To have a good carrot harvest in the spring, it is necessary to sow it before winter. When spring comes, the body wants to be enriched with fresh vegetable salads, which are rich in vitamins.
This is why early varieties were invented, because their ripening period is eight weeks after sowing.
Therefore, with the onset of summer, you can already try young and juicy carrots. If you want to have a harvest faster, then sow it before winter.
Early carrots are much larger, juicier and sweeter than regular ones. This is due to the fact that they grow in early spring, when the soil is very wet, because moisture is the most important component for the germination of seeds and the growth of the fruits themselves.
However, there is one downside to winter sowing: the fruits grown have a short shelf life.
The best place to plant carrots
Please note that carrots love loose soil, so you need to make beds where the soil is lighter and more fertile.
The best location would be an area that is in constant sun so that the snow melts as quickly as possible in the spring.
It is better to sow carrots after onions, potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes. After harvesting, it is necessary to remove all weeds, tops and other remains, and then treat the soil with mineral fertilizers.
Do not fertilize the soil with fresh manure, as it will not be possible to plant carrots in this place for 2 years. Prepare the soil in advance by mid-October.
The best time to sow carrots in winter
Carrots need to be planted just before the frost, on frozen ground. It is difficult to name specific dates for sowing, as the weather is very changeable.
It is necessary to guess so that the carrot seeds do not sprout before the onset of frost, because the cold weather comes at different times.
Sowing in October is very risky, because when the thaw sets in, the seeds germinate and subsequent frosts can lead to their death. As a conclusion, it is better to sow carrots until mid-November, but it is better to increase the sowing rate.
Rules for sowing carrots
It is important that you can only plant carrots with dry seeds before winter, as they will germinate faster than the specified time. When planting, use a special seeder for small seeds so that the sowing is uniform.
Winter sowing of carrots consists of several stages. Make holes 1-2 cm deep before frost, pour in seeds and sprinkle dry warm soil on top. It should be prepared the day before - before frost.
To do this, fill two buckets with soil and put them in a warm place. Then put a layer of peat or humus about 2 cm and tamp the soil on top. As soon as the first snow falls, roll it up on the bed and press it down with coniferous branches.
In spring, when the snow begins to melt, remove all the pine needles from the beds. If the snow melts completely, attach low arches to them and cover them with film or non-woven material.
This way, the carrots will grow as quickly as possible. In the future, you just need to take care of them: loosen, weed and thin out.
