable peelings, tops, weedy grass, straw, chopped hay. To make the decomposition process more intense, organic matter can be treated with special substances that contain active bacteria.
The third layer of the bed consists of soil. It is advisable to create a soil mixture that contains all the substances necessary for the development of the carrot root system. To do this, for a bucket of garden soil you will need:
- Half a bucket of humus;
- 3-4 liters of sand;
- Liter of wood ash;
- Complex of microelements.
All components must be thoroughly mixed and poured on top of the organic layer. Ready-made microelements should be added following the instructions.
The sides of a high bed for growing carrots are made from any durable, non-toxic materials.
Carrot seeds are sown to a depth of 3–4 cm, covered with black film until germination.
Care
Care properly planted carrots is as follows:
- Weeding;
- Thinning;
- Watering;
- Insect protection;
- Fertilizer application.
Weeding carrot beds must be done very carefully; carrot seedlings develop quite slowly, and fast-growing weeds inhibit them. During weeding, thinning can be done. During this operation, excess shoots are removed, leaving 10-15 cm between carrot sprouts.
Carrots are watered when necessary; carrots do not require frequent watering. You should avoid excessive watering after a long drought, this contributes to cracking of carrot fruits.
Carrot beds must be protected from insects several times - in early spring, early summer and during intensive carrot growth. The greatest damage to plantings is caused by carrot flies and wireworms. It is necessary to choose carrot protection products with low toxicity.
Carrots do not respond well to excess nitrogen in the soil. Fruits may begin to branch, are more easily affected by fungal infections, and become unsuitable for winter storage. It is best to apply organic fertilizer a year before sowing carrots.
They help accelerate photosynthesis and the formation of sugars, significantly improving the taste of carrots.
By following all the rules for growing carrots, it is easy to achieve a good harvest even in an unfavorable season.
