Description and characteristics of carrot variety Nantes 4

Description of carrot variety Nantes 4

Nantes 4 carrots are a variety, so their seeds can be used to grow new plants. The leaves are medium sized and green.

The root crops are small, reaching 14-17 cm in length, weighing from 90 to 160 g. The shape is cylindrical, the tip is blunt. The core is weakly expressed, practically absent. The color is rich orange. The head is partly concave, 2 cm in diameter. At the end of ripening it becomes greenish or purple.

Root vegetables have a regular cylindrical shape

The taste of carrots of the Nantes 4 variety is moderately sweet, pleasant, the flesh is juicy and tender, sometimes with a reddish tint. The percentage of carotene is up to 19 mg per 100 g. The purpose is universal. The harvest is used to prepare various dishes. The vegetable is suitable for dietary nutrition. Root crops are long-lasting and transportable.

Description

The name of the variety has become a household word; this particular carrot is the standard for other varieties. The “four” was developed in the first half of the 20th century and was included in the State Register catalog in 1943. Few varieties can boast of such a history, and gardeners still prefer Nantes 4 to this day. And not only the old generations who are skeptical about new breeding products, but also young summer residents who fully appreciate the excellent taste, productivity and unpretentiousness of the root crop.

Refers to table carrots, shape – cylindrical, weight – 150-170 grams. The roots are bright orange in color and lined with a blunt tip. The average length of carrots is 16-18 cm.

Important! 100 grams of root vegetables contain up to 16-17 mg of carotene. Average values ​​for carrot varieties do not exceed 8-9 mg.

Inside the pulp is a core, slightly darker than the overall color of the carrot. The taste is sweet and pleasant. Root vegetables are suitable for feeding babies, dietary dishes, good fresh, for processing and storing for winter.

Nantes 4 is weakly affected by pests and is considered resistant to infections and cracking. It does not outgrow, does not rot in the cellar in winter under the right storage conditions, and completely retains its taste and juiciness.

The variety is readily grown by ordinary summer residents and farmers, since the yield of marketable products is stable and remains at the level of 78-80%.

In terms of productivity, Nantes 4 also did not “let us down”, producing 6-7 kg per 1 square meter. This carrot is unpretentious, the content of sugars and carotene depends little on technology, the main thing is to fulfill the basic requirements of agricultural technology.

Characteristics of carrots Nantes 4

The Nantes 4 variety is one of the most unpretentious. Carrots tolerate adverse weather conditions well, including temperature changes. The ripening period is short. The harvest can be harvested as early as the end of July.

Maturation period

In terms of ripening time, the Nantes 4 carrot variety is classified as mid-season. Root crops reach technical maturity within 78-108 days from the moment of sowing. This allows the crop to be grown in most Russian regions, even in areas with short and cool summers.

Carrot yield Nantes 4

The productivity of the Nantes 4 variety is consistently high. Depending on the soil and growing conditions, the figure reaches 2.5-6.5 kg. When grown on an industrial scale - from 25 to 65 t/ha. The marketable yield of carrots is 78% and higher. This allows the vegetable to be grown on an industrial scale.

Resistance to diseases and pests

Nantes-type carrots are immune to most diseases and pests. The description of the variety states that the crop is resistant to flowering and bolting.

Growing regions

The carrot variety Nantes 4 has passed successful tests and is approved for cultivation in most Russian regions:

• middle lane;
• Volga region;
• Chernozem region;
• southern regions;
• Northwest;
• Western and Eastern Siberia;
• Far East.

Distinctive features

1. The tip of the smooth root vegetable is blunt, diameter is 4–4.5 cm.
2. It grows everywhere.
3. The fruit is tender, juicy, with sweet pulp, a small core.
4. Not afraid of frost.
5. Decent yield.
6. Record for beta-carotene.
7. Well kept.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Nantes carrot variety has been known for many decades. It is popular among summer residents and farmers due to its unpretentiousness, good yield and other advantages.

Nantes carrots are distinguished by their presentation and pleasant taste

Pros:

• high productivity;
• low maintenance requirements;
• resistance to diseases and pests;
• relatively fast maturation;
• can be grown in different regions;
• good keeping quality and transportability.

