The best varieties of carrots for open ground: the sweetest, juiciest and most productive, early and late

You just can’t decide and choose a carrot variety, can you? Indeed, there are now so many different varieties and hybrids (F1) on sale, the manufacturers of which promise productive, juicy and sweet carrots on the packaging, that try to choose among such a variety. However, in any case, you will have to go the experimental route, otherwise you simply won’t be able to find something suitable. Another thing is that you should choose from the best.

Next, you will be presented with a list of the most popular = best hybrids and varieties of carrots, the sweetest, juiciest and most productive, early, middle and late ripening.

By the way! The site has detailed separate articles on when and how to plant seeds in the ground in the spring and how to care for them to get a high yield .

What determines the sweetness of carrots?

Carrots are an unpretentious plant, resistant to diseases and garden pests, and tolerate frosts and other weather conditions well. Breeders are developing new root vegetable hybrids, increasing sweetness and storage quality. Experienced gardeners already have proven varieties in their collection that are preferred, but if children appear in the family or health problems begin that require the use of carrots with certain taste qualities, you can try planting other varieties.

The main factor in sweet carrots is the selected variety, planting and care. Hybrids can be found on the seed package, where there is a description and characteristics. Most varieties are suitable for the middle zone, and some can be grown in the Urals and Siberia. Carrots are planted, depending on the climate, in mid-April or early May. After planting, water well; if the weather is dry, water more often. After germination, the sprouts need to be thinned out so that the root crop is large, make a distance of 6-8 cm, and fertilize the soil with humus.

Napoli F1

The advantage of the early ripening hybrid Napoli F1 is that the root crops tolerate digging and transportation very well due to their hardness and resistance to mechanical damage. The plant resists diseases well and prefers fertile sandy loam soils. Root vegetables are considered universal: suitable for both processing and fresh consumption.

The sweetest and most productive varieties and hybrids

1. Maestro is an early root crop, ripening occurs 2-2.5 months after germination, is resistant to temperature changes, and can be grown in regions with cold winters. You can prepare first and second courses, bake pies and other sweets, make baby purees and juice, salads for diabetics and store. Resistant to Alternaria, oidium and pit spot.

2. Nantes 4 - sweet and juicy root vegetables, an early hybrid. It is grown in open ground from April to September; we plant seeds in a greenhouse or on a plot; we do not make deep beds, since carrots take a long time to sprout. “Nantes 4” grows large, juicy and sweet, size 17-20 cm, cylindrical in shape.

3. Children's sweet is a mid-season hybrid, juicy and sweet, the taste is not lost during storage. You can make carrot juice, baby puree and eat it for people who are overweight. The surface is smooth without shoots, store in a box with sand, placing it in a cool room.

4. Emperor is a late hybrid, ripening period is 4 months, good taste characteristics. The root vegetable is sweet, the color is rich orange; during storage, the carotene content increases, and the carrots become juicier. The shape is cylindrical with a sharp tip, the surface is smooth with a small amount of hairs.

5. Bolero is a hybrid of sweet carrots, suitable for salads, preparations, feeding children and preserving for the winter. The fruit has an average size of 15-20 cm, cone-shaped with a rounded tip. It tolerates hot weather well; powdery mildew and other foliar diseases do not appear on the tops. The color of the root is bright orange with white stripes.

6. Caramel - from the name you can understand that this is the sweetest carrot, it has the shape of a cone with a rounded tip and tail, the fruits are medium, suitable for storage, it does not crack and does not bloom. Add taste and aroma to first and second courses.

7. Sweet crunch is a medium-sized hybrid up to 15-17 cm, a fruit of rich orange-red color, cone-shaped. Does not suffer from garden diseases and is not attacked by pests. It is well stored until the new harvest, does not rot or crack, and can be used for preparing preserves and your favorite dishes.

