When to dig up carrots and how best to store them. Do I need to cut carrot tops: figuring out how not to ruin the crop

The longer it stays in the garden, the more useful carrots are, since it is in the autumn days that they intensively accumulate in it. nutrients and vitamins. And at the same time, of all the root crops, perhaps, carrots have more than other vegetables; the size and quality of the harvest, and the safety of root crops in winter depend on the correct choice of harvest time.

To decide whether it's time to harvest the carrot or leave it in the ground for another 10-15 days, you just need to dig one or two root crops out of the ground. If the carrot is overgrown with small roots, then it's time, otherwise nimble rodents will get to it before us.

Early ripe carrots are usually harvested selectively as needed. At the same time, larger roots are first pulled out in order to improve the growth conditions of neighboring plants. In this case, it is necessary to immediately fill with earth all the voids formed after the pulled out plant in order to protect the "neighbors" in the garden from the carrot fly.

But many gardeners harvest early ripe carrots completely at once to make room for re-sowing of other vegetables. After early carrots bush beans, cabbage lettuce, cauliflower, kohlrabi and broccoli are successfully grown.

Popular wisdom says: "On Cornelius (September 24), the root does not grow in the ground, but chills." In accordance with this sign, one must act, i.e. harvest the main crop of mid- and late-ripening carrots at the end of September, focusing on weather conditions.

Carrots are a cold-resistant crop and that it gives the most intensive yield increase (up to 40–45%) at the end of August and in September during the period of a gradual decrease in the average daily temperature. This is facilitated by the rapid outflow of nutrients from the leaves to the roots at a temperature of 7–8 ° C. The biological ripeness of root crops occurs after the end of intensive growth when the shape and color are typical for this variety. But under unfavorable conditions, at very high or low temperatures during the formation of root crops, the biological ripeness of carrots may not come, and then the roots have to be harvested at the stage of technical ripeness.

For various reasons, sometimes it is generally necessary to harvest this vegetable on the site in the first half of September, this leads to a large shortage of harvest and the receipt of small, not fully ripe root crops, which then quickly wither and are poorly stored.

The most favorable time for harvesting carrots in our plots should be considered the end of September. When harvesting during this time, you will get the maximum yield of carrots, which will be well stored in winter. Further long delay in harvesting does not give a positive effect, since if the daytime air temperature does not rise above 4–5 ° C, the outflow of nutrients from the leaves to the roots practically stops and the vegetable stops growing. Root crops of this culture in the soil tolerate a short-term drop in temperature to -3 ... -5 ° C, but if they are dug out of the ground, they cannot stand even the weakest frosts.

Carrots are harvested only in good weather. Varieties with short and semi-long root crops are easily pulled out of the ground by hands, but when harvesting long root crops, a pitchfork or a shovel is indispensable.

It should not be forgotten that carrots are very sensitive to mechanical damage. Therefore, when cleaning, transporting and storing it, it is necessary to carefully follow the generally accepted rules: do not allow shocks, breaks, scratches and other mechanical damage, because root crops poorly heal such damage, namely, rot pathogens penetrate through them.

You can not leave the tops uncut for a long time, because leaves, quickly evaporating moisture, will cause wilting of root crops, which will sharply reduce their resistance to diseases during storage. In addition, it is not necessary to completely clean the roots of the soil, as well as wash them, as this can accelerate the development of diseases. It is not recommended to keep the harvested carrots for a long time in heaps on the garden bed, because root crops wither quickly and become unsuitable for winter storage.

How to remove tops? Do not cut it off by twisting it with your hands, but carefully cut it with a knife. If, at the same time, leave small petioles, then closer to spring, tops will begin to grow on root crops, which will not only reduce the mass of carrots, but also dramatically worsen their nutritional value. Therefore, cut the roots with a knife along the line of the dormant eyes, i.e. cut off the top by 1-2 mm. In this case, the tops will not sprout during storage.

Immediately after cutting the tops, the root crops must be removed under a canopy and slightly ventilated before laying in boxes. Then the harvested crop is sorted, removing diseased, damaged and soft roots. They are used immediately for food or for processing, without leaving them for winter storage. After that, the carrots selected for winter storage must be kept in a dark and cool room for 5–6 days so that they cool well, and only then can they be stored in the basement after being chilled.

Harvesting of carrots must be completed before the onset of cold weather, since root crops damaged by frost loses their resistance to pathogens. During temporary storage, root crops are covered with soil with a layer of 15-20 cm. It is impossible to cover them with straw or tops, since after harvesting they release a lot of moisture, and moistening the straw and tops creates conditions for the development of diseases.

The newspaper "Ural gardener" No. 37, 2012

Before you cut carrots for storage and for a long stay in the cellar, you must first study the features this process... Competent preparation of carrots for the winter is a guarantee not only that they will last until the next harvest, but also that they will retain the maximum benefit and taste.

How to prepare carrots for long-term storage?

Trimming the tops (how to do it correctly, the video below illustrates) is performed on the day of harvest. Root crops can be torn for food throughout the season, but for storage in the winter, carrots are harvested in the fall. For each variety, the ripening period is indicated on the seed bag, it is important to pay attention to this right away so as not to start picking ahead of time. Carrots plucked ahead of time will not contain the required amount of nutrients, and late harvested vegetables have an increased content of amino acids and sugars, which attracts pests, rodents and carrot fly larvae.

Cut the tops along with the top of the root crop - about 2 mm, unless you plan to plant carrots in the new season to get your seeds.

The tops are usually cut at the same time as the top, about 2 mm back from the edge. Chalk can be applied to the cut for reliability. For pruning, it is recommended to use a well-sharpened knife with a sharp blade so as not to leave petioles that can sprout and change the condition of the entire carrot.

Pruning is usually carried out after the crop has dried and cleared of earth lumps in warm and sunny weather. Whole root vegetables are selected to be stored for the winter, and damaged ones are used during the season.

How to keep your carrot harvest?

How to store carrots is a matter of several factors. Prepared carrots are stored for the winter. Optimal temperature regime is + 1- + 2 ° C. If there is cabbage next to the carrots or the storage temperature drops below + 1 ° C, the decay process begins.

