If you plant carrots in April, it is best to do this on good days according to the lunar calendar. Sowing carrots is relatively simple, but there are some nuances that will allow you to get a better harvest.
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We will talk about choosing planting dates according to the lunar calendar, as well as caring for carrots in today’s article.
What varieties of carrots are sown in April?
In general, unlike many other vegetables, carrots are very resistant to adverse conditions. For example, she calmly tolerates low temperatures.
It is often sown as soon as the snow melts. The first shoots appear already at +3, and the seedlings do not die even when the temperature drops to -3 degrees.
All this leads to the fact that carrots are never planted as seedlings. They wait for the snow to melt, choose a good day according to the lunar calendar and plant it immediately in open ground.
Thanks to all this, summer residents in our country are unlimited in the choice of carrot varieties for sowing in April.
ON A NOTE. Imported vegetable varieties are inferior to domestic varieties in stability and hardiness, but can surpass old breeding developments in the marketability and taste of fruits.
For a quick harvest, early varieties of carrots are planted in mid-summer. Late-ripening varieties are more suitable for storage. But the mid-season ones are universal: they ripen relatively quickly and are stored well.
The best carrot varieties for sowing in April:
- Laguna F Early ripening variety. Shows average yield (up to 7 kg per square meter). Resistant to diseases, unpretentious to the soil and growing region.
- Alenka. Productivity is slightly above average (up to 9 kg). Rich in vitamins. Has excellent taste. A rather capricious variety: it places demands on soil moisture and looseness. Most suitable for cultivation in the Central Black Earth Region and Kuban.
- Touchon. Early ripening variety. The root vegetable is about 15 cm long. It is considered one of the most useful varieties. Poorly stored. Suitable for growing in the harshest conditions.
- Caramel. Loved by gardeners for its taste. Used for preparing baby food. Productivity is average (up to 8 kg). Resistant to diseases and pests.
- Darling. It differs from other early ripening varieties in that it is well stored. Rich in vitamins, carotene and sugar.
- Shantanay. Classics in domestic garden beds. One of the most stable and unpretentious varieties, which is grown almost everywhere. Resistant to diseases, stores well.
- Vitamin. Another popular variety. High-yielding - up to 10 kg per square meter. Well kept. Prefers loam.
- Nantes. The root crop is about 14 cm long. Universal for its purpose. Can be planted before winter.
- Gourmand. One of the most delicious varieties. Productivity is not the highest (5 kg per square meter). Unpretentious to growing conditions.
- Moscow winter. Shows high shelf life without loss of taste or commercial qualities.
- Vita longa. It is better to plant in the last days of April. Suitable for storage. An interesting feature is that during storage, it increases the content of carotene and vitamins.
- Carlena. Late carrots with high yield. It is characterized by long-term storage without loss of taste and presentation.
Secrets of care
Often, novice gardeners grow carrots of inadequate quality. Root crops do not reach average size, have an irregular shape, and crack. To get a good harvest at the end of the season, it is not enough to prepare the seeds and sow them correctly. It is necessary to carry out appropriate agrotechnical measures in the future. The plant needs regular watering, fertilizing, weed removal, and protection from diseases and pests.
Watering
The culture is very demanding on moisture. With its shortage or excess, root crops grow irregularly shaped with many shoots or crack. Watering rules:
- Before the emergence of seedlings, the bed does not need to be moistened - there is already enough moisture in the soil for the development and growth of the crop.
- After the formation of the first true leaves, it should be watered regularly. At the initial stage of growth, carrots do not extract moisture from the ground well, but evaporate it intensively.
- When the crop has formed a root crop, the intensity of irrigation is reduced. Water the beds as the soil dries out.
- Stop moisturizing 15-20 days before harvest. Watering during this period will lead to cracking of the carrots.
Top dressing
All necessary fertilizers and microelements are added to the soil when preparing the beds. Fertilizing during active growth promotes the accumulation of nitrates in root crops, causing them to crack and deform. However, if the seeds were planted into unprepared soil, they can be fertilized with liquid solutions or infusions:
- At the beginning of the growing season. Fertilizers rich in nitrogen compounds are applied.
- After the formation of the root crop. Fertilize with potassium and phosphorus complexes.
Protection
The main pest of the crop is the carrot fly. The insect lays eggs in moist soil next to growing root crops. The emerging larvae feed on carrots, gnawing through branched passages in it. They fight insects with insecticidal preparations. The procedure for their use is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. In addition to insects, plants are susceptible to damage by fomoz, bacteriosis, and various rots (white and black - mainly during storage). However, compared to insect infestations, this is rare. Appropriate medications are used to prevent diseases.
