Carrot
Carrot currently has many varieties and subspecies, descriptions of all its varieties take more than one thousand pages. This is one of the most popular plants grown by mankind.
Its importance for the diet was noticed in ancient times: according to historical studies, mankind began to grow carrots more than four and a half thousand years ago.
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Description of carrots
Let's try to understand them and consider the most popular hybrids cultivated today.
History reference
The first mention of carrots dates back to the 24th century BC. Its homeland, presumably, is Afghanistan, and it was obtained by breeding wild carrots.
Until now, Afghanistan retains leadership in the number of varieties of carrots that grow on its territory.
Wild carrot, the ancestor of all modern varieties
The surprising fact is that during the first two thousand years cultivation carrots, it (more precisely, its fruits and leaves) was used exclusively as a spice. The fact that the root crop is also interesting from the point of view of gastronomy was first thought about only in the first century AD.
Europeans got acquainted with carrots also relatively recently - in the early 1100s, Arab merchants brought it to Europe. For a long time, civilized mankind did not pay due attention to carrots, but by the beginning
New time, the first hybrids and varieties began to appear and further development could not be stopped. Currently, there are several hundred varieties of carrots and many of their hybrids.
Botanical Information
From the point of view of biology, carrots are a biennial plant of the umbrella family. In the first year, it forms a root crop, and in the second - stems and peduncles. Sometimes there are annual or perennial varieties of carrots.
This is a very cold-resistant plant that can tolerate frosts down to -7 ° C, however, it tolerates heat much worse, despite its “southern origin”.
Flowers carrots are a large umbrella (hence the name of the family), with small flowers of white and red. Carrot fruits are small, having an elliptical shape; their size rarely exceeds 0.5 m.
carrot flower
Root crops in carrots are oval or cone-shaped and can reach a mass of 30 to 300 g.
The ripening time of carrots (meaning the root crop in the first year of cultivation) is:
- for early maturing varieties: 80-100 days
- for mid-season: 100-120 days
- late ripening: over 120 days
Carrots have a fantastic yield: from 200 to 800 centners per hectare, on average yielding only to such crops as rapeseed and potatoes. In cultivation, the plant is very unpretentious and is cultivated almost everywhere.
It was the combination of simple agricultural techniques and a variety of nutritional and medicinal properties that ensured the popularity of carrots.
The use of carrots
The content of useful substances in carrots makes it, according to some indicators, indispensable in medicine and cooking. Carrots contain a lot of beta-carotene (only contains more bell pepper, but it is much more expensive) in this regard, it is recommended to use it for patients with beriberi.
It also contains a lot of vitamin B, ascorbic acid, various sugars and amino acids.
Substances contained in carrots have a significant effect on the immune and endocrine systems of the body. Even just using carrots as food can restore the balance of oxidative reactions in the body and normalize carbohydrate metabolism.
In this regard, it is recommended to consume carrots and carrot juice as a prevention of diabetes. Carrot seeds are used to produce antispasmodics, antiseptics and essential oils.
carrot seeds
For cooking, carrots are also used in a wide variety of dishes and cooking methods. Its root crops are consumed both raw and processed, from which carrot juice is obtained.
As in antiquity, carrot flowers and seeds are used as spices or key ingredients in the production of various sauces, salads and gas stations.
Modern classification
Despite the abundance of varieties and hybrids, as such, only two varieties of this plant are distinguished:
The first grows in the wild almost everywhere where the climate allows. She has a fairly large root crop, which has a white or pale yellow color. It cannot be eaten because of its taste, as well as the high concentration of some alkaloids.
Flowering wild carrot
The height of the stems of the plant is small, about 25 cm. Under favorable conditions, it can reach one meter, and the growth cone is characterized by branching, so sometimes wild carrots are a very dense and tall bush.
Its leaves have a characteristic triangular or elongated oval shape. The size of the leaves sometimes reach gigantic sizes - up to 20 cm in length and 5-6 in width. Flowering occurs in mid-summer, usually at the end of June.