Victoria F1

Victoria F1 is an ultra-early ripening hybrid, the fruits of which are superior in taste to carrots of other early varieties. But in order to reap a high-quality harvest, it is important to properly care for the plants, in particular, water them regularly and moderately. A universal-purpose hybrid, resistant to Alternaria and bolting.

The earliest varieties of sweet carrots

After winter, I want to quickly wait for vegetables and berries from the garden to replenish the body with vitamins and minerals. Carrots have a sweet crunch and juicy flavor; children enjoy eating the root vegetable, drinking the juice and loving carrots with sugar. And in order to harvest faster, early varieties are planted, which can be eaten 2.5-3.5 months after planting.

1. Cordoba - ripens in 3-3.5 months, fleshy, rich pulp, sweet and juicy taste. The variety is rich in vitamins and minerals and is well suited for people with diabetes. It should be stored in sandy soil to prevent mold from forming; the size of the fruit reaches 16-18 cm.

2. Royal is a juicy variety, large fruits, size 20-22 cm, up to 8 kg of crop can be harvested from one meter. The color of the root vegetable is bright orange, ripens 3-3.5 months after the sprouts emerge. To keep carrots for a long time, we harvest them in the fall and put them in the sand.
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3. Red core is a hybrid variety, ripens after 3 months, the pulp is sugary, contains carotene and vitamin B. It has the shape of a cone with a sharp end, on the surface there are root appendages that can be easily peeled with a knife. The color of the fruit is from bright orange to red, the large weight of one root crop is from 250-300 g.

4. Amsterdam - early sweet carrots, can be planted in a greenhouse or greenhouse, and in regions with a warm climate they are planted in open ground at the end of March, beginning of April. It has large fruits, weighing 130-140 grams, up to 16-17 cm long. The root crop does not crack and does not need constant watering.

5. Karotel is a sweet variety of carrot for feeding children, the size of the fruit is small up to 15 cm, the shape of a cone with a rounded tip. The roots do not form arrows, do not crack from moisture or during storage, and ripen in 3.5 months after the first shoots appear. To get a juicy root crop, we provide good watering, but do not overwater it.

Mid-season carrots

Medium-ripening varieties are sown in May-June and the formation of weeds and earthen crusts is carefully monitored; when they appear, the rows should be weeded and watered frequently. High dryness of the air leads to rapid evaporation of moisture and hardening of the cover, so gardeners recommend sowing quickly rising crops (radish or lettuce) into the hole along with carrot seeds.

The first loosening is carried out when seedlings have formed and the rows have become clearer and more noticeable; the procedure is repeated after 2 weeks. Growing conditions and care for mid-season species remain the same and are not much different from early ones. Varieties are selected based on the climatic conditions of the region. The most popular are: Boltex, Incomparable, Chance, Altair F1, Nelly F1, Nante, Losinoostrovskaya 3, Red core, Flakke, Anastasia, etc.

Moscow winter - indispensable for long-term storage

The culture not only tastes great, but also stores well in the basement all winter. Sowing is carried out in the spring (in May) or before winter, the shoots are friendly and dense. The vegetable pulp is tender with a pleasant taste and aroma, medium density. Fruit length 16-18 cm, weight 100-180 grams. The shape is blunt-conical.

When sowing in winter, the soil is prepared in advance, fertilizers and sawdust are added and dug up. The process of planting seeds is carried out at the end of October, with the onset of the first frost. And in the spring, when the snow melts on the beds, polyethylene is laid to quickly peck the grains. Winter beds accelerate the ripening of the crop by 1-1.5 weeks.

Samson - works of Dutch selection

Quite a productive species, yielding 5-8 kg per 1 sq. m. The length of the fruit sometimes reaches 30 cm, but the average is from 16 cm, the weight of such specimens ranges from 100 to 200 grams. During heat treatment, the amount of antioxidants and nutrients increases by 34%, making the product especially valuable and easily digestible.

Gardeners highlight the high level of seed germination, rapid germination of seedlings, frost resistance and immunity to diseases and fungi. All fruits retain their marketable appearance and rarely become deformed, crack or bifurcate. A stable harvest is observed, regardless of the growing region.