For your information!
Fans of folk remedies prefer to fight carrot flies by spraying crops with aqueous solutions of table salt or ammonia.
In which regions are carrots planted in April?
In April, carrots are planted by residents of the South of Russia: Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, Rostov Region, Stavropol Region, Astrakhan, Dagestan, etc.
In the second half of the month, residents of the Central Black Earth Region: Kursk, Belgorod and Voronezh regions can begin planting.
In the Moscow region and surrounding areas (Ryazan, Tula, Tver, Kaluga) they look at the weather. If by the 20th the temperature has reached +12, then you can plant the first batch of early ripening carrots.
But residents of the Upper Volga region, Leningrad region, Urals and Siberia most likely will not be able to plant carrots in April. However, again, depending on the weather.
How to prepare seeds for sowing
To get a rich harvest, you need to properly handle carrots at all stages of its cultivation. It is extremely important to correctly select and prepare seeds for sowing. Let's study all these points in more depth.
Burying
Our ancestors also successfully used this method. Essentially, you can pre-germinate your seeds naturally. Wait until the snow begins to melt in the area. Dig a small hole. Pour the seeds soaked in water into a linen bag. Place the bundle in the hole and sprinkle soil on top.
Throw a small mound of snow on top that will protect you from the cold. It will then begin to melt and add moisture to the soil. If you carry out all the processes correctly, you will get strong and germinated seeds. All that remains is to mix them with river sand and sow the prepared beds.
Bubbling
If you use this method, you will help the seeds germinate faster. Fill any container with water at room temperature (+25°C). Add some carrot seeds and prepare a mechanism with oxygen (for example, a compressor with a tube for an aquarium).
Provide air to the seeds for at least 24 hours. This will allow the grains to swell and get rid of particles that are preventing them from growing. Place the tube on the bottom and get maximum effect by keeping the seeds moving all the time. Then wrap them in cloth and put them in the refrigerator (middle shelf) for 3-5 days. Be sure to dry the seeds well before planting.
Pelleting
Thanks to this method of preparing seeds for sowing, it will be possible to form a protective shell of nutrients. Experts often use it, because they consider it the most effective and affordable for home use.
Take a glass of liquid mullein. Mix a glass of humus and dry peat. Place a couple of teaspoons of carrot seeds at the bottom of a liter jar and add 2 tbsp. l. ready mixture. Now add 1 tbsp. l. mullein, tightly close the jar with a lid and shake it for a couple of minutes.
Repeat the procedure until you have used up the listed ingredients. You will notice how the seeds are covered with a dense shell. Drain them on a paper towel and let dry. Carry out this procedure 3-5 days before sowing.
When to plant carrots in April 2022 according to the lunar calendar, favorable days
As you know, according to the lunar calendar, root crops must be sown on the waning moon. At this time, the juices move down the plant, which helps to obtain a better harvest.
According to the lunar calendar for April 2022, the periods of the waning moon fall on the 1st - 10th and 28th - 30th.
ON A NOTE. From April 13 to April 26, the moon will wax according to the lunar calendar. You can also plant carrots at this time. But these days are not so favorable for the procedure.
What you need to prepare for growing carrots
Experienced gardeners know where and what they will plant next year, already in October. Those who have just begun to master agriculture often place plantings spontaneously. But, before sowing carrot seeds, you need to find a suitable, well-lit place with loose, moisture-permeable soil. When digging, it is undesirable to add fresh manure; root crops do not like it.
When preparing a plot, it is worth remembering what grew on it before. If there are cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, cabbage - great. Celery, parsley, and lettuce are undesirable precursors. They have the same demands for nutrients (which means the soil is quickly depleted) and similar pests.
You should also properly prepare the seeds and purchase film to protect the plantings from return frosts. No special garden tools are needed - just a hoe or hoe, or a bayonet shovel. For watering, it is advisable to purchase a large watering can and buckets in which the water will settle. Cold, straight from the hose increases the likelihood of fungal infections.
What should you consider when sowing seeds in April?
Of course, focusing on the lunar calendar is very important, but we must not forget about other factors that influence planting carrot seeds in April.
Firstly, it’s worth saying right away that the pelleted seeds will hatch later. Therefore, if you are planting imported carrots, you will have to wait a little longer for germination.