Sowing carrots are those that are grown by people. It is a subspecies of wild carrots and is traditionally divided into two varieties: fodder and table.
fodder carrots
The roots of this plant are used to provide nutrition to various animals - from large and small cattle to poultry and pets. The root crop of such varieties, as a rule, has a cylindrical or irregular conical shape.
Its length can reach up to 0.5 m. The end of the tuber is often rounded.
fodder carrots
Fodder carrots are usually differentiated by color: In total there are three colors of fodder carrots - white, red and yellow. As a rule, its color appears in the name of the variety.
For example, red varieties include Giant red and Long red Brunswick carrots.
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Carrots eaten by humans can have a wide variety of classifications. Usually, either a classification by ripening time is used, or divisions into varieties are used, depending on some growing features or external signs.
Often these classifications are mixed and gardeners have some confusion.
Consider the classification of carrots according to the characteristic features of hybrids:
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Early varieties
Nantes
Nantes carrot
- It is considered a classic European carrot. It is this variety that is used as a standard for yield and appearance of root crops. "Nantes root crop" is a long cylinder of medium diameter with a blunt lower end.
- In fact, this variety is represented by many varieties that have their own serial number.
- These are not even separate varieties, but many varieties similar to each other, not all of which were obtained by breeding hybrids from common ancestors.
- Varieties are named by number, for example, most often grown in the temperate zone two varieties: Nantes 4 and Nantes 14.
- The color of the root crops of this variety is always bright orange.
- The pulp is uniform along the entire length of the root crop. The average weight of such carrots is 80-150 g with a length of 11 to 16 cm.
- The first crops of this early ripe vegetable are harvested at the end of the second month of cultivation.
- It must be remembered that full maturation occurs no earlier than three, in some cases, four months.
- In this regard, some varieties of Nantes carrots are not classified as early-ripening, but sometimes as mid-ripening varieties. This species loves light and loose soils.
- On heavy or dense soils, a good harvest will not work.
Chantenay
Variety Shantenay
- It can also refer to both early-ripening and mid-ripening varieties. It is also considered a classic carrot with a yield similar to that of Nantes.
- Its popularity is slightly less than that of Nantes, since the taste of the root vegetables is not so good.
- Shantenay root crops have a mass of about 240-260g, their shape is not cylindrical, but cone-shaped.
- The shape of all root crops within this variety is the same, which is its additional feature.
- Unlike the Nantes variety, the Chantenay variety can be grown both on heavy soils and on soils with a loose structure.
Amsterdam
Variety Amsterdam
- It is a beautiful high yielding plant. This is an extra early variety that can be harvested 52 days after mass shoots.
- Obtaining a conditioned harvest on sale can be carried out for 70-80 days.
- It has a cylindrical root shape. The lower end is rounded. The color is orange, saturated. The core of the root crop is thin.
- Root mass - up to 170 g.
- The root crop is almost always completely immersed in the ground, no greening of its top is observed.
- In addition, it is resistant to many diseases and cracking. The pulp is tender and juicy in taste.
- The yield is quite high, from 200 to 450 kg of carrots can be harvested from a hundred square meters!
Mikulovskaya
Mikulovskaya variety
- An early ripe variety, the main purpose of which is the collection in beam ripeness (approximately 50-60 days).
- Commodity ripeness comes a little later - at 90-95 days. The shape of the root crop is cylindrical, the end is rounded. The color is orange-red, the color of the core has a yellow tint.
- It is considered a dessert variety, with a sweetish taste. It does not contain coarse fibers, the pulp is tender.
- Each root crop weighs about 130 g with a length of not more than 15 cm.
- Coloration is not subject. They have consistent yields from season to season.
- Depending on the fertility of the soil, it reaches 270-300 kg per hundred square meters.
Artek
Variety Artek
- A variety that is widely distributed due to its unpretentiousness and early ripeness. The first collection is possible on the 52nd day, technical ripeness occurs in 2-4 weeks, on the 65-80th day. The root crop has a conical shape.
- Size is medium. The weight of one root crop can vary from 70 to 140 g.
- The pulp is very appetizing - it has a large amount of juice, its structure is fine-fibered.