Minuses:

• the yield indicator depends on growing conditions and weather;
• may suffer from fungal diseases.

Diseases and their prevention

Nantes carrots can be susceptible to black, white or bacterial rot. These diseases destroy the crop, first covering the harvested root crops with a coating, and then creating wet or dry rot on them. To avoid the manifestation of their symptoms, it is necessary to harvest vegetables in warm weather, carefully sorting them out beforehand and creating all the conditions for proper storage.

The carrot fly can destroy crops. To get rid of it, it is worth spraying the seedlings with Shtefesin, Bayleton, Karatan or Volaton. At the same time, do not forget to take precautions.

Black rot

White rot

Bacterial rot

Features of planting and care

It is better to purchase Nantes 4 carrot seeds from originators or other trusted suppliers. They can be planted directly in open ground, without growing seedlings. The optimal temperature for germination is from 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. Therefore, planting can be planned for the middle or second half of May (depending on the weather forecast and climatic characteristics of the region).

If you plan to send the crop for winter storage, it is better to choose an even later date - from the end of May to the first half of June. The seeds can withstand short-term return frosts down to -5 degrees, but it is better not to take risks and not to rush into planting.

The place should be open, well-lit, without stagnant water (not a lowland). The optimal soil is light and fertile. Loams with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction (pH from 6.0 to 7.0) are preferred. A month before planting carrots of the Nantes variety 4, the plot is cleaned, dug up and complex fertilizer (40-50 g per 1 m2) or humus or compost (5 kg per 1 m2) is applied.

The seeds are pre-soaked in a warm solution of Epin, potassium humate or other growth stimulants. After a few hours, they are etched in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (no more than 20 minutes). When landing, proceed as follows:

1. Mark a furrow 2-3 cm deep. Retreat 10 cm and mark a second and third stripe.
2. Plant the seeds at a distance of 4-5 cm so as not to thin out later.
3. They fall asleep, trample the soil, water.

Further care for carrots of the Nantes 4 variety comes down to the following actions:

1. Water daily for the first two weeks, then once every 10 days. In hot weather twice as often.
2. Loosening the soil, weeding.
3. Mulching with mowed grass, sawdust, hay (the material is placed between the rows).
4. Feeding is given twice: after 3-4 leaves appear, then at the end of July. To do this, use a complex mineral fertilizer or a mixture of urea (10 g), potassium salt (15 g) or superphosphate (25 g). The quantity is indicated for processing 1 m² of plantings.

The variety is undemanding to care and produces a stable harvest

Caring for carrots

Despite all its unpretentiousness, Nantes 4 requires full care.

Watering

The vegetable loves moisture and prefers to grow in slightly moist soil. The seedlings are irrigated constantly, in small volumes and always with warm water. They take into account the weather, soil moisture indicators, and the general condition of the plants.

As soon as the root crops begin to form, increase the volume of watering, but carry it out approximately once every 7-8 days. The soil should be soaked to a depth of 15-20 cm so that the carrots receive sufficient moisture.

It is especially important to properly water the vegetable in hot summers, otherwise, if there is a lack of moisture, the carrot pulp will be thin and fibrous.

At the end of July and beginning of August, the watering rate is increased, and approximately 8-10 days before digging, irrigation is completely stopped. If it rains at this time, there is no need to water the vegetables.

Feeding

While heavily feeding tomatoes, cucumbers, and potatoes, gardeners often “forget” about root vegetables. It is believed that the carrots have enough fertilizer applied when preparing the beds. But to obtain a high yield, the crop must be additionally fed using complex fertilizers, potassium and phosphorus additives.

Approximate diagram:

• 2 weeks after emergence, water with a composition containing nitrophoska or superphosphate;
• after 14-20 days, complex preparations are introduced;
• During the period of root crop formation, plants are fed with ash.

For feeding, the preparations Gera, Fasco, Agrovita, containing the microelements necessary for carrots, are suitable.

Loosening

An important agrotechnical technique is loosening and thinning carrots. This is necessary to ensure access of oxygen to the soil, better ripening of the vegetable, and obtain high-quality and beautiful root crops.