Altai gourmet - the best Siberian variety

Unpretentiousness, excellent taste, juicy and crispy flesh, mid-ripening, the ability to grow in extreme weather conditions - all these are the qualities of one variety - Altai gourmet. Thanks to its resilience and good health, the culture gets along well in the cold regions of the country - in Altai, Siberia and the Urals.

Technical maturation occurs on days 90-110, universal use, long-term winter storage. The fruits grow up to 25 cm and weigh 100-200 grams, shaped like an elongated cone with a sharp tip. The pulp is red-orange with a thin core. In terms of the amount of sugar, the variety is slightly inferior to early hybrids, but no less tasty.

F1 champion - leader in the amount of carotene

The hybrid has proven itself to be resistant to cracking, deformation and varietal diseases. When sown in early May, it produces a harvest in 4 months with fairly good results: with generous care and fertilizing, the length of the fruit reaches 25-35 cm, and the weight crosses the 200-gram line. The trunk of the vegetable is strong and even, the surface is smooth, deep orange in color. Resistance to greening is observed.

The application is universal; carrots are suitable for fresh consumption and preparation of various dishes, canning and storage in the basement.

What sweet varieties are recommended for children?

Sweet and juicy carrots are a favorite product for children, which varieties of carrots are best suited for feeding children, have beneficial properties and do not spoil during storage.

1. Alenka is an early ripening variety, ripening occurs in 2-2.5 months, elongated cone-shaped with a rounded end. Gives a good harvest of small size 85-115 cm, the fruits are sweet and juicy.
2. Mango - suitable for consumption in its pure form and for preparing dishes and preparations. Sugar root crop up to 22 cm long, bright orange.
3. Children's sweetness - the name speaks for itself, early carrots are sweet, you get delicious juice and puree from the pulp. The fruits ripen in 3-3.5 months.

What does ripening period mean?

The ripening period of carrots is the period of crop development from the moment the first shoots appear until the root crop fully ripens.
There are three types of carrot ripening, which depend on the varieties of root crops and the time of planting the seeds:

• Early carrots grow within 60-80 days.
• Medium varieties can be harvested 80-100 days after germination.
• Late carrots ripen in 100-130 days.

It is recommended to sow varieties with different ripening periods.

The best varieties of carrots for winter storage

In winter, the root crop is taken out of the cellar for preparing first and second courses, feeding children and making preparations, which is why it is so important to plant carrot varieties for the Moscow region, the best for Siberia, the Urals and the middle zone. In hot regions, winter passes unnoticed and the time for a fresh harvest comes, but in colder places, more reserves need to be made.

1. Baltimore is a hybrid that germinates quickly, stores well and has a juicy and sweet taste. The fruits are medium in size from 15 to 18 cm.

2. Canada - late variety, ripening period 3.5-4 months. For storage, we dig up the root crop in the fall, before the first frost. The size of the fruit reaches 20 cm and weight 300-400 g.

3. Abaco is a late, universal variety, can be cooked for children, made for winter preparations and eaten fresh, fruit weight 200-230 g, size 18-20 cm. Gives a good harvest of up to 8 kg per meter.

When choosing a root crop for planting, you need to take into account the wishes of the whole family. The early ones are planted in order to quickly eat fresh carrots from the garden, and the late-ripening carrots are used for storage. In addition, the fruits are divided into:

• varieties of carrots without core;
• for preparing baby juices and purees;
• large and medium varieties;
• resistance to diseases.

Vesta F1

This very early hybrid also boasts a perfectly cylindrical root shape. Carrots (even early ones) are very juicy and sweet. It can be called all-season, since the harvest is harvested from early spring to late autumn. Hybrid Vesta F1 is disease resistant. Its fruits are best suited for processing.

Consequences of choosing the wrong seeds

• Lack of seed germination.
• Damage by diseases and pests.
• Cracking or rotting of the root crop.
• Loss of beneficial properties.
• Poor keeping quality.

