How to care for carrots in summer

In order for carrots to grow smooth, beautiful and tasty, and also to be stored well, it is necessary to know and observe all the subtleties of caring for them. We tell you what activities need to be carried out in the summer in order to get a decent harvest by autumn. Otherwise, a small oversight can turn into serious consequences.

Watering carrots

Why do both moisture deficiency and excess negatively affect the growth of root crops? The fact is that:

• due to excess moisture, frequent and heavy watering or during periods of prolonged rain, root crops begin to rot;
• if the weather is hot and dry, plants slow down or even stop growing;
• the lack of moisture affects the taste of root vegetables – they grow bitter, look wilted and gnarled;
• lack of water leads to the formation of thin lateral roots on the root crops, the appearance of such carrots deteriorates, the pulp becomes coarser;
• If you start to water the plantings abundantly after a long drought, this can lead to cracking of the root crops.

The frequency of watering and the rate of water consumption depend on weather conditions, as well as the vegetation period of the plant. The main rule is that when watering, the soil should be moistened to the depth of the root crops. Watering is usually carried out once every 5-7 days.

If the weather is too hot, carrot beds are watered more often. In rainy weather, the number of waterings is reduced.

For young and thin root crops, it is enough to soak the soil to a depth of 5-7 cm, but older plants are watered so that the moisture reaches 30 cm from the soil surface.

To moisten the soil to a greater depth, water the plants with large amounts of water in 2-3 doses.

If the weather is hot, watering is done in the evening, an hour or two before dusk.

Watering is stopped two to three weeks before harvesting. This will prevent cracking of root crops and will also improve the shelf life of carrots during storage.

Weeding and loosening the soil

An hour or two after watering, when the water has soaked into the soil, do not forget to loosen the soil. In dense soil, the supply of oxygen to the roots slows down, the crop grows worse, the root crops become crooked and bitter. In addition, regular loosening will help get rid of the carrot fly – this malicious pest lays eggs near the root crops.

Also, do not forget to loosen the space between the rows after rain. During the work, try not to touch the plants themselves.

In addition to loosening, it is also important to weed the beds in a timely manner – the presence of weeds negatively affects the development of carrots.

Thinning carrot seedlings

To obtain even and beautiful root crops, it is important to thin out the plantings in a timely manner.

In total, carrots are thinned twice during the season.

The first thinning of carrots is carried out in the phase of the appearance of the first pair of true leaves, approximately 2-3 weeks after the emergence of shoots. During the procedure, the distance between shoots is left within 3 cm.

The second time carrots are thinned out when they have developed two pairs of full leaves. This moment occurs approximately 20-30 days after the first thinning. Then the distance between plants is increased to 6 cm.

If you are growing varieties with large conical root crops, the distance between plants is increased to 10 cm.

You should not delay the procedure; thinning at a later date is fraught with the risk of damaging neighboring root crops, which will grow deformed.

To ensure that the procedure is painless for the plants, water the plantings generously in advance. Thinning can be done after rain. Then loosen the bed and only then begin work.

Thinning is done manually. It is enough to simply hold the soil with one hand, and with the other grab the base of the tops and gently pull upwards. It is forbidden to shake the plants from side to side.

Collect all the pulled carrots and put them in the compost before the carrot fly gets a chance to “smell” them.

Some summer residents try to replant the pulled out specimens, but in most cases this does not lead to anything good – even if the plants take root, they grow uneven and gnarled.

To avoid thinning (and this, you must admit, is extra work, time and money – for seeds), the next time you plant:

• use granulated seeds in a special shell – they are larger and easier to sow;
• select seeds on a special tape – they are already located at the required distance;
• mix seeds with sand.

Carrot fertilizing

For the full formation of root crops, carrots need nutrients. During the summer, they are fed twice. Both mineral fertilizers and organic matter are used for feeding.

The first feeding is carried out a month after the emergence of shoots. At this time, a solution of nitrophoska or nitroammophoska is used: dilute 10 tbsp. of fertilizer in 1 liters of water and water the plants at the root. The consumption rate is 4-5 liters of solution per 1 sq.m.

The second feeding is carried out two to three weeks after the first. You can also use a solution of nitrophoska or nitroammophoska, increasing the consumption to 7-8 liters of solution per 1 sq.m. Or dilute 10 g of potassium nitrate, 20 g of urea and 15 g of double superphosphate in 15 liters of water. Another option is to dilute 2 glasses of ash in a bucket of water, stir and let it brew for 2-3 hours. Then pour the infusion into a watering can and water the plants at the rate of 5 liters per 1 sq.m.

It is strictly forbidden to feed carrots with fresh manure and droppings.

Treatment of carrots from diseases and pests

The main pests of the crop are the carrot fly, carrot psyllid, root-knot nematode, as well as wireworm and mole cricket, which can cause serious damage to plantings.

The first insect on the list is considered the most common and dangerous pest of the crop. The carrot fly flies twice a season, so it is important to protect the crops in time. Getting rid of the voracious larvae will not be easy. Treating the plants with Alatar partially helps, but if you are late with spraying, the risk of losing the harvest increases.

To repel carrot flies, regularly dust the plantings with tobacco dust, ash, Tabagor or Tabazol, and treat with onion or garlic infusion.

Insecticides are used against other pests: Bitoxybacillin, Fitoverm, Aktara, Inta-Vir, etc.

Carrots are susceptible to many infections that cause diseases such as:

It is unlikely that you will be able to get rid of them without using special preparations. Use fungicidal biological and chemical agents against carrot diseases – Fitosporin, Trichocin, Skor, etc.

Remember that any disease is much easier to prevent than to cure. To do this, follow preventive measures – take into account crop rotation rules, treat seeds before sowing, avoid dense plantings, etc.

If you follow the basic rules for caring for the crop in the summer, then by autumn you will receive an excellent harvest of beautiful and healthy root crops.