Loosen the rows after each watering, remove weeds (especially during the period of emergence), and prevent the formation of a hard crust on the surface.

Thin out about a month after sowing, without delaying the timing. Usually, when two leaves appear, gardeners remove some seedlings from the rows, leaving a distance of two centimeters between plants.

The next thinning is carried out already at the initial stage of the formation of root crops, when they are approximately 1-1.5 cm in diameter. It is advisable to avoid damaging the vegetable, otherwise the smell of carrots will attract pests (especially carrot flies).

Protection from diseases

The Nantes variety is valued for its resistance to infections, but if agricultural practices are violated, even such carrots can get sick.

Causes:

• lack of crop rotation;
• excessive watering;
• weeds.

Diseases: Phoma (dry rot) or Alternaria (black rot) threaten the variety only if the vegetable is not properly cared for. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to treat plants (on tops) with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture. If diseased root crops are noticed in the garden bed, they are immediately removed, the soil is treated with potassium permanganate, and sprinkled with ash.

Pest protection

The main enemy of carrots is the fly, which received the name carrot fly for its “love” for the vegetable.

Signs of a pest:

• the appearance of a reddish tint on the tops;
• yellowing and drying of leaves.

The fly hatches larvae that feed on tasty carrot pulp. The caterpillars gnaw holes in the vegetable, causing the roots to rot and become completely unsuitable for food. What to do to protect yourself:

1. Plant carrot seeds by first gluing them onto paper, keeping distances. This eliminates the need to thin out the plants in the garden; the fly avoids such plantings.
2. Treat seeds before sowing with Trichodermin.
3. Choose sunny places for the garden, as the pest prefers shaded areas with high humidity.
4. Sow onion beds near carrots.
5. Repel flying flies with any smelling compounds: shag, hot pepper, mustard powder. Wood ash will do, and at the same time the vegetable will receive additional fertilizer.
6. Treat carrot plantings with wormwood infusion. A bucket (10 liters) is filled with grass, poured with boiling water, and infused. Then three liters are poured and each part is diluted with water (a bucket).

If such remedies are ineffective, chemicals will have to be used. Among them are Karate, Arrivo, Actellik (used strictly according to the instructions).

Pest and disease control

Carrots of the Nantes 4 variety are resistant to diseases and pests, but with improper care (excessive watering, lack of fertilizing) and in rainy summers they can suffer from fungal infections (Phomosis, Alternaria). Therefore, for prevention, seedlings can be treated with a fungicide:

• "Signum";
• "Ordan";
• "Fitosporin";
• "Maksim".

During the growing season, an invasion of carrot flies, aphids, and psyllids is possible. They can be dealt with by treating Nantes carrots with 4 folk remedies. For these purposes, a decoction of tomato tops, potatoes, marigold flowers, an infusion of wood ash, garlic cloves, tobacco dust, wormwood and other herbs with a fragrant aroma are used. In extreme cases, insecticides are used: “Aktara”, “Karate”, “Borey”, “Fitoverm” and other drugs.

Attention! Treatment of Nantes carrots with 4 chemicals should not be carried out 1-2 weeks before harvest.

At this point, it is allowed to spray only with homemade solutions prepared independently.

Soil requirements for planting

Nantes carrots grow well on loamy, peaty and light sandy soils, which must be loosened and fertilized. Taking this into account, in the fall you should dig up the beds and add humus cow manure mixed with sand and peat. After which it is recommended to sow winter rye on the site. It will help avoid the appearance of incorrectly formed root crops with many “fingers”.

The best predecessors for carrots are tomatoes, potatoes, onions, zucchini and cucumbers.

Harvesting and storage

Harvesting is carried out 80-100 days after emergence. Young root crops can be harvested after 50-60 days. 2-3 weeks before harvesting, they stop watering the carrots; during harvesting, they immediately cut off the greens, leaving petioles 2 cm long. When the carrots dry, remove the entire head with 2-3 cm of buds.

Carrots of the Nantes 4 variety are shelf-stable, resistant to mold and rot. The harvested crop is stored in a cellar or barn, on an insulated balcony, glazed loggias or special warehouses. Storage conditions: darkness, temperature from 0 to 2 degrees Celsius. At lower values, the pulp will begin to taste bitter; at high levels, it will become flabby. Humidity should be around 95%.

