Carrot MARION F1 5m-300s - sowing tape

Daucus carota - Marion

We all know it, we all love its taste, and it's one of the most commonly used root vegetables in the kitchen. Yes, we're talking about carrots. They originate from southern Asia, the area of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. The carrot is a biennial plant with pinnate leaves. The flower stem can reach up to 1.5 m in height, the inflorescence forms a compound umbel, and the flowers are whitish.

Carrots can be divided into two basic types - true wild carrot (the original non-cultivated form with a white root) and cultivated carrot (this includes all carrot varieties grown today). The cultivated carrot has a more robust root, which can be white, yellow, orange, red, purple, or multicolored (the outside can be different from the inside).

According to sowing time, we distinguish carrots into - BABY CARROTS (finer early carrots, shorter with a more rounded root), MINI BABY CARROTS (young early baby carrots, characterized by delicate taste and tender structure), and CLASSIC CARROTS (late type, with a sweet smooth semi-long root and pointed tip).

But that's not all. The popular carrot can also be divided according to the root shape for which we grow it. For example, the Berlicum type has larger cylindrical roots with a blunt end. Carrots of this type are suitable for fresh consumption, long-term storage, drying, and further processing. Flakee is characterized by very long tapered roots with a wide and flat end. Suitable for fresh consumption, long-term storage, drying, and other types of processing. Parisian has small radish-shaped roots. This type is suitable for fresh consumption and processing. Nantes is the classic baby carrot we encounter in stores. And finally, the Chantenay type is a carrot with shorter, rather conical roots. Suitable for fresh consumption, drying, and other types of processing.

Carrots have a high mineral content. They also contain high amounts of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and chlorine. They also contain numerous trace elements - boron, vanadium, iron, iodine, cobalt, copper, manganese, zinc. As is well known, carrots affect vision quality! They are a source of provitamin A - beta-carotene. They also contain some vitamin C and B-group vitamins.

The advantage of carrots is that they are very undemanding vegetables. You can also grow them in containers, perhaps on a terrace!

How to Grow Carrots

• Requires a sunny location. Regularly loosen the soil in beds and water. Definitely avoid overwatering, as this could destroy the entire crop. Carrots are cool-season plants and thrive best at temperatures around 16°C. Prevent greening of root heads by hilling soil up around the plants.

• Freshly fertilized soil is unsuitable for planting. Sow seeds in the bed when frosts have passed. Daily temperature should average at least 7°C (ideal carrot growing is at daily temperatures around 16°C). Sow to a depth of 1-2 cm at a distance of about 15 cm. Emerging seedlings must be thinned to about 5 cm apart. Sow late carrot varieties in the same way from late spring to early summer.

• Carrots require thoroughly worked soil with sufficient nutrients and moisture. Soil should be light and fertile. Optimal pH is neutral to slightly alkaline. Soil should not contain clumps and stones.

• Before loosening the soil, it's advisable to enrich the sowing site with well-aged compost. Before sowing, work 70g N, 30g P, and 150g K into the soil. At the 3-5 leaf stage, apply 20g N in nitrate form. During vegetation, fertilize with NPK fertilizer with lower nitrogen content and higher potassium proportion. Don't use manure. Carrots react to this type of fertilization by cracking.

• Black rot of carrots manifests in germinating plants by darkening, thinning, and rot of the root collar and leaf desiccation. During vegetation, this disease doesn't manifest much on roots. Dark, dry, sunken spots appear on affected roots. Protect with Dithane DG Neotec preparation.

  Leaf blight of carrots manifests during vegetation and spreads between plants via wind and rain through conidia that form on affected leaves. One to two millimeter yellowish-brown spots with lighter edges appear on the oldest leaves. Spots gradually enlarge, merge, and darken. In later stages, leaves are completely dark and dead. Protect with Ortiva preparation.

  Carrot fly appears on younger plants, which yellow and die. Channel-like feeding marks with fly larvae are visible on the root surface, especially in its upper third. Damaged plants rot during storage. Protection is not currently possible. Previously performed with Dursban 10 G preparation.

  Soft rot of carrots is caused by improper storage of root vegetables in humid environments. Carrots turn into a mushy, foul-smelling mass. Before storage, inspect carrots and clean them of soil residues.

  Root-knot nematode feeding causes carrot roots to become deformed and produce excessive lateral rootlets. Sowing marigolds can significantly reduce nematode occurrence in soil. Also follow crop rotation.

  Powdery mildew manifests on all above-ground parts (leaves, petioles, stems, inflorescences, and seeds) as whitish powdery coatings. Protect against powdery mildew of umbellifers with Ortiva preparation.

• Harvest early varieties from week 8 after planting. Late varieties sometimes need up to 11 weeks. Harvest manually by pulling or carefully use a fork to avoid damaging the plant roots.