Harvesting dates for carrots and beets in the Moscow region in 2022: table by days and months, storage rules

September 15-30 is traditionally considered the harvest period in the countryside. You can harvest carrots and beets in the Moscow region in 2022 from August 15 to October 10. The winter season promises to be warm and mild, which means spring planting will be a little earlier than usual. The average ripening period for carrots and beets does not change - 100 days; early harvesting of root crops will only increase the shelf life.

What determines the cleaning time?

It is impossible to name exact agrotechnological harvest dates for a specific region or the country as a whole. The optimal harvest time is calculated according to the following criteria:

1. Dry or wet weather in summer.
2. Alkaline or acidic soil.
3. Temperature in the last two decades of ripening.
4. Damage from parasitic insects and infectious diseases.
5. Application of fertilizers.
6. Fruit sizes.
7. Purpose of fruits.

If the entire summer or early autumn has been dry, then you need to dig up beets and carrots earlier. Due to a lack of soil moisture, plants begin to use water from their own cells, causing the roots to dry out and wrinkle. If the season was rich in rain, the soil was excessively moist, then carrots, beets, potatoes, garlic and other “underground” fruits will be flabby and saturated with water. If frost is still far away, then it is better to leave such vegetables in the ground sprinkled with sand so that the excess moisture is absorbed by the adsorbent.

It is better to dig up carrots and beets early from alkaline soil, and leave them to ripen in acidic soil. If the summer turns out to be cool, this will increase the ripening time in the ground. After a warm and hot season, vegetables can be dug up earlier, but this will increase the shelf life until spring and add unnecessary problems. If pests and diseases have damaged the integrity of the fruit, then this is an indication for early harvesting, since vegetables “beaten” by a beetle or fungus will begin to rot in the ground.

Organic and mineral fertilizers are usually not applied in the second half of root crop growth. But if urgent application of nitrogen and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers is needed, then after adding them to the soil, the vegetables are left to grow for another 14-21 days. Eating vegetables before the quarantine period can lead to food poisoning. Large fruits are dug up earlier, but small ones can be left to grow. If carrots and beets were grown for food, then they are dug up at the usual time according to the lunar calendar. If vegetables are needed to produce seeds next year, they can be left to grow until the next lunar cycle.

How to properly dig carrots from the garden for storage

Important! It is recommended to dig carrots for storage on a sunny, dry and warm day. The soil must be dry.

The following tips and rules will help you properly dig up the carrot crop from the garden for storage:

• For cleaning, it is recommended to use a tool, preferably a fork.
• However, if your site has light, sandy soil and short-fruited carrots, then you can remove them with your own hands by pulling the tops. In all other cases, it is necessary to use a tool, otherwise you can easily tear off the tops, leaving the root crop in the ground.
• You need to remove carrots from the garden according to the following scheme: first, you carefully dig them up with a pitchfork (or, in extreme cases, a shovel), and there should be a distance of about 15 centimeters between the pitchfork and the vegetable. And then you grab the tops and pull them out of the ground.
• By the way, in order to harvest more efficiently and quickly, it is better to do the harvesting together : one digs with a pitchfork, the other immediately pulls the tops.
• And the most important rule for harvesting carrots: you need to act as carefully as possible so as not to damage the root crops (especially when digging with a pitchfork). After all, damaged root vegetables cannot be stored for a long time; they will have to be consumed immediately.

Determining the ripeness of carrots and beets

Beets and carrots are two neighboring vegetables that get along well in the same garden bed and they ripen at about the same time. Both carrots and beets have early-ripening and late-ripening varieties. It is better to plant together those hybrids that will be ready for harvest at the same time.

Interesting fact!

The average ripening period for early-ripening carrots is from 80 to 90 days, for average ones about 100, and for late-ripening ones 120-130. Early ripening beets are ready after 100 days of growth, average 115-120, and late 140. Therefore, it is better to plant early beets together with mid-ripening carrots.

The first sign that the carrots are ripe and it’s time to dig them up is yellowing and withering of the tops, and dryness of the lower branches of the greenery. You cannot wait until all the tops dry out, as the root crop will be very tough and tasteless. The surest way to determine the degree of maturity of a vegetable is to dig up 2-3 root vegetables. If the carrots are hard to the touch, and the aboveground part of the junction of the fruit and tops is orange or brownish, then the entire harvest can be harvested.

Beets, unlike carrots, can survive the first frosts in the ground and not contract gray rot. It’s easy to check the ripeness of beets - you need to tear off the largest leaf of the tops and break it. If juice is oozing from the leaf, then it is too early to dig up the carrots. If there is no abundant sap flow, then you need to break the upper part of the top stem. The fracture site should be shiny and dark green or dark brown. A light green break indicates that the root crop still needs to ripen.

