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Today there are so many different carrot seeds on store shelves that it’s dizzying. Our article will help you make an informed choice from this variety. Today the hybrid carrot variety Maestro is under attack. And we'll start with the manufacturer's promises.
Description of the variety
Carrot Maestro F1 variety, which belongs to the Nantes variety type. This variety is very popular in Russia. Among the varieties of this type there are carrots of different ripening periods. Maestro is a late-ripening carrot variety. It grows up to 20 cm in length and can reach 4 cm in diameter. The weight of one root crop can reach 200 grams.
All root crops of this variety are cylindrical in shape with a blunt tip. The fruits are bright orange, smooth and do not crack.
They are characterized by sweet and juicy pulp and have a small core. Carrots of this variety are good for both fresh consumption and canning. In addition, according to the manufacturer, this variety is highly productive. Marketable yield is 281-489 centners per hectare.
Preparing the site for sowing
Since the variety is late-ripening (growth period 120-130 days), it is recommended to sow as early as possible. In the middle zone, you can start sowing carrots of this variety in the twentieth of April.Carrots are a fairly unpretentious crop, and choosing the right place to plant them is half the success. The following conditions will be optimal:
- the soil should be loose, because the shape of the root crop suffers from dense soil. It is better to dig the bed in the fall and simply loosen it before sowing;
- the site should be moderately moist, because on wetland there is a high risk of plantings becoming infected with carrot flies;
- the bed should be in full sun, the shade will have a detrimental effect on the quality of the crop;
- the soil should be rich in humus;
- Only neutral soils are suitable for carrots, so it is not recommended to use fresh manure as fertilizer;
- the harvest will be good if potatoes, tomatoes, legumes or cabbage grew in this place before the carrots;
- It will not be very successful to plant carrots in the place where parsley, sorrel or dill grew before;
- In addition, compliance with crop rotation is beneficial for the harvest. You should not plant carrots in the same place more than once every three years.
Once the planting site has been selected and properly prepared, you can proceed directly to the seeds.
Seed preparation
Then put it on a cloth and dry it slightly - so that the seeds do not stick together, but are still moist. In this state they can be stored in the refrigerator until sowing. Such hardening will benefit them. Sowing with dry seeds is also allowed, but in this case it is necessary to moisten the soil well. Otherwise, the lack of moisture will affect the seedlings. The sprouts will be weak and unfriendly.
Sowing carrots
When the weather permits, grooves are cut in the prepared bed every 15-20 cm, into which the prepared seeds are sown.You can simply “salt” them, or you can work hard and place one seed every 1.5-2 cm.
But as a rule, in both cases the seedlings will still have to be thinned out.
Experienced gardeners recommend the method of sowing carrots using ribbons. A thin paste is made from water and flour, with which carrot seeds are glued onto thin toilet paper, cut into strips 1-2 cm wide.
When the time comes to sow, the previously prepared furrows are well watered and these ribbons are placed there with the seeds facing down. Then the seeds are pressed to the ground and sprinkled.
Carrots sown in this way grow in even rows, which means that they do not need to be thinned out and are easy to loosen and weed weeds. And the fruits sown in this way turn out even and large, as they grow in open spaces.
This method is popular, so seed producers also produce Maestro carrots already glued to the tape.
If you still have questions, watch the video about planting carrots in open ground:
Thinning of seedlings
The first shoots will begin to appear in about a week.
It is better to do this when the sprouts have their first true leaf. Perhaps, after the second true leaf appears, the seedlings will have to be thinned out again. As a result, there should be one plant left per 5 cm of area.
After pulling, you need to water the seedlings
Care. Pest Control
Caring for the Maestro variety is easy. It is important to control weeds, especially at the emergence stage. Otherwise, the grass may choke out the young shoots.Later, when the tops gain strength, weeding can be done less frequently, because for already grown carrots, the grass does not pose any danger.
Moderate watering is possible on particularly dry days.
With pests, everything is also simple.
It often appears in dense plantings or in swampy beds. The best way to deal with it is planting onions right on the carrot bed. The smell of onions will repel carrot flies.
If this method does not suit you, you can use chemicals.
All these tips seem complicated only at first glance, but after trying once, you will understand that growing carrots is not so difficult, and with good seeds you are simply doomed to success.
Harvest
It is better to harvest carrots on a dry, sunny day. It’s better not to rush into cleaning deadlines. In September, carrots gain up to 40% of their mass and also store sugar. We dig up the root vegetables and let them dry for an hour in the open air. At this time, the soil that remains on the carrot will dry out and can then be easily removed. Also at this stage you need to cut off the tops, while also capturing part of the carrot “butt” (about 1 cm). This operation will prevent the crop from sprouting, since we are removing the “center” of growth.
Storage tips
Late-ripening varieties are characterized by good cold resistance and are resistant to disease, which means that Maestro carrots will be well stored. According to customer reviews, root vegetables retain their presentation and taste until the next harvest.The taste does not suffer during storage, and all useful substances remain intact.
We hope that our article was useful to you, and now choosing “that” carrot variety will become a little easier. If you already have a favorite seed, please share with us. After all, collective intelligence is power!