The most popular is storage in bags, in sand and in large sealed containers (barrels, tanks). The bulk method, that is, "in a heap" directly on the floor, is now rarely used: crops in this state are susceptible to attack by rodents, and there may also be a lack of moisture or the threat of flooding by groundwater.

When filling carrots bulk material you need the following: sand (sawdust, dry needles), boxes, water. With this method, the evaporation of moisture from root crops is significantly reduced, protection against putrefactive infection is created, and a constant temperature is maintained. The sand is moistened before filling, for which 1 liter of water is added to 1 bucket of sand. Next, the moistened sand is placed on the bottom of the box 3-5 cm thick, a layer of carrots is placed (while the roots should not touch each other), the sand is again poured so that it completely covers the vegetables, and the second layer of vegetables is laid. It is not necessary to moisten the sand, and you can use a bucket instead of a box.

However, the severity of the sand should be considered when choosing this option. It becomes difficult to carry the buckets into the cellar, lift them in the winter, and clean out the leftover material in the spring.

Many claim that it is with this method of storage that the maximum taste is preserved in carrots.

When choosing to store carrots in bags, two types of bags with different volumes are required. It is better to choose those that do not fit more than 1-1.5 kg of vegetables. The contents of the package in such a quantity are easier to transport, save space in the refrigerator and are consumed before the first signs of spoilage appear on the roots.

This method has a number of advantages:

heavy materials and containers are not used;
there is no dirt;
fewer root crops will be spoiled or eaten by rodents;
you can place packages anywhere in the cellar;
longer storage period.

All these advantages compensate for such a small disadvantage as an insignificant loss of the vegetable's taste properties in comparison with sand filling.

The technology of packaging carrots in plastic bags provides for simple steps. First, two types of bags in rolls are purchased: one should be larger than the second. Then the capacity of one type of bag can be used to the maximum. If the bags are the same, then the laying of vegetables in one of them is not completely done, leaving a little space.

Selected carrots are washed in water.

The washed vegetables are laid out to dry in one layer. For even drying, it is advisable to put a net (for example, from a discarded iron bed).
Drying carrots. Rice. one

After the moisture dries, the carrots are cut on both sides as you can see in the photo. Pruning carrots. Rice. 2

The sections are ventilated for about 5 minutes. After that, the workpieces are laid out in packages with a smaller volume. Having tied it twice, put on the second bag. It is also tied securely. Carrots in a package. Rice. 3

Important: after a while, condensation forms from the inside of the bags. The water droplets will later disappear in the same way as they appeared, this is not scary.

Storing carrots in aluminum cans or bulky enamel pans is also a great way. Having collected a fresh crop, the roots are carefully prepared: the tops are cut, washed, dried in the sun. Laying in containers is carried out vertically, covered with a napkin and a lid on top. It makes sense to put a vegetable in a container if the cellar is cool. Then this year's supplies will be fine until the next harvest.

Some gardeners leave root crops for the winter right in the beds in order to dig them out juicy and fresh in the spring.

In this case, it is necessary to cut the tops of the carrots, and on the garden bed to build a protection from several layers of wet coarse sand and cover with a film, again pour humus on top of it (peat, sawdust or fallen leaves) and again cover with a film.

Before you cut carrots for storage and for a long stay in the cellar, you must first study the features of this process. Competent preparation of carrots for the winter is a guarantee not only that they will last until the next harvest, but also that they will retain the maximum benefit and taste.

How to prepare carrots for long-term storage?

How to keep your carrot harvest?

How to store carrots is a matter of several factors. Prepared carrots are stored for the winter. The optimum temperature range is + 1- + 2 ° C. If there is cabbage next to the carrots or the storage temperature drops below + 1 ° C, the decay process begins.

When filling carrots with bulk material, you need the following: sand (sawdust, dry needles), boxes, water. With this method, the evaporation of moisture from root crops is significantly reduced, protection against putrefactive infection is created, and a constant temperature is maintained. The sand is moistened before filling, for which 1 liter of water is added to 1 bucket of sand. Next, the moistened sand is laid on the bottom of the box 3-5 cm thick, a layer of carrots is placed (while the roots should not touch each other), the sand is again poured so that it completely covers the vegetables, and the second layer of vegetables is laid. It is not necessary to moisten the sand, and you can use a bucket instead of a box.

Many claim that it is with this method of storage that the maximum taste is preserved in carrots.

This method has a number of advantages:

heavy materials and containers are not used;
there is no dirt;
fewer root crops will be spoiled or eaten by rodents;
you can place packages anywhere in the cellar;
longer storage period.

All these advantages compensate for such a small disadvantage as an insignificant loss of the vegetable's taste properties in comparison with sand filling.

Selected carrots are washed in water.

The washed vegetables are laid out to dry in one layer. For even drying, it is advisable to put a net (for example, from a discarded iron bed).
Drying carrots. Rice. one

After the moisture dries, the carrots are cut on both sides as you can see in the photo.
Pruning carrots. Rice. 2

Important: after a while, condensation forms from the inside of the bags. The water droplets will later disappear in the same way as they appeared, this is not scary.

Some gardeners leave root crops for the winter right in the beds in order to dig them out juicy and fresh in the spring.

kustroz.ru

How to properly store carrots all storage methods - garden tips

How to store carrots correctly: all storage methods - garden tips

There are two options for treating carrots with clay before storing them.

Option 1. Filling with clay

Take half a bucket of clay and fill it with water. After a day, the clay swollen from water is thoroughly mixed and poured with water again. Within 3-4 days, the clay is in this state, under a layer of water 2-3 cm. Before use, the clay must acquire the consistency of sour cream.

Then the bottom of the boxes is lined with foil, a layer of carrots is placed (so that the fruits do not touch each other) and filled with liquid clay. When the clay layer dries up, the carrots are laid out again and also filled with clay, and then dried again. And so on to the very top of the box.

Option 2. Soaking in clay

With this method, the unwashed carrots are dipped first into a garlic and then into a clay mash and laid out to dry in a well-ventilated room (on the veranda, in the attic, under a canopy). Then the dried carrots in the "clay shell" are put into wooden boxes or cardboard boxes.