Secondly, consider the depth of seeding. On average, this is 2 cm. On light soils you can plant a little deeper (up to 4 cm), on heavy soils, on the contrary, closer to the surface (1-2 cm).
Try to maintain distance between seeds when sowing. Carrots need to develop somewhere. If you sow too sparsely, the fruit will be small and ugly. The planting pitch should be 3-9 cm.
Don't forget to pre-soak the seeds. This will have a positive effect on their germination.
IMPORTANT! The most important thing is to prepare the ground. Clear the area of weeds, dig and loosen the soil, and apply fertilizer.
Since carrots are a root crop, some gardeners raise the future bed above the surface. This is done to prevent rainwater from accumulating. Excess moisture is detrimental to carrots.
The garden bed is also located in a sunny area protected from the wind. Sun-warmed soil is most favorable for root development.
Carrots are planted when the temperature warms up to +10+12 degrees. The Earth at this moment is about 3 - 6 degrees. Keep in mind that carrots can withstand short-term frosts even down to -5 degrees. But this does not mean that it needs to be planted at this temperature.
ON A NOTE. When planning, you can place the carrot beds next to the onions. It's a good neighborhood. Plants will drive pests away from each other.
Stages of planting carrots in spring
To obtain a high yield, it is recommended to adhere to certain rules at each stage of growing root crops. Below we will look at how to plant carrots in open ground correctly.
Seed preparation
According to gardeners, carrot seeds have a low germination rate (approximately 55-75%).
It is believed that seed material older than three to four years no longer germinates. Therefore, it is better to use last year's seeds.
Do I need to soak carrot seeds? It is difficult to obtain successful vegetable shoots because essential oils make it difficult for moisture to reach the embryo. To wash off the essential oils and speed up the germination of the seed, it is soaked in water. Preparation is done in several ways:
- The seeds are placed in warm water for a day. Moreover, the liquid must be renewed every 3-4 hours;
- during heat treatment, the bag with seed is dipped in hot water for 20 minutes (temperature +45-50ºС). Then the bag is taken out and immediately placed in cold water. With this method, the seeds are also disinfected.
Treating seeds with growth stimulants is an additional preparation of carrot seeds for planting in the spring. Solutions of different drugs are used: Planta (1 tsp), Fitosporin (1 tsp) are diluted in a liter of water.
Prepared seeds can be sown immediately in open ground or further germinated - placed in a wet cloth and left in a warm place. If insufficient attention is paid to the seed preparation stage, the first carrot shoots may appear in two to three weeks.
How to prepare a site for sowing
According to reviews from summer residents, a high yield of this vegetable crop is harvested from fertile, loose soils. It is not recommended to apply manure on the eve of sowing, otherwise the fruits will grow clumsy.
The most suitable soils are light loamy or sandy loamy peaty soils with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction.
Areas cleared of weeds should be in well-lit areas. If you plant the root crop on rocky, dense clay soils, the carrots may grow small, ugly in shape, and tasteless.
Throughout the season, soil moisture is required, but water should not be allowed to stagnate in the area. If the soil is over-watered after a period of drought, the vegetables may crack. After you decide when to plant carrots, you should move on to preparing the soil.
They begin to prepare the site for sowing in the fall. Weed rhizomes and stones are carefully selected (they can allow root crops to develop). The soil is dug well and fertilizers are added.
- A bucket of rotted manure, a tablespoon of superphosphate and potash fertilizers are added per square meter of bed.
- It is advisable to lighten heavy soil: pour half a bucket of sand and peat per square meter of area. You can put rotted sawdust - 1-2 liters. First add a little urea to the sawdust.
Preparing a bed for planting carrots in the spring takes less time. It is enough to pour urea onto the surface of the area (at the rate of 1 tsp per square meter of area) and then loosen the soil well with a rake. On the eve of sowing the seeds (a week in advance), the soil is well watered.
Some gardeners recommend covering the area with dark plastic film to prevent the soil from drying out and ensure it warms up.
Seed planting options
During sowing, you should not sprinkle the seeds thickly, so as not to thin out the plantings in the future. Since pulling out unnecessary shoots takes a lot of time and leads to exposure of the roots of neighboring seedlings.
If you pre-mix the seed with sand (in a ratio of 1:5), this will also prevent the planting from becoming dense.
How to plant carrots correctly?
It must be kept in mind that the bed should consist of approximately 4 grooves (to make it easy to care for the plantings).