How to harvest correctly

When carrying out work, remember a simple rule: damaged root vegetables cannot be stored; they begin to rot and mold within a month or two. You need to dig carefully, it is better to use a pitchfork, it is much safer than a shovel. Remember simple rules:

1. Choose a dry, sunny day. Ideally, there should be no rain for about a week before work begins. Remove all weeds, if there are a lot of them in the garden bed, so that you can see the carrots and not accidentally damage or trample them.
2. Consider the softness of the soil. If the ground is loose, you can carefully pull out one or several pieces at a time. Do not shake off the soil by hitting the root crops one against the other. It is better to lay them out on the garden bed and let them dry for a couple of hours. Then carefully remove the dried sand with gloved hands.
3. Use the fork on hard ground. If you can’t pull it out by the tops, it’s better to first dig up at a distance of at least 10 cm. This method can also be used if the root crops are long and stick tightly to the ground.
4. Do not unscrew the tops, as this may damage the top part. It is best to cut with a sharp knife at a distance of 2-3 mm from the beginning of the leaf part. If you remove part of the root crop, it will begin to deteriorate over time. And if you leave the petioles longer than 1 cm, then in the spring they will begin to grow.

Do not throw or pour the carrots in order to damage the surface as little as possible. Do the work by carefully folding it by hand and do not leave the crop on the ground for several days so that it does not become saturated with moisture from the soil.

Favorable days for harvesting

According to the lunar calendar, “male” crops are harvested and planted on male days of the week, accordingly with “female” plants. Beets and carrots are feminine, which means it is better to do any work with them on women's days of the week - Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. Regarding Saturday, the opinions of agronomists and folk sorcerers differ: the former consider Saturday to be an ordinary day, and the latter prohibit any garden work other than pruning branches and uprooting on this day, since it is patronized by the heavy planet Saturn.

From the point of view of the lunar calendar, it is better to harvest vegetables that will be stored all winter on the waning moon. During decline, the movement of natural juices inside the vegetable slows down; it is, as it were, preserved. If you dig up beets or carrots during the waxing moon, the root vegetables will quickly become flabby and soft.

What to do after harvesting carrots: preparation for storage

So, you have harvested, what to do next with the root crops? After digging carrots from the garden, you need to prepare the vegetables for storage:

• Cleaning up the dirt. Immediately after harvesting, you need to carefully clean off any remaining dirt on the root crops with your hands. Under no circumstances should you use a knife or any other tools.
• We sort the harvest. Now you need to sort the carrots: All specimens with damage or cracks must be put to one side, they will be used for cooking.
• Healthy, well-developed carrots are also put aside; they will be stored for the winter.
• Also, if you are interested in getting your own seeds, you can set aside some of the healthy root vegetables.

How to dig carrots and beets correctly

In loose and light soil, it is best to pull carrots and beets by the tops with your hands. If the soil is hard, it is better to dig up the roots with a pitchfork. Firstly, it is easier to dig with a fork from a mechanical point of view; secondly, the likelihood of damage to vegetables is reduced. If, during digging, some root crop pierced a tooth or cut off part of it, then such specimens should not be left for storage, since they are susceptible to mycotoxicosis and phytospores.

You cannot wash carrots and beets, as this deprives them of their natural protective oily layer, which acts as a barrier to the penetration of bacterial infections. Vegetables are shaken off the ground and left to dry in the wind. The tops are cut off at a distance of 3-5 centimeters from the root crop. If you pull out the tops with your hands, you can accidentally tear off the tops of carrots or beets, which will compromise the integrity of the root crop.

Fruit harvesting rules

Dig up beets and carrots on a good day; it shouldn’t be cold outside, not lower than -4 oC. Usually, in the Moscow region, such weather occurs already in the last days of September and lasts until the end of October. If the soil is not heavy and loose, vegetables are pulled out manually by the tops. If the soil is dense, then dig with a pitchfork:

1. It's easier to dig this way.
2. Lower risk of damage to root crops.

If, however, during work, some fruit has pierced a tooth or cut off a part, it should not be left for storage due to the risk of contracting mycotoxicosis and phytospores. There is no need to wash vegetables, because this will deprive them of their protection - a unique oily layer that acts as a barrier to microbacteria. Vegetable root vegetables are shaken off the ground and left to dry. The tops are cut at a distance of 30-50 mm from the fruit. If you tear off the tops by hand, you may accidentally damage the top of the carrot or beet, which will compromise the integrity of the fruit.