Garlic chatter is prepared as follows: 1 glass of garlic must be scrolled through a meat grinder, then diluted "minced meat" in 2 liters of water.

To get a clay "chatterbox", it is necessary to dilute the clay with water to the consistency of thick sour cream, so that it cannot then drain from the root crops.

Method number 5 Storing carrots in moss

You will need: wooden or plastic boxes, sphagnum moss.

Unwashed and sun-dried carrots are first kept in a cool room for a day, and then placed in boxes, alternating layers of carrots with layers of sphagnum moss.

Moss possesses peculiar preservative properties, it keeps the required amount of carbon dioxide inside. In addition, unlike sand and clay, moss is a light material that does not add additional weight to the carrot boxes.

Method number 6. Storing carrots in pans

Needed: large enamel pans.

After harvesting, the carrots must be washed well, cut off the tops and tail, and dried in the sun.

Then the roots are tightly stacked vertically into the pan, a napkin is placed on top of them and the pan is covered with a lid. All pots with carrots are recommended to be kept in a cool cellar - then the carrots will lie perfectly until the next harvest.

Method number 7. How to store carrots in onion skins

You will need: boxes, onion and garlic peels.

This way of storing carrots is based on the same principle as storing in coniferous sawdust - essential oils from onion and garlic scales also prevent root rot.

Therefore, carrots do not deteriorate for a long time if they are laid in layers, after having previously sprinkled with dry husks. onions and garlic left over after harvesting these crops and accumulated over the winter.

Method number 8. Storing carrots in the garden

Some gardeners leave part of the carrot crop to winter directly in the garden bed, so that they can then dig it up in the spring and eat it all summer until the next harvest.

The tops of carrots stored in the garden are completely cut off. Then the bed is covered with wet coarse sand and covered with foil.

Sawdust, fallen leaves, peat or humus are poured on top of the film, and then the bed is covered with roofing material or another layer of film. Under such a shelter, carrots tolerate winter cold well and remain fresh and tasty.

A few more original ways to store carrots

Pre-washed and trimmed carrots are wrapped in a cling film, making sure that each carrot is completely wrapped in a film and does not come into contact with its neighbors.

Root crops are well stored if they are first sprayed with an infusion of needles or onion peels. For 100 g of husk or needles, a liter of water is taken and infused for 5 days. You can not only spray with such an infusion, you can immerse carrots in it for 10 minutes, dry it and store it.

Uncommon folk way storage of carrots in paraffin: clean and dried roots are dipped in hot paraffin with the addition of a small amount of beeswax for elasticity. Such processing allows you to store carrots for 4-5 months at a temperature of 0-2 ° C. It will stay tasty and fresh.

Carrots can be powdered with chalk at the rate of 150-200 grams of chalk per 10 kg. carrots, or immerse the roots in a 30% chalk suspension, and then dry well. The chalk layer creates a weak alkaline environment, thereby preventing root decay.

Alternatively, you can store carrots by wrapping each root vegetable separately in paper or newspaper.

From rodents, carrots stored in the cellar will help protect the dry leaves of Saracen mint (canufer). It is enough to overlay the boxes with dry plant stems and rodents will not work.

If your carrot crop is small, and you have freezer, it makes sense to grind most of the carrots with a food processor and freeze in ordinary plastic bags.

Whichever way of storing carrots you choose, it is worth remembering:

The optimum air humidity during storage of root crops is 90-95%. - The best temperature for storing carrots is 0-1 ° C.

A good harvest depends not only on the weather, soil fertility and seed quality, but also on the knowledge of the gardener! Every autumn carrots will delight you with even and large root crops, if you understand:

Why carrots grow clumsy and how to avoid it; - how to grow carrots without chemicals; - how to cope with the main pests of carrots.

We wish you success and big harvests!

Source: Dachnye-sovety. ru

Beets collection, preparation and storage

Beets: collection, preparation and storage

For better preservation of the root crop, it is necessary to choose the right beet variety. In order to maximize the shelf life of beets, it is necessary to plant late varieties of beets, such as Red Ball, Akela, Red Cloud F1, Two-seeded TSKHA, etc. Beet harvest time is October, when the weather will be dry and cool. You cannot delay harvesting until the first frost, beets are a very delicate vegetable and you can lose most of the harvest. After harvesting, it is necessary to dry and clean the beets from dirt, separate damaged and diseased root crops. Trim the tops with scissors, leaving 2-3 cm. Then the beets are placed in a well-ventilated dry room for two weeks.

How to store beets in winter

How to store beets

There are several ways to store red beets in a cellar or a special room:

Storage of beets in plastic bags. With this method, the bags are filled with healthy roots by 2/3 and left open to avoid the greenhouse effect. You can sprinkle the beets with straw or wood shavings for better moisture retention.

Storing beets in the sand. With this method, beets retain moisture better, and sand also prevents pathogenic bacteria and mold from spreading.

wooden boxes

Where and how to store beets if there is no cellar

If your site does not have a specially equipped room, then you can store beets in piles and trenches.

Burtovoy storage of beets is more suitable for areas with a warmer climate, and mild winter... There are several types of heaps - buried, semi-buried and above ground. The depth of the pile largely depends on groundwater and climate. The land pile is created on the surface, preferably on a hill. Its size should be at least 70 cm at the base and 35-45 cm along the ridge. The laid beet roots are covered with straw, sawdust, dry leaves and tops; dry peat is also suitable for this. It also needs to be installed on the crest of the shoulder ventilation pipe... At the beginning of frost, it is necessary to sprinkle the pile with earth. When the temperature drops to -4 C, the ventilation must be closed at night, when the frost intensifies, pack it with straw and sawdust. When using semi-buried collars, they dig a hole 20-30 centimeters deep. For buried, use a pit with a depth of 0.5 to 1 meter. Trenching is a more labor-intensive way of storing beets, but it guarantees better protection of the crop from infection with diseases. Trenches are dug to a depth of about one meter, the length of the trench can reach 10-15 meters. The beet crop is laid to the edge of the trenches. The thermal insulation should be the same as in the piles.