The first furrow, 2-3 cm deep, is made at a distance of 10 cm from the edge. It is recommended to adhere to this depth, otherwise seedlings will appear late (with deep deepening) or the seeds will die (with shallow sowing). Between adjacent grooves, leave a row spacing of approximately 15 cm wide (for early varieties of carrots) and about 20 cm (for late varieties).
All recesses are moistened with hot water. It is recommended to use a weak solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect the soil. Then the grooves are lightly sprinkled with ash or chalk. The seeds are laid out and sprinkled with soil, and the bed is mulched with peat chips.
If the area is covered with film after sowing, the soil will retain moisture longer and seedlings will appear earlier.
Several ways to plant carrots in open ground with seeds
Many manufacturers sell seed packaged in water-soluble tape. These are strips 8 mm wide and 3.5 or 10 m long. The tapes are completely non-toxic and harmless. Thanks to this technique, uniform seedlings are obtained.
Moreover, combined ribbons are also produced: carrots/onions, carrots/radishes.
Some gardeners attach seeds to toilet paper. To avoid wasting time cutting paper, it is recommended to simply fold it in half. To secure the seeds, they are glued inside the paper.
A special composition is used as glue (1 teaspoon of flour or starch is brewed in a glass of water). The seeds are placed in increments of approximately 2.5 cm.
An excellent option for forming holes is to use a square egg carton, which is placed on loosened soil. When it is pressed, an ideal sowing pattern is created.
If you plant carrots in egg cells, then the same distances between the holes are maintained and much less time is spent on planting seeds.
When choosing a place for a carrot bed, do not forget about crop rotation:
Preferred predecessors are cabbage, potatoes, legumes, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and greens.
Not the best predecessors are fennel, parsley, eggplant, zucchini, parsnips and celery.
What can be planted next to - radish, radish, garlic, onions, peppers, tomatoes, legumes, herbs, marjoram, chard, sage, celery.
Video from Yulia Minyaeva: planting carrots in spring
A useful video in which Yulia will tell you how to plant carrots in a new and interesting way, and will also tell you when to plant carrots in the spring and why she chooses these particular dates.
Caring for a carrot bed
Since carrot seeds germinate slowly, in the first days after sowing it is important to prevent the soil from drying out. Therefore, after watering, it is carefully loosened.
To avoid damaging the seeds, it is recommended to use a small wooden roller with nails on it.
Seeds usually germinate in one and a half to two weeks. And the first leaves of the seedlings appear after 10-12 days. At this time, you can carefully weed the beds, trying not to damage the young shoots. After a week, you can begin thinning the beds, having first moistened the soil well.
Weak plants are pulled upward. It is convenient to use tweezers for these purposes.
After three weeks, thinning is repeated. But they do this carefully, since irregularly shaped root crops can grow in rare rows. The optimal distance between seedlings is 4-5 cm. Pulled plants must be removed from the garden bed.
How to care for carrots planted in April, tricks
The first shoots of April carrots will appear in about 2-3 weeks. In case of unfavorable weather conditions, the period may increase slightly.
As soon as the seedlings hatch, you need to count 5 days and carry out the first watering. If there has been rain, artificial irrigation is postponed.
After the soil has been moistened, it must be loosened. This must be done very carefully, since the seedlings are still very weak and are not well rooted in the soil.
Be sure to ensure that the soil does not become crusty. This “shell” will not allow air to penetrate into the soil, and will also impede the growth of root crops. Without air, the development of the vegetable will slow down, and stagnation of moisture will lead to rotting.
As soon as 90-95% of all seedlings appear, it is necessary to carry out the first thinning. Remove weak plants that interfere with the development of stronger neighbors. There is no need to feel sorry for these sprouts; they will not produce good fruits, but will only take away nutrition and light from their healthy counterparts.
How to choose a variety for spring planting
To decide on a variety, you need not only look at the photos on the packets of seeds. Germination, ripening time and keeping quality should be clarified. You need to keep in mind that early carrots are not harvested: they simply will not be stored.
The most popular varieties of root vegetables:
- Early. Fun - you can clean it up after 3 months. High-yielding Lady - with the same ripening time. Nantes 4 - 2.5 months, and can be collected. And you can start harvesting the Sugar Finger after 2 months.
- The average ones ripen for 3.5-4 months: Losinoostrovskaya is suitable for long-term storage, Vitamin 6 - with high shelf life.