Harvesting carrots

Vegetables are harvested slowly, but within the allotted time frame. After September 15, carrots grow actively. With early night frosts, in the northern regions of the country, harvesting takes place after September 15, but in the Moscow region this is allowed to be done during October. It is necessary to cope before the night frosts begin to freeze the soil.

To understand that the carrots are ready for harvesting, one vegetable is taken out of the ground. If small roots are noticeable on the sides, this means the root crop is ripe and you can harvest it without fear. You can store the harvest in boxes sprinkled with sand.

Beet collection

Beets are ideal for winter storage. This is a very healthy vegetable with a huge amount of vitamins and minerals. Many dietary complexes include root vegetables in their winter nutrition menu. Usually, it is collected in September. If the autumn is warm, the dates can be moved to October 15, and even further. If the fruits are small, they are left in the garden to ripen even until frost. Small beets:

• poorly stored;
• wrinkles quickly;
• begins to rot;
• loses its bright taste.

On a note!

Just because beet foliage has turned yellow does not mean the root crop is no longer growing. In place of the dried tops, new ones grow.

When the time comes to collect, you need to carefully dig up the root crops on a fine day, clean them of any remaining above-ground greenery and place them in sand or sawdust for long-term storage.

How to store carrots and beets

There are several ways to properly store vegetables during the winter. If it is not possible to lower the vegetables into the cellar or underground, then in an apartment they do the following:

1. They make a box from iron or knock together a box from fiberboard, chipboard or OSB, the dimensions of which are determined by the need for the number of vegetables to be stored.
2. Half of the box is covered with sand.
3. Place carrots and beets so that there is a distance of 5-7 cm between the vegetables.
4. Sprinkle the vegetables with sand so that the layer of sand above them is at least 30 cm.

With this method of storage, vegetables do not heat up to room temperature, and insect pests do not penetrate them. It is best to take such a box into the entrance vestibule or an insulated loggia. You cannot leave the box on a cold balcony, as the vegetables will still freeze.

If you have an underground or cellar at your disposal, this simplifies the storage of vegetables. The temperature in such auxiliary structures should be at the level of 3-7 ºС, condensation should not accumulate on the walls and ceiling, ventilation and fresh air supply should be equipped. If traces of mold or parasitic fungi are found, it is necessary to disinfect the cellar or underground floor with a sulfur bomb and whitewash it in several layers.

For better preservation underground, vegetables are dipped in a weak clay solution. There are different dilution proportions, but their meaning boils down to the fact that lumps of clay are mixed with water to such a consistency that when dipping vegetables, the solution does not drain, but envelops and hardens on carrots or beets. After the solution has dried, the vegetables are laid out on shelves, boxes or sprinkled with sand. When vegetables are needed for cooking, they are cleaned of clay, washed, and cooked as usual.

Use of carrots

Carrots are always present on our table - a root vegetable that is a source of carotene, our orange miracle. This is one of our most beloved and important vegetables.

No other vegetable can replace carrots, because it contains many substances useful to our body: a large amount of vitamins, essential oils, phospholipids, sterols, mineral salts, microelements.

And even the middle of the root vegetable, which many gardeners dislike, contains apigenin, a substance that has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart. Finely grated carrots can heal burns and purulent wounds.

In Rus', carrot juice was used to treat inflammation of the nasopharynx, heart disease and liver disease. Carrot juice also relieves fatigue and spring vitamin deficiency well, if you drink half a glass of it 3 times a day.

And almost everyone knows that carrots are very useful for people with vision problems.

Carrots are widely used in cooking, both raw and in the preparation of a wide variety of dishes, as well as for juice.

Is it possible to store carrots and beets together?

Beets and carrots can be stored together; there are no specific rules for the proximity of vegetables. When pouring sand, it is important to leave space between the vegetables. In case of contact, there is a possibility of re-infection of root crops. If carrots and beets are stored in their usual form in the cellar, then it is better to put each type in separate boxes.

When frozen, preparations for borscht, soup, and side dishes can be mixed in one bag or container. It is worth keeping in mind that grated beets will color the carrots red and will release a lot of juice during frying. Therefore, if you need a fried side dish, then you need to freeze beets and carrots separately.

Storage rules

The most convenient way to store beets and carrots is in cellars and basements. To preserve root vegetables for as long as possible, follow simple rules.

1. Before storing, the vegetables are sorted again. Remove all damaged instances. You should not store small vegetables, as they dry out quickly and become a source of rot.
2. For beets, bins are arranged that are located at least 15 cm above the floor level.
3. You can additionally protect the beets by rolling them in chalk chips or ash.
4. It is best to store carrots in an individual container, into which sand and vegetables are poured with salt.
5. You can protect carrots by additionally treating them with a solution of liquid clay.

