Everywhere on the advertisement of seeds and on packages the photo of an ideal carrot is placed: smooth and even, but in reality it for some reason grows a curve. Of course, those bizarre figures, which are pulled out instead of a straight carrot, are very popular with children, but they are poorly stored and very uncomfortable to clean.
In this article we will consider the main reasons why carrots grow ugly, and how to grow it even.
The reasons why carrots grow horny, that is bifurcated:
- Sowing on heavy, clayey, stony, loamy and acidic soil. Such a land, although enriched with nutrients, but for germination of carrots is very dense and poorly passes water and air.
- The introduction of fresh manure or unmortem humus.
- Use when planting ash, lime or dolomite or top dressing with potassium chloride.
- Insufficient care for crops.
- Overmoistening of the soil in August - September.
- Damage to the roots at an early stage of development. This can happen in the following cases:
- if the ground has dried up before emergence or in the first month of cultivation;
- rootlets were affected by thinning after the appearance of the first leaf;
- if damaged by a carrot fly or a bear.
How to grow a smooth carrot?
To avoid curving and bifurcation of carrots, it is necessary to prepare the landing site in autumn and spring:
- in autumn - it is good to dig or plow the soil (no less than 20 cm deep) to prevent the top layer of soil from being compacted;
- In the spring - again dig a site, add a large amount of sand (depending on the density of the soil) and make compost as fertilizer.
In addition to preparing the soil, to obtain an even carrot in the period of its growth should follow such recommendations:
- Apply manure or chicken manure only to crops that precede planting carrots: tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers or onions.
- Organize the correct mode of watering: water in June and July, and in August - watering stop, not allowing the drying and waterlogging beds.
- Sow seeds in the distance to avoid thinning. If you still need to thin it, then it should be done very carefully, without damaging the leaves, so as not to attract carrot flies.
- Harvest the harvest in a timely manner .
- Plant onions around the perimeter of carrot beds to scare off carrot flies.
So that after harvesting, do not be surprised why your carrot grows clumsy, grow it in sandy soil, timely watered and fertilized with preparations with a small amount of nitrogen and microelements, and then it will be smooth and even.