- This variety is recommended for harvesting "in bunches" for use in salads and fresh juices.
- However, in this form it is often preserved or subjected to quick freezing.
Hybrid Buror F1
Hybrid Buror F1
- Also the main application is early beam collection. Carrots are small in size, more or less the same.
- Color orange-red, saturated. The core is relatively thin. The mass of root crops is from 50 to 110 g.
- The collection is made on the 60th day. Carrots have a sweet dessert flavor.
- Resistant to long-term storage and transportation. Even harvested in beam freshness is also able to be stored for a long time.
- The yield depends on the rules of compliance with agricultural technology and can vary widely: from 220 to 600 kg per hundred square meters.
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Losinoostrovskaya
Losinoostrovskaya carrot
- The variety is quite old, but stable and time-tested. The ripening time is from 80 to 100 days.
- Root crops of the same size, have a cylindrical shape with a slightly rounded end.
- They can stick out of the ground by 0.5 -1 cm, this area may undergo greening.
- Weight, depending on agricultural technology, can be from 60 to 160 g.
- The pulp is juicy, with excellent taste. The color of carrots is bright orange.
- The variety is versatile and unpretentious. Can be stored for a long time.
Hybrid Callisto F1
Hybrid Callisto F1
- Bred to provide a high content of vitamins. Resistant to damage. The maturation time in mass is from 90 to 110 days.
- An elongated carrot having a cylindrical shape. The weight of the root crop is average - rarely above 120 g.
- Most root crops have the same size, for which they are valued by manufacturers.
- This hybrid has a record concentration of vitamins, especially a high content of vitamin A (up to 18 mg per 100g).
- The hybrid also has negative sides: if the summer turned out to be cool, this hybrid will require additional protection against the fungus.
Parmex
Variety Parmex
- It is a round-shaped root crop with a bright orange color. The collection can be carried out n 90-100 days.
- The pulp is tender, has a strong sweet taste. For this, it is often eaten raw.
- The mass of root crops is small, no more than 50 g. Accordingly, the yield is also low, about 120 kg per hundred square meters.
- Despite this, Parmex is very much appreciated by gardeners for its excellent taste, it is used in many dishes and in conservation.
Chanson
Variety Chanson
- Quite an old variety. Root crops are strong and resistant not only to damage, but also to diseases.
- The ripening time is up to 110 days. The color of the root crops is orange, thick. The shape is conical, often long. Dimensions: length up to 16 cm, weight up to 160 g.
- The pulp has small fibers, very juicy. The sweetness of carrots is medium.
- The variety is very reliable not only in terms of endurance, but also in terms of yield. The norm for it is the yield of about 670 kg per hundred square meters.
Hybrid Bolero F1
Hybrid Bolero F1
- The hybrid is designed to provide high yields in extreme climatic conditions.
- A pleasant feature of the hybrid is its resistance to most fungi as well. The shape of the root crop is of the Nantes type, the length reaches 20 cm.
- The color of the root is bright orange. The yield is about 600 kg per hundred square meters.
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Late varieties
autumn king
Variety Autumn King
- Variety bred specifically for long winter storage. The ripening time is up to 150 days from the first mass shoots.
- Carrots are orange in color and huge in size (mass more than 230 g, length - from 20 cm or more).
- The shape can be either cylindrical or spindle-shaped.
- The flesh is tender, with a pleasant taste and carrot aroma.
- The yield of this variety is from 170 to 370 kg, even in the absence of top dressing.
- In harvest years, with the right agricultural technology, it was possible to obtain record parameters - up to 620 kg per hundred square meters.
Hybrid Tinga F1
Hybrid Tanga F1
- It is a successful universal hybrid. Perfectly is suitable both for preparation of juices, and for long storage.
- Collection time 130-140 days after mass shoots. It has a bright color and an elongated conical shape. Weight is up to 120 g, root length is up to 20 cm.
- The pulp is orange in color, has a dessert sweetness. The middle is thin, a lighter shade.
- Yields are quite high - up to 550 kg per hundred square meters. It is one of the record holders in terms of storage.