During storage, vegetables are regularly inspected for signs of rot and damage. Such specimens are removed, as the bacteria will quickly spread to neighboring vegetables.

Various methods are used to store root crops. Use plastic or wooden boxes, earthen piles and pits, plastic bags, and cling film.

In addition to placing them in ordinary boxes, they also take various materials that help preserve vegetables.

Storage conditions

To ensure that the harvested crop is preserved, optimal conditions are provided. The room and containers for vegetables are disinfected. The walls in the cellar are covered with lime or treated with a sulfur bomb.

On a note! A very important requirement for storage is quality ventilation.

Monitor to ensure there are no sudden temperature changes. Optimal indicators are 0-+02 °C. Deviation in any direction leads to spoilage of vegetables. To preserve the juiciness of carrots and beets longer, maintain humidity within 85-90%.

Can root vegetables be stored together?

The storage conditions for carrots and beets are almost the same. Root crops can be stored in one room. It can even be folded into one box. The following condition must be observed: the vegetables should not touch each other.

Carrots are considered to be more difficult to store root vegetables, while beetroot is the easiest to store. If possible, it is better to store the two vegetables separately.

Useful tips

If during culling in the spring there were too many flabby carrots, then in April - May they can be additionally dried in the sun and planted in the ground. Then in the fall the carrots will shoot up along with seeds that can be planted the next year. Then you won’t have to buy store-bought seeds of this vegetable.

Note!

Homegrown seeds need to be additionally treated against fungus and gray rot. Disinfection solutions are sold in garden stores.

You don’t have to throw away the beet tops, but use them as a filler for borscht. The tops are washed, dried, cut into cubes and frozen. As culinary needs arise, the tops are thawed and added to dishes.

You can add tobacco to the sand in which vegetables are stored. It will repel small worms and bugs that eat root crops during winter storage. It is better not to use chemical insect repellents because of their possible toxic effect on vegetables.

In 2022, we will harvest carrots and beets from the beginning of September to the first days of October. The exact timing of harvesting depends on the variety of vegetables and their ripening time; natural conditions, temperature and humidity levels; fertilizing and pest control. In order for carrots and beets to be well preserved until spring, they need to be kept in a cool place with a temperature of 3 to 7 degrees, with low humidity. The cellar or subfloor must be treated to remove mold and mildew.

Suitable weather conditions for harvesting in different regions

Harvesting and winter storage are interconnected. To preserve carrots, you need to take into account the weather outside, and also choose the appropriate period for digging. It is important to follow a few simple recommendations:

1. Do not dig during rainy, damp periods. It is worth either waiting for dry, warm weather, or harvesting before heavy rains, if it is already ripe and work can be done.
2. Choose a time when the temperature drops to about 7 degrees. Under such conditions, the root part no longer accumulates useful substances and stops growth.
3. Keep late varieties longer than others. They are formed at low temperatures and can withstand light frosts without damage. But you need to clean it up after the first drop in temperature below zero.

Check soil moisture before starting work. Dig to the depth of the spade bayonet and look at the soil. If it is damp or wet, it is better to wait until the excess moisture leaves the top layer.

You may be interested in: Features and timing of harvesting carrots for storage in 2022 throughout Russia Sowing carrots in 2022 according to the lunar calendar in Russia How to properly sow carrots in open ground in the spring

The timing differs in different regions. It is important to take into account climatic conditions and carry out cleaning taking into account the weather in the place of cultivation. Remember these simple cleaning tips for storage:

1. In the Leningrad region, it is best to harvest mid-ripening varieties in early August, and late-ripening varieties no later than the end of the month. Do not wait until September; prolonged rains and sudden cold snaps can ruin the harvest.
2. Dig carrots in the Moscow region and Moscow region in mid-September or early October. It all depends on the weather, often during this period there are long rains, you need to cope either before or after, when most often there are a couple of dry and cool weeks.
3. In Siberia, it is worth planting only medium-ripening varieties so that they have time to ripen before the end of August. It is best to clean in the second half of this month. It is also important to plant the seeds on time so that seedlings appear no later than the beginning of June.
4. In the Urals, you also cannot plant late varieties; choose options that ripen in a maximum of 3 months. Use zoned options that are adapted to less favorable conditions. Harvest no later than mid or late August.

If weather conditions are unfavorable, carrots will take longer to ripen. The dates shift by 1-2 weeks in cool summers, and may be shorter in warm and rainy ones. It is better to take into account all factors; any errors during harvesting have a bad effect on safety, and you can lose almost the entire harvest.