Before laying a new crop in an underground or cellar, be sure to disinfect the room with a solution of formalin or bleach; When stacking beets in boxes or bags, small and medium-sized root crops are stacked at the bottom, and large ones at the top, since large beets have a shorter shelf life; Be sure to revise the beet crop every two to three weeks and remove unhealthy roots.

Source: Howtostore. ru

How to prune carrots for storage how to prune carrots for storage garden and vegetable garden

How to prune carrots for storage 🚩 how to prune carrots for storage 🚩 garden and vegetable garden

To keep the carrots as long as possible for a long time, you need to start cleaning it on time. The fact is that closer to the middle of autumn, rains become more frequent, it becomes cooler, which means that water stagnates in the soil, which in turn negatively affects root crops. Stagnation of moisture leads to the defeat of vegetables by fungal diseases. When harvesting carrots, the damaged areas can be practically invisible, and if healthy fruits are placed in storage with the "sick" ones, they will inevitably "get sick" and be unusable. Therefore, if you live in Central Russia, then start harvesting carrots no later than the end of September.

First, carefully dig the roots out of the garden bed, being careful not to damage them. Never bump the dug carrots against each other to remove particles of earth, as this can lead to microcracks on the fruits and their shelf life will decrease significantly. If the carrot grows in sandy soil, then in this case it is enough just to shake it, holding it by the tops. For carrots growing in heavier soil, shaking will not be enough; here you cannot do without washing the fruits in warm water. After washing, it is very important to keep the crop hanging in a well-ventilated area for three days, after which you can start cutting the tops.

You can trim the tops in different ways, for example, if the desired shelf life of the fruits does not exceed 3 months (or you are going to use carrots in the future to grow seeds), then in this case, you can trim the green part a couple of centimeters above the head of the vegetable, if you want to feast on delicious and fresh vegetables until next summer, then you need to cut the tops together with 2-3 mm of the head of the root vegetables themselves (if this is not done, then after 3-4 months the carrots will begin to sprout and become soft and tasteless). As for the storage of carrots, it is stored for the longest time in the sand at a temperature of 2-4 degrees Celsius.

Source: Www. kakprosto. ru

bestgardener.info

Are carrot tops trimmed and why is it needed?

Thanks to a large number of trace elements and vitamins in the composition of carrots, it is deservedly popular with most farmers who independently grow vegetables. In order for the final product to be safe for human health, it is advisable not to use strong chemicals to process the site or feed the plants. To do this, we will talk about some of the features of growing carrots on the site, how they are harvested, processed, and when the carrot tops are cut.

Features of growing carrots

In general, carrots are quite an unpretentious vegetable that is accepted almost everywhere. However, you should pay attention to a number of features. It is advisable to take them into account when growing this root crop, since only in this case it will be possible to achieve a good harvest.

First of all, you should pay attention to the quality of the soil in which you will plant carrots. Loamy and sandy loam soil is preferred.

In the presence of clay type soil will need to be structured. For this, it is best to use sand, organic components (for example, compost, humus), which need to be added to the soil. When mixing all components in equal proportions, you get good foundation for growing carrots. There are other features that can significantly affect the volume of the harvest.

Do not forget that it is advisable to plant the vegetable on neutral soil or with a high alkali content. A higher acidity level will not allow you to get a quality product at the end of the season, and the roots themselves will lose their taste.

If the soil on the site has an increased level of acidic substances, then neutralization must be done. Usually, it is customary to use chalk or lime for this purpose. In the spring, it is better to do this using chalk with a calculation of about 1 kilogram per 3-4 square meters.

When planting, you can use top dressing for the earth. Usually this is used wood ash... It is poured into the furrow, where the carrot seeds are then thrown. Also, the soil should include organic additives. To enrich the land with such components, farmers usually use the manure of herbivores, bird droppings, compost, mulching.

In the future, it is necessary to water the land in a timely manner, since carrots do not tolerate dry periods poorly. If watering is not enough, the roots will gradually start to crack. Also, before planting, carefully read the characteristics of the carrot variety. They will differ in taste, size of root crops, resistance to diseases and pests, as well as a number of other features.

For good growth and the development of the root crop will require enough warm conditions and good lighting. It is undesirable to grow crops in shady areas. In the presence of favorable conditions you can achieve the appearance of the first shoots after 3 weeks. To speed up the process, you can use a polyethylene covering land plot to warm up the soil better.

Insufficient care can lead to the fact that the fruits will acquire some deviations - external flaws, cracking, and weak plants will simply die. Unpretentiousness vegetable crops does not mean that you can not devote time at all to its cultivation.

To increase the yield, it is advisable to periodically loosen the soil so that the water better passes to the horse system.

Thinning of the seed may also be required as the carrots are not sown evenly. When shoots appear, it will be possible to understand in which areas there are many entrances. This must be done so that the roots do not interfere with each other's growth.

Further thinning can slow down the growth process, so it is advisable to do this in the early stages. Optimal distance between the fruits, you can count about 5 centimeters.

Video "How to grow fruitful carrots in high beds"

Cleaning

The harvesting time usually depends on the type of carrot. Early-ripening vegetable varieties are usually harvested in late July, mid-ripening and late-ripening in September. It is advisable to do everything before the onset of seasonal cold snaps or frosts (depending on the landing area).

Cleaning is best done in dry weather. For digging, use a pitchfork or bayonet shovel... After digging up, you will need to dry the roots well in the shade. Before this, the tops of the carrots are cut with garden shears or pruning shears. It is necessary to trim the tops so that it does not draw out nutrients from the root crop that have accumulated during the growth process.

Be careful not to damage the skin of the carrot during harvesting. Otherwise, they will not be able to be stored in the cellar for a long time, but will start to deteriorate. If this happens, then you can select the damaged fruit, using it for food in the near future. The rest of the crop after drying will need to be transferred to a cool, dry place.