Winter candied fruit
Winter candied fruit
- Sweet tasting carrots, good for fresh juices or freezing.
- It has a cylindrical shape with a blunt end.Weight - up to 180 g, root size up to 20 cm.
- Possesses dense pulp with dessert taste.
- High yield - up to 350 kg per hundred square meters. It is valued by gardeners for its exceptional taste and stability in yields.
Queen
Variety Queen
- One of the best late-ripening varieties in terms of a set of indicators. It has large root crops - weight up to 220 g and size up to 25 cm. It has juicy pulp, despite the common belief that large specimens are often hard and tasteless.
- The color is bright orange.
- Despite its large size, it has a fairly short ripening period for late-ripening varieties - about 120 days from the moment of mass shoots.
- It can be grown even in areas with a short duration of the warm season, as it can tolerate frosts down to -5°C.
- Root crops do not crack, the plant is not subject to flowering.
- The yield depends on agricultural technology; averages 300 kg per hundred square meters, however, under favorable circumstances, it can reach 550 kg.
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polar cranberry
Variety Polar cranberry
- It is a small, round carrot often eaten raw in baby food.
- Also popular in preservation with other vegetables. Ripening occurs relatively early, approximately 60-70 days after mass shoots. It is traditionally sown in April, and the first harvests occur in early July.
- In this regard, it is excellent for growing in northern regions.
- It looks like a small radish. Having an orange color. The weight of the root crop is small - 40-50 g.
- It has smooth skin and few eyes. The pulp is very tender and juicy, extremely sweet.
- The root crop is practically not subject to cracking.
sweet tooth
Variety Sweet tooth
- Late-ripening variety, the collection period falls on the time of 120-130 days after germination.
- The root crop is small in size, elongated, weighing about 100 g. The color is red, with an almost imperceptible core.
- The advantages of the variety include excellent taste and unpretentiousness to growing conditions.
- In addition, the plant tolerates frost well and can produce stable yields even with a small number of sunny days per year.
- The yield is from 200 to 350 kg per hundred square meters.
Hybrid Sugar Gourmand F1
Sugar Gourmand F1
- A very sweet, elongated carrot. Color orange or orange.
- Root crops are cylindrical, large in size: their length is up to 25 cm, and their weight often exceeds 200 g.
- High saturation with sugars gives Lakomka a unique taste.
- It is a mid-season hybrid; when planted in April, it is collected in bunches in mid-July, and the collection of ripe root crops is carried out in early September.
- It can be stored for a long time, however, like all sweet varieties, it is preferable to consume immediately after harvest.
- The yield is in the range from 300 to 600 kg per hundred square meters.
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Emperor
Sort Emperor
- Large carrots, up to 26 cm in size and weighing more than 200 g. The color is reddish-orange.
- The pulp is quite homogeneous, medium sweetness, dense. Ripening occurs on the 130th day after germination.
- The safety of this variety is quite high - almost the entire crop can lie until May next year.
- Productivity is about 160-300 kg per hundred square meters; under favorable conditions, it can increase to 400 kg.
Dolyanka
Variety Dolyanka
- A fairly old and proven variety of carrots. It has late maturation - from 120 to 150 days after mass shoots. This variety has a long cone-shaped root crop.
- Most root crops are one-dimensional and even. The color is orange, rarely red-orange. The taste and aroma are rich; sweetness is moderate.
- Root crops are long - up to 28 cm, weighing about 210 g.
- Despite such dimensions, the variety is very unpretentious to growing conditions and can produce good yields even on poor soils. The secret of success in this case is the high susceptibility of Dolyanka to fertilizers and irrigation.
- Without care, the plant is able to produce yields of about 350 kg per hundred square meters, with the right agricultural technology, this result increases almost three times - up to 800 kg!
- Another advantage of this variety is its immunity to weather changes and cold snaps. Able to withstand frost down to -4°C.
Darina
Variety Darina
- Late-ripening carrots, bred in the Czech Republic about 20 years ago. Perfectly preserved until next summer, goes well in conservation and freezing.
