Carrot Rote Riesen 2 - carrot seeds

Daucus carota - Rote Riesen 2

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

Carrots can be divided into two basic types - wild carrot (the original uncultivated form with white root) and cultivated carrot (which includes all currently grown carrot varieties). The cultivated carrot has a more robust root, whose color can be white, yellow, orange, red, purple, or even multicolored (the outside can differ from the inside).

According to sowing time, we distinguish carrots as - EARLY CARROT (tender early carrot, shorter with a rounder root), BABY CARROT (young early carrot, characterized by delicate flavor and crisp texture), and CLASSIC CARROT (late type, with a sweetish smooth semi-long shaped root and pointed tip).

But that's not all. Our beloved carrot can also be classified by 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 direct consumption, long-term storage, drying, and further processing. Flakee is characterized by very long tapered roots with a wide flat end. Suitable for direct consumption, long-term storage, drying, and other types of processing. Parisian has small radish-shaped roots. This type is suitable for direct consumption and processing. Nantes is the classic carrot we encounter in stores. And finally, the Chantenay type is a carrot with shorter, rather conical roots. Suitable for direct consumption, drying, and other types of processing.

Carrots have a high mineral content. They also contain high levels 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 among the least demanding vegetables. You can also grow them in containers, for example on a terrace!

How to Grow Carrots

• Requires a sunny location. Regularly loosen and water the beds. Definitely don't overwater, as this could destroy the entire sowing. Carrots are cool-season plants; they thrive best at temperatures around 16°C. We prevent greening of the root crown by hilling soil 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 to 2 cm at intervals of about 15 cm. Emerging seedlings must be thinned to about 5 cm spacing. Sow late carrot varieties in the same way from late spring to early summer.

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

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

• Black rot of carrots manifests in germinating plants as darkening, thinning and rot of the root collar and withering of leaves. During vegetation, this disease doesn't show much on roots. Dark, dry sunken spots appear on affected roots. Protection is carried out with Dithane DG Neotec.

  Cercospora leaf blight of carrots manifests during vegetation and spreads among plants via wind and rain through conidia that form on affected leaves. One to two millimeter yellow-brown spots with lighter borders appear on the oldest leaves. The spots gradually enlarge, merge, and darken. In later stages, leaves are completely dark and dead. Protection is carried out with Ortiva.

  Carrot fly shows up on younger plants, which turn yellow and die. On the root surface, especially in its upper third, tunnel-like feeding damage with fly larvae is visible externally. Damaged plants rot during storage. Protection is currently not possible. Previously it was carried out with Dursban 10 G.

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

  Due to nematode feeding, carrot roots are deformed and produce an excessive amount of lateral rootlets. Sowing marigolds can greatly reduce the occurrence of nematodes in the soil. We also observe crop rotation.

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

• Harvest early varieties from the 8th week after planting. Late varieties sometimes need up to 11 weeks. Harvesting is done manually by pulling or we can carefully assist with a fork so as not to damage the plant roots.