by How to sow carrots in the winter to harvest the roots at the beginning of summer? November is the best month to discuss this issue and to sow the crops themselves. All that remains is to take into account all the nuances involved.
Some gardeners prefer not to sow carrots in late autumn, fearing that due to temperature changes or severe frosts, it will not sprout or the sprouts will die. In fact, this is not true. Carrots are just one of those vegetables that can be safely sown before winter and collect a good early harvest. The only downside is that this harvest must be eaten immediately, because it cannot be stored for long.
Carrots sown in autumn grow larger and juicier. The reason for this is sufficient natural soil moisture in early spring, which also reduces additional watering of the crop. In addition, such root crops are less susceptible to pests and bacteria, since the latter are “sleeping” in winter, and in spring the sprouts are already quite strong. Consequently, this vegetable has a stronger immunity compared to carrots sown in spring.
Which varieties of carrots to choose for winter sowing
In the matter of winter sowing of carrots, the carrot varieties you have chosen play an important role. For example, proven varieties are distinguished by their cold resistance: Vitamin-6, Dobrinya, Beautiful maiden, Losinoostrovskaya-13, Monastic, Moscow winter A-545, Nantes-4, Nelly, Unparalleled, Olympian, Pharaoh, Shantenay-2461 and others.
If you are sowing carrots for the first time in the winter, it is better to consult with an experienced seller before buying which variety is suitable for growing in your region.
How to prepare a garden bed in autumn
Preliminary preparation of the bed for autumn sowing of carrots also has its own nuances. For it, choose a sunny place, protected from the wind, with fertile and loose soil and necessarily on a flat surface, because if you sow carrots on a slope, then in the spring the seeds will be washed away by melt water.
It is better to plant carrots in the place where cucumbers, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes or legumes grew in the summer.
The bed for winter sowing of carrots is prepared in advance, before the ground freezes. First, it is cleared of weeds and plant remains, then dug up well and fertilized – 2-4 kg of humus, 1 tbsp. superphosphate, 1/2 tbsp. potassium sulfate per 1 sq. m of area. Then you need to wait until the bed is saturated with moisture and settles, after which you harrow it with a rake. Furrows up to 5 cm deep can be cut either immediately or immediately before sowing. The distance between them should be about 15-20 cm.
How to sow carrots before winter
Carrot seeds sown in winter do not require preliminary preparation in the form of soaking or germination – otherwise they will sprout prematurely, and you will lose the harvest.
Sowing is also carried out strictly at a certain time, before the frosts come, but after the night frosts have set in, so that the soil freezes a little. Be sure to follow the weather forecast: it should not include a temporary warming, otherwise the seeds will begin to germinate, and subsequently die when it gets colder.
The sowing itself can be done in different ways – from the standard scattering of seeds along a furrow to mixing them with sand. However, not every one of them will suit you if we are talking about winter sowing of carrots.
Dry carrot seeds are sown in the second or third ten days of November in furrows prepared in advance or immediately before sowing. Compared to the spring norm, the amount of planting material is increased by 20%. The seeds are sprinkled with dry soil mixed with sand or peat (2 cm layer) on top. Before snowfalls, the plantings are covered with spruce branches or cut branches.
In order to speed up the melting of snow, it is necessary to remove the spruce branches from the ridge in the spring. After the snow has completely melted, low arches are installed over the ridge, over which a film or non-woven material is stretched. This will help your carrots ripen even faster.
If you don’t have experience with winter sowing of carrots, now is the time to fill this gap.
