Content
The most popular carrot is orange. Some varieties may differ in brightness. The color of the root crop is influenced by the coloring pigment. Many people have seen white carrot seeds in gardening and gardening stores. Its color is due to the absence of coloring pigments. Many summer residents would be interested in experimenting with growing white carrots, especially since some are already successfully growing them.
Types of carrots
Every year new varieties of vegetables appear on store shelves. No one can be surprised by the unusual color of peppers or tomatoes. As for carrots, this root crop is found very often in our beds. The most common shades:
- orange (coloring pigment carotene);
- yellow (same pigment, but in smaller quantities);
- violet (coloring pigment anthocyanin).
Also, the root crop can be of various shapes:
- conical;
- cylindrical;
- oval and others.
The most common carrot is cylindrical in shape. This root crop is also found in the wild, but it is customary for us to plant its cultivated varieties. Let's talk in more detail about white carrots and what their benefits are.
White carrots
A heat-loving root crop that came to us from Asia. The feature is as follows:
- it is juicier than many other varieties of root vegetables familiar to us;
- it is crispier than its orange “brothers”;
- she's sweeter.
However, in the wild, white carrots have a characteristic bitterness, which breeders carefully removed from varietal root vegetables.
Varieties of white carrots have an excellent effect on digestion, they are no less useful than all the others, so you should not adhere to the opinion that the absence of a coloring pigment negatively affects the beneficial qualities of the root vegetable.
White carrots are used for food in the same way as orange ones: they can be boiled, fried, stewed and eaten raw. Where it is common, the white species is used in desserts and soups.
If we talk about varieties of white carrots, then each one needs to be given due attention. There are still quite a few of them; you can only find a variety of the familiar carrot of a different interesting shade in large cities, but this does not prevent gardeners from ordering seeds through online stores.
The most common varieties
Speaking about varieties of white carrots, it should be noted that gardeners want to grow unusual varieties for three reasons:
- curiosity;
- comparative analysis;
- Finding the perfect carrot variety.
Often a color that is unusual for our country can scare a person away. It may have been bred using GMOs. Let's consider several varieties, none of which will be harmful; on the contrary, they will be very tasty and will decorate any table.
These include:
- Lunar White;
- Belgian white;
- White Satin.
Description of varieties
Unfortunately, very few colored carrots are sold in Russia; they can rarely be found in the CIS.Gardeners try to order unusual varieties either online or bring them from travel. The three varieties of white carrots presented above have been grown in our soil more than once, which indicates that there is no need to be afraid of sowing seeds.
"Belgian white"
The White Belgian variety is widely known outside of Russia. It is very beautiful, has a spindle shape, its flesh is white with a yellowish tint, and the top can be colored green.
The roots are large and quite long. In order for the seeds to germinate, the air temperature must be at least 10 degrees Celsius; the time for seedlings to emerge is from 10 to 14 days. Grows excellently in open ground. It is used for cooking and frying, and under the influence of high temperatures it acquires an unusual, pleasant aroma. The variety is early ripening, from the moment of the first shoots to technical ripeness you will have to wait only 75 days.
Lunar White
A variety of white carrots with an interesting name is quite small and thin, but juicy and sweet. It reaches a length of 30 centimeters, but some root vegetables may be slightly smaller. Lunar White is ultra-early, ripens in 60-75 days.
Like any other variety of this crop, this one does not like to be sowed separately. Between each seed you need to maintain a distance of 4 centimeters, and between rows - 18 centimeters. The optimal temperature for ripening is 16-25 degrees. Given its early maturity, Lunar White can be grown even in the conditions of the Urals and Siberia. Carrots are used to prepare various dishes, including soups.
White Satin
Another variety of white carrot variety that has a bright taste.This is a hybrid with a creamy tint to the root vegetables, which, when ripe, turn out smooth and quite large. Their shape is cylindrical, the tip is sharp, as can be seen in the photo. The fruits are long, reaching 20-30 centimeters. When planting, the seeds are not deeply buried (only 1 centimeter) and a distance of 5 centimeters is left between the root crops.
Like other hybrids, it requires warmth, good lighting, soil fertility and looseness, as well as moderate watering. White root vegetables do not have any special features for growing them.
Sometimes gardeners plant orange carrots in the spring, but in the summer, when harvested, they turn out to be white inside. Many people face this problem, let’s try to figure out what’s wrong.
Problems when growing traditional varieties
When talking about white root vegetables, it’s impossible not to touch on this topic. The main problems lie in improper cultivation. However, first things first. The color of the bark and pulp may vary slightly under natural conditions. This is fine. There are also hybrids with interesting step-by-step coloring, which is always indicated on the package with seeds.
There are only three reasons why carrot cores are white or cream-colored:
- Poor quality seeds.
- Cross-pollination of cultivated carrots with forage carrots.
- Growing in hot, humid climates.
Let's start with the fact that the seeds may be of poor quality. Save the packaging and do not purchase them again, since today there are not only manufacturers who do not monitor quality, but also stores selling outright fakes.
Cross-pollination is the second reason that often occurs when carrots are colored. Please note that there should be no wild carrot crops nearby:
- if cultivation takes place in a field, then the radius is two kilometers;
- if you grow a crop in your own garden, where there are buildings, then the radius should be about 800 meters.
The third reason concerns the humid and hot climate. Carrots do not like excess water, like any other root vegetable. This will affect not only the color, but also the shape of the fruit.
You can learn other secrets for growing this crop by watching the video below:
Conclusion
White carrots, like the others color, very rarely found in our dachas. Trying to sow it yourself and get a harvest would be interesting for every gardener. If there is such an opportunity, be sure to take advantage of it. The result will pleasantly surprise you.