It is best to use wooden boxes for stacking, sprinkling the carrots with layers of sand. This will protect the crop from sunlight and direct contact with moisture. The use of sand for storing carrots has worked well and has been used by most farmers for a long time.

Treatment

Processing carrots usually involves making special means to protect crops from various diseases, pathogenic microflora, as well as harmful insects.

For the fight, it is customary to use ammonia-containing drugs, "Bazudin", "Aktara", "Medvetox", special fungicides.

After establishing the cause that affects the roots, a special type of targeted action is selected. It is advisable to carry out the treatment immediately after the first signs of disease or the appearance of insects (flies, bear, leaf fleas and others) are detected.

Trimming the tops

Many novice gardeners are interested in the question of whether it is possible to cut the tops of carrots during the last stage of the ripening of the vegetable. The fact is that even at this time, the saturation with useful microelements and vitamins continues.

For this, the vegetable requires the process of photosynthesis, and without green leaves and a stem, this is not possible. For this reason, the tops should not be trimmed until the carrots have finished growing. If you cut it off earlier, then the growth of carrots will stop. If it is not immediately dug up, then it will simply rot in the ground.

The carrot tops are trimmed only after the roots have been dug up. So they will be stored much longer.

Video “That's a carrot! How to get the harvest "

The video details how to achieve maximum yield when growing carrots.

gryadki.com

How to properly harvest carrots - Good-Tips.Pro

Shafransky V.G. | 2017-05-03

The longer it stays in the garden, the more useful carrots are, because it is in the autumn days that they intensively accumulate nutrients and vitamins. But, at the same time, it should be remembered that in carrots, more than in other vegetables, the size, quality, and safety of root crops during winter storage depend on how correctly the harvest time is chosen.

To resolve this issue - it's time to harvest the carrots or leave them in the ground for another 10-15 days, you need to dig one or more root crops out of the ground. If the carrot is overgrown with small roots, then it's time, otherwise the rodents will get to it before us.

Early ripe carrots

But many gardeners harvest early ripe carrots completely at once to make room for re-sowing of other vegetables. After the early carrots, bush beans, head lettuce, cauliflower, kohlrabi and broccoli are successfully grown.

Mid- and late-ripening varieties

Popular wisdom says: "On Cornelius (September 24), the root does not grow in the ground, but chills." In accordance with this omen, one must act, i.e. harvest the main crop of mid- and late-ripening carrots at the end of September, focusing on weather conditions.

You already know that carrots are a cold-resistant crop and that they give the most intensive yield increase (up to 40–45%) at the end of August and in September during the period of a gradual decrease in the average daily temperature. This is facilitated by the rapid outflow of nutrients from the leaves to the roots at a temperature of 7-8 ° C.

The biological ripeness of root crops occurs after the end of intensive growth when the shape and color are typical for this variety. But under unfavorable conditions, at very high or low temperatures during the formation of root crops, the biological ripeness of carrots may not come, and then the roots have to be harvested at the stage of technical ripeness.

For various reasons, sometimes it is generally necessary to harvest carrots on the site in the first half of September. But, as you already understood, this leads to a large shortage of carrot harvest and the receipt of small, not fully ripe root crops, which quickly wither and are poorly stored.

The most favorable cleaning time

The most favorable time for harvesting carrots in our plots should be considered the end of September. When harvesting at this time, you will get the maximum yield of carrots, which will be well stored in winter.

Further prolonged delay in harvesting does not give a positive effect, since if the daytime air temperature does not rise above 4-5 ° C, the outflow of nutrients from the leaves to the roots practically stops and the carrots stop growing. Root crops of carrots in the soil tolerate a short-term decrease in temperature to -3 ...- 5 ° C. But if they are dug out of the ground, then they cannot stand even the weakest frosts.

Carrot harvesting technology

It should not be forgotten that carrots are very sensitive to mechanical damage. Therefore, when harvesting carrots, transporting and storing them, it is necessary to carefully follow the generally accepted rules: do not allow knocks, breaks, scratches and other mechanical damage to carrots, because root vegetables do not heal well such damage through which pathogens of rot and diseases penetrate into root crops.

You cannot leave the tops uncut for a long time - the leaves, quickly evaporating moisture, will cause the root crops to wilt, which will dramatically reduce their resistance to disease during storage. It is not necessary to completely remove the soil from the roots. They should also not be washed, as this can accelerate the development of diseases. Harvested carrots cannot be kept in heaps in the garden for a long time, because root crops wither quickly and become unsuitable for winter storage.

How to remove tops

How to remove tops? Do not break it off by twisting it with your hands. Just cut with a knife. If, at the same time, leave small petioles, then closer to spring, tops will begin to grow on root crops, which will not only reduce the mass of carrots, but also dramatically worsen their nutritional value. Therefore, cut the roots with a knife along the line of the dormant eyes, i.e. cut off the top by 1-2 mm. In this case, the tops will not sprout during storage.

Completion of cleaning and storage

Immediately after cutting the tops, the root crops must be removed under a canopy and slightly ventilated before laying in boxes. Then the roots are sorted, removing the sick, damaged and soft. They are used immediately for food or for processing, without leaving them for winter storage. Then the carrots selected for winter storage must be kept in a dark and cool room for 5-6 days so that they cool well, and only then can the already chilled carrots be stored in the basement.

The harvesting of carrot root crops must be completed before the onset of cold weather, since root crops damaged by frost loses their resistance to pathogens. During temporary storage, root crops are covered with soil with a layer of 15–20 cm. It is impossible to cover them with straw or tops, since after harvesting they release a lot of moisture. Therefore, when the straw and tops are moistened, conditions are created for the development of diseases.

Sources:

Removing carrots is also a science. - Ural gardener No. 12/2010

good-tips.pro

How to clean and store carrots correctly?

Vasily Denisovich, Ufa asks the question:

Please tell me how to harvest and store carrots so that the harvest will last for a long time. We are beginner gardeners, and we don't have a cellar yet. Perhaps someone knows how to do without it and save vegetables.

The expert answers:

To grow good harvest vegetables - half the battle. The main thing that a gardener should know is how carrots are removed and stored so that they last for a long time.