- Late: Red Giant, Leander, Chantane, Queen of Autumn. Ripen by the end of August - beginning of September. You can harvest after the first frost.
When choosing a variety, you should also take into account the growing region and storage conditions. However, if you grow root vegetables for yourself, you can put them in the refrigerator, in a vegetable drawer, wrapping each one in paper. Freshness and juiciness are preserved for 2 months.
Attention!
The brighter the ripe root vegetable in color, the more carotene it contains.
Common mistakes
Even if you plant carrots in April 2022 according to the lunar calendar, it is still easy to make several unobvious mistakes. In the future, they can affect the quality and quantity of the harvest.
- Planting too deep. Carrots should be planted at a depth of 2-3 cm, depending on the type of soil.
- The bed is not prepared for sowing. The soil must be prepared: weeding, digging, loosening, adding ash or nitrophoska.
- Carrots are planted too often. Because of this, root crops will not have room to grow and develop. Plants will interfere with each other and compete for nutrients. As a result, the fruits will grow small and crooked.
- Use of “delicate” imported varieties in inappropriate conditions. If your site cannot boast of fertile soils, then it is better to give preference to the fruits of domestic selection. Some foreign varieties are simply not designed for the harsh Russian realities.
Advice from vegetable growers
Mistakes by novice vegetable growers lead to a decrease in yield, a decrease in the size of root crops, and their deformation. To obtain high-quality carrots, you should follow irrigation regimes, remove weeds and loosen the soil in a timely manner. It is important to properly prepare the beds for future crops. The site must be prepared in the fall so that the nutrients are evenly distributed in the soil.
To obtain large root crops of the correct shape, carrot crops are thinned several times. The first pulling is done when the plant has formed 2-3 leaves. Instances are removed by pinching with hands or cutting with scissors. Plants should not be pulled out so as not to damage the root system of neighboring crops. After 15-20 days, the crops are thinned out again, leaving 6 cm between specimens. Plant waste is taken away so as not to attract carrot flies to the garden bed.
By following the recommendations and performing the necessary agrotechnical measures, a novice gardener can easily sow carrots in open ground. The main task is to properly prepare the bed, process the seeds, and choose a sowing method. Of course, in order to get a good harvest, you will also need to take care of the seedlings, as well as dig up the root crops in time.
Answers to frequently asked questions
How to plant carrot seeds, because they are very small?
They sow by hand, through a seeder or the old “old-fashioned way.” Roll out a roll of toilet paper along the groove, moisten it and lay out the grains.
Do I need to water the furrows before planting carrots?
Yes. They water the furrow, give the water time to soak into the soil, and then plant it.
When to plant carrots if it’s still cold at the beginning of April?
According to the lunar calendar for April 2022, the moon will wan not only at the beginning of the month, but also from the 28th to the 30th. In addition, some carrots can be sown on the waxing moon. The main thing is not to work on the days of the new moon and full moon.
What variety can be planted in April?
If the size of the garden allows, then it is better to plant several species. Early ones are for eating in the summer, middle and late ones are for storing for the winter.
Planting onions
Onion
In central Russia, onion sets are planted in open ground from April 25 to May 5 .
Onion is cold-resistant: onion seeds can germinate at temperatures of +1...+2 °C, young plants can withstand frosts down to –6 °C.
Read more about growing onions in our material>>>
Onion sets for planting in the garden in May
Shallot
Shallots are planted in the spring at the end of April - early May .
In the southern regions, bulbs are usually planted in the fall - at the end of October .
Spring garlic
Spring garlic is planted no later than April 25 , otherwise the bulbs will not have time to form.
Read more about growing spring garlic in the material>>>
Crop rotation rules
In order for carrots to bear fruit well, when choosing a place for a garden bed, the condition of the soil is taken into account. Vegetables are not planted in one area more than once every 3 years. The same rule is followed when planting closely related crops: parsnips, fennel, celery, parsley. If this rule is followed, the soil does not get tired, and the likelihood of crop infection and the appearance of insect pests is reduced. Good predecessors for vegetables are cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, onions, and grains.
Soil with average nutritional properties is suitable for carrots. Its root system goes deep. Therefore, crops with shallow roots are suitable for joint planting. Onions and garlic are good neighbors. Their smell drives pests away from root crops. The vegetable feels good when planted together with tomatoes, leeks, peas, sage, peppermint, radishes, and marjoram. To reduce the likelihood of rot developing, strawberries are planted next to carrots.