Harvesting is carried out in sunny, dry weather

Attention! If any root vegetables have been damaged, they can be grated on a coarse grater and placed in the freezer for storage.

When to Harvest

The Nantes variety is ready for selective harvesting at the end of July (bunched carrots). But root crops intended for storage are harvested at the end of September. It is believed that the vegetable can withstand mild cold, becoming sweeter and juicier.

But you shouldn’t overexpose it, Nantes 4 ripens together, and the root crops that have been “sitting” in the soil for a long time begin to crack.

Choose a clear day so that the vegetables have time to “lie” in the fresh air after digging and dry slightly. Shovels and pitchforks are used for digging; on sandy soils, smooth carrots of this variety are perfectly selected from the soil by hand.

Place the root crops on a tarpaulin, carefully clearing the ground. Then they cut off the tops, and this is where the opinions of gardeners differ. Some cut off the leaves completely and even capture a small part of the root crop. Others cut off only the leaves, leaving no tails. In both cases, with proper storage, Nantes usually does not germinate and retains its juiciness.

Carrots, familiar and mysterious

In 1978, geologists discovered in the remote Sayan taiga a family of Old Believers hermits, the Lykovs, who for more than 40 years lived in complete isolation from the outside world, engaged exclusively in subsistence farming. At the end of 1981, out of five family members, three adult children died suddenly.

The cause of death could only be illness. But what triggered it? The previous winter, mice ate the Lykovs’ carrot seeds, and for the first time in decades, the hermits were unable to grow them. In conditions of a complete absence of fruits and a limited selection of vegetables, it was carrots that allowed them to survive. And her absence led to such a tragic ending.

Reviews

Mikhail T., Moscow region, pensioner

He moved to Dedovsk in 2005, closer to his daughter. I have had a dacha here since 2010. Like everyone else, I first planted just potatoes, and then I wanted to plant my own carrots and cabbages for my grandchildren - well, why do they all eat from imported cans! I planted 3 varieties of carrots. So the boys pulled everything out of one garden bed back in the summer - the carrots turned out to be so sweet and juicy. This was the Nantes variety - my mother planted it, I remember it from childhood and love it. Next year I will plant 2-3 beds, let my grandchildren eat real carrots.

Nina Aleksandrovna, Novosibirsk

I taught my family to eat carrots all the time; we always have a plate of peeled carrots in the refrigerator. And three salads, with oranges and sour cream, and so crunchy. Your teeth get stronger and you get your vitamins. We have been preparing 2-3 bags since the fall, purchasing from a distant relative in the village. The main thing for us is that it lays well and is sweet. For 7 years now we have been buying only Nantes, even in March it is crunchy and very juicy. And on the advice of Elena Malysheva, she also began to freeze it so that the vitamins would be better preserved. For dietary and baby food - the best variety.

Ilya_1980, Kstovo

Nantes carrots are a good variety, I recommend them. It does not rot or become flabby until spring. If my wife salts cabbage with it, then we don’t add sugar, and it’s so sweet. We go to the dacha only on weekends, so we choose non-capricious varieties for planting so that they can withstand drought and do not require special care. In winter, the seeds of these carrots were glued to tape, in the spring they were unwound, placed in a bed, watered - that’s it! The carrots were under mulch, so the harvest was good, but there was practically no care. Very pleased. Plant these carrots, you won’t regret it.

Useful properties of carrots

You can list for a long time what substances are included in carrots. The vegetable contains in abundance almost all amino acids, including essential ones. Carrots also supply our body with macro- and microelements, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, selenium, fluorine, iodine and a number of others.

Hundreds of years before carrots became a food item, they were used as a medicinal product. Now we can explain this by the presence of a whole range of vitamins in it. Of the 13 vitamins that exist in nature, 10 are found in carrots. Among these vitamins, beta-carotene, which is provitamin A, occupies a special place.

Note! “Nantes 4” is the record holder for carotene content: 19 mg per 100 g of carrots. This is 2 times higher than the average for carrots!