You should not rush to harvest the crop. This is a cold-resistant culture that is not afraid of the autumn coolness, but you cannot wait until frost. Frozen vegetables will not last long. The best time for harvesting - the beginning of October, when the roots are fully ripe and the tops began to dry out a little from above. Choose a dry and sunny day for harvesting. You cannot pull out carrots. The soil should be dug in a little and carefully pull it out by the tops. The greens must be cut off immediately, otherwise the fruits will begin to wither quickly. You should not cut off under the tuber itself; you need to leave a "stump" with a height of about 1.5 cm.

It is not necessary to send carrots to the basement immediately from the garden. The crop must be sorted, damaged and small fruits selected. A batch prepared for long-term storage is dried for 2 hours on outdoors... Then it must be kept in a cool place for several days.

When it comes to storage, there are several ways to preserve the crop for a long time. Better conditions for storage - a room where the temperature is kept at 0 degrees and humidity is 90-95%. When the temperature rises even by 2 degrees, the fruits will begin to germinate and be affected by diseases.

One of better ways storage is the use of shallow boxes and sand. The fruits are stacked in rows and sprinkled with clean, wet sand. The sand will prevent the development of diseases and damage to the fruit. Boxes can be stacked up to a maximum of 2 m high. Sawdust can be used instead of sand.

Carrots will be very well stored if they are “dressed” in clay. For this, a rare clay solution is prepared, into which all the fruits are dipped in turn. To dry, they need to be laid on grates or slats. After complete drying, the roots can be sent to the basement. Such "clothes" will protect the fruits from diseases and pests, as well as preserve the taste.

You can store carrots for several months without even having a cellar. But first you need to spend preparatory work... Each tuber is "shortened" by 2-3 cm from the top and 1 cm from the bottom. This is done so that the carrots do not sprout and begin to rot. Then it needs to be washed and dried. Prepared fruits are stacked in rows of 10-15 pieces and wrapped in sheets of thick paper. Do not use newspapers. Each package contains horseradish root, previously washed and dried.

To fold the bundles, you need to prepare a plastic bag. Previously, holes are made in it with a diameter of no more than 1-1.5 cm at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other. Tie the bag and leave in a cool place. If this is a balcony or loggia, then you need to make sure that the vegetables do not freeze when severe frosts come. Periodically, the bundles need to be slightly sprayed with water from a spray bottle. But at the same time, do not overmoisten the paper so that the vegetables do not rot.

moipodval.ru

How to prepare carrots for winter storage

Carrots are one of the types of vegetables that require special attention during long-term storage. In order to have this tasty and healthy root vegetable on your table all year round, when growing, harvesting and storing, one should take into account the variety, observe the rules of cleaning and storage conditions.

Best Carrot Varieties for Storage

If early ripe carrots grow on the site, then they are harvested as they ripen, pulling out large fruits and making room for the growth of small ones. In this case, the holes must be covered to protect against the penetration of pests. These carrots are best kept frozen, grated and packed in bags.

For long-term storage, the choice of mid-late and late-ripening varieties is justified:

Name	Terms of technical ripeness, days	Productivity, kg / sq. m	Root weight, g
Queen of Autumn	117 - 130	3,8 - 9	60 - 180
Incomparable	100 - 120	3,1 - 7,1	90 - 210
Shantane 2461	110 - 130	3,5 - 8,1	75 - 250
Nevis F I	110 - 130	8,9	110 - 165
Flaccoro	125 - 130	8,8	135 - 200

All these varieties are resistant to diseases, have good keeping quality and excellent taste. If you decide to grow mid-season varieties, then Moscow winter, Losinoostrovskaya 13, Vitaminnaya 6 are considered the best for the middle lane.

When to harvest carrots

For late varieties, the harvest time is middle lane comes in the second half of September. The timing may vary depending on the variety, sowing time, climatic conditions.

Harvesting carrots at the right time allows the root crop to gain as much weight as possible without spoiling.

How do you guess the right time?

Experienced vegetable growers pull out one root crop and see if it has begun to grow overgrown with small roots. If such a growth has appeared, it is time to harvest. In the case when the carrots were sown at a later date and have not yet gained sufficient mass (namely, with a decrease in the average daily temperature, there is an intensive growth of root crops - up to 45%), the harvest time is postponed by 10-14 days.

These times also vary depending on the climate. With short-term frosts (-3-5 ° C), carrots can be preserved without loss of nutritional quality if they are in the ground. Some growers leave part of the crop in the ground, covering the garden with manure (in a harsh winter) or with straw and plastic.

If the mercury column does not rise above + 5 ° C, then the supply of nutrients from the leaves to the roots stops, and the vegetable does not grow. Therefore, with the onset of stable cool weather, you should not delay, but choose a dry and slightly windy day and start cleaning.

How to harvest carrots

The harvesting of varieties with short and small root crops is carried out without any tools, since they are easily pulled out. If the carrots are long and large, then you cannot do without equipment.

Root crops are piled in small, well-ventilated heaps for several hours, after which they are transported under a shed, where the carrots are dried for several more days. It is not necessary to remove the remnants of the soil from root crops and even more so to wash it - this can become an impetus for the development of diseases during storage.

When carrying out work, the tops are removed immediately, using a sharp knife. Minimally short cuttings are left - 2-3 mm. With this treatment, carrots will not germinate by spring, this will preserve nutrients and moisture in the fruits. It is practiced to cut the head completely by 0.5-1 cm, with an even and smooth cut.

Carrots are highly vulnerable to disease. Therefore, cleaning is carried out as carefully as possible, trying not to cause mechanical damage during transportation, drying and sorting.

Before laying for storage, the root crops are sorted out again, taking away the damaged, withering, with irregular shape... They are processed and used as food.

Storing carrots in a basement or cellar

For long-term storage in a cellar or basement, first of all, conditions favorable for storing carrots are created: humidity 90 - 95% and temperature 0 + 2 ° C. If the cellar is warm and dry, additional ventilation is provided.

They use the following methods:

Careful selection of healthy fruits and temperature conditions are important for safety. Therefore, when laying, try to isolate the fruits from each other as much as possible, in order to avoid possible infection.