- The ripening period is about 130-150 days from the time of continuous shoots. Root crop sizes - up to 24 cm, weight - 190-200 g.
- The yield of the variety ranges from 170 to 330 kg per hundred square meters, with the use of fertilizers - up to 450 kg.
- Losses of root crops during storage during the year do not exceed 8%.
Hybrid Lydia F1
Hybrid Lydia F1
- Super fast mid-early hybrid. It is used both for collecting "on a beam" and for a regular one.
- It has huge dimensions - up to 30 cm, with a small mass, about 90-110 g. This implies a high elongation of root crops. Root crops often have sharp ends.
- It has an excellent taste, with pronounced sweetness.
- The yield depends on the quality of the soil, the observance of agricultural technology and the fertilizers used.
- Under ideal conditions, it is possible to achieve high yields - up to 620 kg per hundred square meters.
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Red giant
Red giant
- A late-ripening variety with a long storage time without loss.
- The ripening time is up to 160 days after germination.
- The fruits have an elongated conical shape; their length is 25-26 cm, and their weight is about 150 g. The pulp is very juicy and tasty, the skin is thin, has an orange color.
- It is one of the leaders in the concentration of vitamin A (up to 16 mg per 100 g of weight).
- This variety requires fertile soils, on poor soils, even when top dressing is used, it may lose its taste.
- It has a constant yield - about 400 kg per hundred square meters.
Berlicum Royal
Berlicum Royal
- Also a late-ripening variety with a ripening time of about 150 days.
- Carrots of medium size (up to 18 cm, weight 180 g), having a cylindrical shape with a blunt end.
- Like most "long-term" varieties, it is rich in vitamin A.
- The yield is low: from 180 to 300 kg per hundred square meters. Storage lasts until late spring, losses are about 5%.
Volzhskaya 30
Variety Volzhskaya 30
- It is a late maturing variety. Harvesting is usually done 130-140 days after mass shoots.
- Carrots are cone-shaped, with a blunt end. It sits completely in the ground, but it is easily pulled out of it without breaks and damage.
- Weight can reach up to 220 g, length - about 20-23 cm. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, thick orange in color, increased sweetness.
- It gives good yields: from 550 kg per hundred square meters. With the use of fertilizers and intensive agricultural technology - up to 700 kg. One of the disadvantages of this variety is its vulnerability during maturation from carrot flies.
- The use of insecticides is not only recommended, but mandatory.
- It is stored until the beginning of next summer, losses are no more than 3%.
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Coloring F1
Coloring F1
- Hybrid mid-season variety. The ripening time is from 85 to 90 days from the moment of the first shoots. It has a cylindrical shape with a blunt end. It sits completely in the ground, but is easily pulled out.
- The weight is small - about 100-120g, sizes up to 18 cm.
- The yield is about 250-350 kg per hundred square meters with almost no care.
- With the use of proper agricultural technology and top dressing, it can be raised to 750 kg per hundred square meters.
- Of the pests, the danger to Color is the carrot fly. The use of insecticides is mandatory.
- The plant is indifferent to fungi.
Hybrid Totem F1
Hybrid Totem F1
- Large red roots ripening 130-140 days after germination.
- They have a conical shape and weight from 130 to 150 g. The flesh is red-orange, dense, with small fibers.
- The root crop is resistant to damage.
- It has a sweet taste close to dessert. It can be stored for a long time practically without loss.
- Productivity is high 550-650 kg per hundred square meters. Resistant to fungi and insects.
yellowstone
yellowstone
- Carrots with an interesting bright yellow root color.
- Maturing terms are late, usually from 120 to 140 days from the moment of emergence of mass seedlings.
- They have large root crops, up to 25 cm long and weighing 200 g. The taste is medium sweet, the pulp is moderately dense, with small fibers.
- It has a fantastic yield: up to 850 kg per hundred square meters.
- It is very popular with gardeners for its huge yields, disease resistance and great taste.
10 VARIETIES OF CARROTS I choose the best!
How do I grow carrots from seed to harvest?