In our body, carotene is converted into vitamin A, the deficiency of which leads to visual impairment. The popular name for this disease is “night blindness.”

Pests

The main pest of Nantes carrots is the carrot fly. It appears, as a rule, in waterlogged beds overgrown with weeds.

When the pest appears, the carrot tops begin to curl. The following medications will help get rid of the fly:

• "Intavir".
• "Aktellik".

Prevention of the appearance of harmful insects is high-quality care of carrot plantings - watering, weeding, compliance with the rules of agricultural technology.

Seed preparation

This procedure begins with culling the seeds. They are filled with warm water overnight. In the morning, all the “dummies” will float on the surface, and the seeds suitable for planting will lie at the bottom. The conditioned seeds can then be dried so that they can be used at the right time.

Another option is to germinate them. A piece of soaked cotton cloth, folded in several layers, is placed on a flat plate and the seeds, still wet after sorting, are evenly distributed on this dish. Then all this is placed in a plastic bag and placed in a warm place. After about 3 days (this depends on the temperature), the seeds will sprout and can be sown. At the same time, this will be another test for germination.

Sowing small carrot seeds is a tedious task. An even more difficult task is thinning uneven crops.

There are two ways to avoid these problems:

• To increase the size of the seeds, they are enclosed in granules (pellets) - shells containing nutrients. Sowing granular seeds does not require subsequent thinning.

• Carrot seeds on ribbons. They are commercially available, but can be easily made at home.

Moreover, this can be done before the start of spring work in the garden. It is usually recommended to make ribbons from toilet paper, but newspaper is preferable in this case.

But before that, it is advisable to check the seeds for germination. After culling the seeds as described above, part of them (about 10 pieces) should be used for germination. This must be done in advance and based on the results of this test, the planting material can be replaced.

The paper tape is marked with a pencil. The distance between the seeds in this row is 4-5 cm. Drops of glue are applied to the paper using a match, and the seeds are transferred to each of them using a moistened needle. After drying for about a day, the tapes are rolled into reels and stored in a dry place until sowing.

Varieties related to the variety type

Soviet scientists began to carry out work on maintaining the variety back in the 30s of the last century. Already by 1943, the most common variety type, “Nantes 4,” was selected. In subsequent years, other varieties were developed: “Red”, “Improved”, “Semko”, “Premium”, “Royal”, “Nantes 3”, “Sugar”, “Juicy”.

All varieties of this type are characterized by a cylindrical shape, juiciness, sweetness, delicate pulp, and a neat core. The “Nantes” variety includes:

• "Yaroslavna";
• "Nantes Kharkovskaya";
• "Samson";
• "Rogneda";
• "Yaskravaya";
• "Karadek";
• "Forto";
• "Nantens";
• "Montana";
• "Nerak";
• "Sirkana";
• "Boar";
• "Napoli";
• "Ramos."

Hybrid varieties have been developed, for example: “Yoshi F1”, “Bayon F1”, “Chukchi style F1”, “Riga F1”.

Difference from other varieties?

Among the well-known carrot varieties, “Nantes”, of course, is the leader in many characteristic features. Distinctive features include:

1. The presence of smooth, cylindrical roots with blunt tips.
2. The diameter of even the largest carrot specimens does not exceed 4–4.5 cm.
3. The versatility of the variety.
4. The presence of tender, juicy, sweet in consistency pulp with a neat core.
5. High degree of frost resistance.
6. High yield.
7. High beta-carotene content.
8. Excellent keeping quality.

Based on this variety, many other types of root crops have been bred, which are successfully grown on individual farms and on an industrial scale.

Advantages and disadvantages

The variety is considered an elite variety with standard taste. It is this carrot that experienced vegetable growers often choose for cultivation due to a number of advantages:

• the possibility of double sowing (both in spring and autumn);
• absence of cracking of root crops;
• color resistance;
• the presence of large amounts of carotene and sugars;
• friendly seed germination;
• unpretentiousness to climatic conditions;
• suitability for dietary nutrition;
• long shelf life.

Among the significant disadvantages, carrots are demanding on soil density. Root crops only need loose soil. As a result of improper storage, crops are often affected by rot.