Storage in piles and trenches

If there are a lot of carrots, or the basement is not large, they are buried for winter storage in the ground until spring, leaving the required amount for winter months.

To do this, dig a shallow trench (up to 60 cm) in a high place. The size of the trench depends on the number of carrots. If you are going to take carrots from here in winter, then it is better to make several beads so that when opening you can use all the carrots.

The trench is lined with a dry wormwood in a thick layer, then the carrots are sprinkled with sand, laying in rows in a pyramid. The top is covered with a layer of wormwood and straw, covered with earth with a layer of up to 10-15 cm (depending on winter) and applied with a sheet of slate or film. If the winter is harsh, you can add earth and snow.

Wormwood in the piles is required - otherwise you risk digging out only bits in the spring. Ledum, elderberry, chamomile also have a deterrent effect for rodents. Black elderberry is even planted near storage facilities, its roots secrete hydrocyanic acid, and rodents leave the place.

Storage in the refrigerator and on the balcony

In urban conditions, long-term storage of carrots is more problematic, but here, too, folk ingenuity helps to find a way out:

Carrots often become lethargic and wrinkled after long-term storage. To restore its appearance and taste, cut off the top of the head and place it in a glass with water, let the water cover the root crop by 1/3. After a while, the carrots will become fresh and juicy.

Other storage methods

Long-term preservation of carrots is achieved different methods and by various means. Here are some of them:

100 g of onion husks or pine needles is infused in 1 liter of water for 5 days. Then the infusion is sprayed on the carrots or the roots are dipped in it and dried. The method is based on the bactericidal properties of the infusion;
Melt the paraffin by adding a little wax. Then the roots are dipped in a hot mixture, a protective film is formed on them;
Roll the root vegetables in chalk or sprinkle them on the carrots in boxes or piles (100 g per 10 kg). The alkaline environment created by chalk prevents the development of diseases;
Saracen mint (canufer), dried and placed in a cellar or basement, scares away rodents.

Whichever method you choose, in the first place should be the requirements of temperature and humidity, this will ensure safety with any storage method, even without aids.

Shelf life of carrots with different methods

Which of the methods will provide the longest period if the above conditions are met? Approximate storage times for different methods:

To protect root crops during storage from diseases, the storage is disinfected. 30 days before laying vegetables, the room is ventilated and dried. Then the walls, ceiling and floor are treated with a 2% solution of bleach.

Two weeks later, the walls are whitewashed with a solution of slaked lime and copper sulfate: 2 kg of slaked lime and 250 g of sulfate are taken in a bucket of water. After that, the room is dried.

For successful long-term storage of carrots, take into account several points: the variety, terms and conditions of harvesting, adherence to temperature and humidity. This will help you keep a valuable vegetable in your diet throughout the year.

superda4nik.ru

So, you have sown carrots, looked after them all summer and now the most important and interesting part awaits you - harvesting and storing the crop. Below we will tell you how to properly organize this process so that the root crops will safely stay until next spring, in which cases it is advisable to use a combine harvester for harvesting carrots and what storage methods are recommended. experienced gardeners.

How to clean

First of all, you need to figure out the timing of the harvest. Each variety has its own characteristics, but mid-season and mid-late versions are more suitable for long-term storage. Therefore, cleaning should be planned for September - mid-October, but in any case before the onset of frost. Until that time, the vegetable will pick up the desired sweetness and form a dense rind.

If the carrots are beaten with frost, you should not rely on good keeping quality. The most important indicator of ripeness is the state of the tops. If the leaves begin to turn yellow and wither, then it's time to dig up the roots. The weather plays a special role. It is important that for 1-2 weeks before the planned harvest there is no rain and the soil is sufficiently dry. It is clear that additional watering is also out of the question. Otherwise, carrots can quickly rot.

Carrot harvesting itself does not require special knowledge and skills. For convenience, use a garden fork or bayonet shovel. Use them carefully, only slightly undermining the root vegetable so as not to damage it. Pulling carrots out of dry soil by hand is not recommended. At this time, the tops are no longer so strong and there is a high probability that the leaves will remain in your hands, and the root crop is very high in the ground.

After harvesting, the entire crop is carefully sorted out and spoiled vegetables are thrown away. Then it is necessary to remove the remaining leaves. The stems are cut at the very root crop. Peeled carrots are dried for several hours in a shaded and well-ventilated place. To do this, spread the carrots in an even thin layer on a burlap or oilcloth. You don't need to put carrots on the ground.

If you are growing this crop on an industrial scale, then you need a carrot harvester. There are two types of them. The first option is a top-lifting machine. She grabs the vegetable by the tops, so the stems do not need to be removed beforehand. The only thing that needs to be taken care of is to remove the weeds. Otherwise, the automated technique can go astray from the course of the garden bed.

Conventional harvesters can only work in areas where the tops have been mowed. For short-fruited varieties that go for industrial processing, they use potato harvesters with dripping nozzles. The productivity of such combines is higher, but at the same time root crops are damaged. Carrots after such harvesting are not suitable for long-term storage.

Video "How to store it correctly"

Correct storage

Carrots tolerate winter storage well if appropriate conditions are created for them. First of all, it is necessary to prepare for the harvest suitable premises... This culture loves cool and damp cellars. To prevent root crops from being attacked by fungi and bacteria, it is necessary to disinfect the room and storage container with copper sulfate or lime. The temperature should not exceed + 10 ° С, and the air humidity should be at the level of 95%.

Carrots are stored in open plastic bags, wooden or plastic boxes, cardboard boxes as well as in bulk. At the same time, there are several effective tricks that will help keep the harvest in its original form until spring. It is very popular to sprinkle carrot layers with different materials, for example, sand. To do this, prepare a box and pour a layer of wet loamy sand on its bottom. Put the carrots on top so that the individual roots do not touch and pour the sand again. Repeat the manipulations to the very top of the box.

In the same way, you can alternate root crops with dry sawdust, peat, and onion skins. A great way to store carrots is in clay. Prepare liquid clay mortar and dip the root vegetables there. As a result, an additional protective shell will be obtained on top of the peel.