There are a large number of varieties with different ripening periods. The choice must be made taking into account taste preferences, harvest time and its use. Therefore, medium and late varieties are suitable for storage throughout the entire season, and to enjoy sweet carrots at the beginning of summer, early varieties are planted.

Amsterdam

This representative of early-ripening carrots is universal. Can be used for growing root crops in a greenhouse, on open ground. Amsterdam, like many varieties of lettuce, is perfect for the southern regions and central Russia.

Amsterdam

When harvesting, you will find that the vegetable has a bright orange color. And its weight reaches 150 g, length 15 cm. The variety is distinguished by its unpretentiousness in care, watering and fertilizing. Also, its fruits do not crack. It will also be useful to know whether it is possible to plant onions after carrots.

Basic steps and tips for growing early carrots

Those who take on growing carrots for the first time must carefully approach not only the choice of planting material, but also the planting conditions and care of the root crop. The first thing you need to pay special attention to is preparing the bed.

Carrots are planted in open ground in three ways:

• Flat bed. A fairly popular and common method of planting carrots, often used for open areas in small summer cottages. It has several disadvantages: it is inconvenient to water the plant and remove it from the soil;
• Line landing. Makes caring for the plant much easier. Small ridges are made in the center of each row, where the root crop is planted. The convenience lies in the fact that a strong plant can be watered simply by pouring water into the longitudinal grooves. Carrots are convenient for hilling and feeding.
• High bed. The seeds are planted in several rows on a high bed. In this case, the soil requires the necessary preparation. It should not contain excess large lumps and stones.

Another important stage for planting early carrots is the preparation of planting material. If a crop requires special hardening and disinfection, you will most likely find out about this by reading the description of the variety.

Important! If the seeds are covered with a special coating by the manufacturer, then they can be sown immediately. In any other case, the grains of early carrots will need to be soaked before sowing.

When soaking, seeds of early varieties of carrots must be kept for 1.5-2 hours in water at room temperature, and then 24 hours in damp cotton cloth. After this procedure, the planting material doubles in volume. To prevent the seeds from sticking together after swelling, mix them with a small amount of fine river sand. This will greatly facilitate the process of planting the material.

No matter what proposed schemes you plant planting material in the ground, with the first leaves that appear you will still be able to observe the density of the planting. Weeding between strong seedlings and rows must be carried out. To ensure that carrots grow even and large, leave a distance of at least 6-7 cm between future root vegetables.

Important! Perform the first thinning only if all the sown seeds have sprouted. Wait until the tops rise above the ground by at least 5-6 cm. After the procedure, be sure to water the remaining seedlings.

And the last, important factor in ensuring that carrots grow large and have excellent taste is feeding. It is carried out 4-5 times a season, and the first fertilizers are introduced into the soil with the first loosening of the soil, when the carrot tops produce 3-4 leaves.

For 1 m2 prepare a solution from the following components:

• 10 liters of water;
• 30-50 mg ammonium nitrate;
• 30-50 ml of superphosphate.

The first watering is carried out very carefully - from a small watering can with a very narrow and long spout. In order for fertilizers to have their effects faster, make small narrow grooves between the lines with seedlings.

Remember that during seasonal feeding of early carrots, the amount of nitrate in solutions should decrease with each subsequent time. And the fourth and fifth feeding must be carried out without this component at all.

How to choose the right type of root crop based on ripening time?

You can choose the right variety for cultivation by deciding what and when the root crop will be used for. In order to have fresh carrots on the table at the beginning of summer, early varieties are chosen, and to ensure that the vegetable is on the table all year round, late varieties of the crop are used.

When choosing a variety based on ripening time, you also need to take into account the growing region. Most types of carrots are suitable for all regions of Russia, but there are varieties of root vegetables that are suitable for planting under different climatic conditions.

Attention! If the packaging does not contain information about the preferred growing region, the State Register of Breeding Achievements website will help you find out.