How to store garlic in a city apartment for the winter

Due to the large amount of trace elements and vitamins in the composition of carrots, it is deservedly popular with most farmers who grow vegetables on their own. In order for the final product to be safe for human health, it is advisable not to use strong chemicals to process the site or feed the plants. To do this, we will talk about some of the features of growing carrots on the site, how they are harvested, processed, and when the carrot tops are cut.

First of all, you should pay attention to the quality of the soil in which you will plant carrots. Loamy and sandy loam soil is preferred.

If you have a clay type of soil, you will need to structure it. For this, it is best to use sand, organic components (for example, compost, humus), which need to be added to the soil. When mixing all the components in equal proportions, you get a good basis for growing carrots. There are other features that can significantly affect the volume of the resulting crop.

Do not forget that it is advisable to plant the vegetable on neutral soil or with a high alkali content. A higher acidity level will not allow you to get a quality product at the end of the season, and the roots themselves will lose their taste.

When planting, you can use top dressing for the earth. Usually wood ash is used for this. It is poured into the furrow, where the carrot seeds are then thrown. Also, the soil should include organic additives. To enrich the land with such components, farmers usually use the manure of herbivores, bird droppings, compost, mulching.

In the future, it is necessary to water the land in a timely manner, since carrots do not tolerate dry periods poorly. If it is not enough to water the crop, then the roots will gradually begin to crack.
Also, before planting, carefully read the characteristics of the carrot variety. They will differ in taste, size of root crops, resistance to diseases and pests, as well as a number of other features.

Sufficiently warm conditions and good lighting are required for good growth and development of the root crop. It is undesirable to grow crops in shady areas. In the presence of favorable conditions, you can achieve the appearance of the first shoots after 3 weeks. To speed up the process, you can use the polyethylene covering of the land plot in order to better warm the soil.

Insufficient care can lead to the fact that the fruits will acquire some deviations - external flaws, cracking, and weak plants will simply die. The unpretentiousness of a vegetable crop does not mean that you can not take time at all when growing it.

To increase the yield, it is advisable to periodically loosen the soil so that the water better passes to the horse system.

Further thinning can slow down the growth process, so it is advisable to do this in the early stages. The optimal distance between fruits can be considered about 5 centimeters.

Video "How to grow fruitful carrots in high beds"

Cleaning

Cleaning is best done in dry weather. Use a pitchfork or bayonet shovel to dig. After digging up, you will need to dry the roots well in the shade. Before this, the tops of the carrots are cut with garden shears or pruning shears. It is necessary to trim the tops so that it does not draw out nutrients from the root crop that have accumulated during the growth process.

It is best to use wooden boxes for stacking, sprinkling the carrots with layers of sand. This will protect the crop from sunlight and direct moisture. The use of sand for storing carrots has worked well and has been used by most farmers for a long time.

Treatment

Carrot processing usually consists in the introduction of special means to protect the crop from various diseases, pathogenic microflora, and also from harmful insects.

For the fight, it is customary to use ammonia-containing drugs, "Bazudin", "Aktara", "Medvetox", special fungicides.

Trimming the tops

The carrot tops are trimmed only after the roots have been dug up. So they will be stored much longer.

Video “That's a carrot! How to get the harvest ”

The video details how to achieve maximum yield when growing carrots.

The peel of the root vegetable is thin and tender - this explains their difficult storage. Harmful bacteria easily penetrate through the loose skin, carrots germinate quickly, freeze or rot. For it is imperative to select only dense and healthy fruits, which have no traces of mechanical damage or disease.

Carrots are 80% water. Sudden temperature fluctuations, excessive humidity or dryness in the room, dampness, poor cleaning basement - a complex of factors leads to the fact that the water from the fruits begins to evaporate (the carrots become soft and flabby). Suitable:

- 1-2 degrees above zero (you can find out more about the storage temperature of the root crop);
humidity indicators - 90-95%;
moderate level of ventilation (no drafts).

Reliable long-term storage will ensure a room with artificial ventilation air, where constant temperature and humidity are maintained. Before harvesting, be sure to dry and cut the tops of the carrots.

We select suitable varieties for the workpiece

One of the conditions for high-quality preservation is the choice of hybrids. For bookmarking for the winter, it is recommended to select mid-ripening or late-ripening species. Early varieties poorly retain moisture and are suitable for immediate use - eating or preserving.
When choosing planting material it is advisable to pay attention to the packaging - the average ripening time is always indicated here.

General requirements for fruits: correct shape, high yield rates, intended for long storage. If the correct technology is followed, carrots will last up to 6-8 months.

What varieties to opt for:

Forto.
Vita Longa.
Shantane.
The Queen of Autumn.
Karlena.

You can find out in more detail about which varieties of carrots are best for storage.

What is pruning: the purpose of the procedure

Before the trimming procedure, it is also dried. When digging, it is forbidden to beat carrots against each other, shaking off the ground. This leads to microcracks, loss of integrity and reduced shelf life. If necessary, after washing, you need to dry the crop well (keep it hanging in warm air for at least 1-3 days).

Trimming carrots is the removal of the top green portion. Such a procedure will help preserve useful components in the fruits, stop the processes of decay and drying out. If the tops are left, they will actively grow, taking water and nutrients from the fruit. It is necessary to carry out pruning based on the goals and storage period.

The term does not exceed 3 months. Trimming the green mass 2-3 cm above the head of the vegetable.
2-4 months. Further use - to obtain seeds. Cropping is identical to the first option.
Long-term storage (until next season). It is necessary to trim the tops together with 2-3 mm of the root crop head itself. This will stop germination, and the carrots will retain their juiciness and flavor.

Do I need to remove the tops for keeping in the cellar?

Cutting off the green part is a must for any carrot storage technology. If the carrot remains in the ground for wintering, the tops are cut off without affecting the root crop itself. For storage in the basement, you need to cut off the greens and remove the growth point - cut off 2-5 mm from top edge fruit, if desired.

How to prepare a carrot for wintering: detailed instructions

Preparing carrots for storage is an important stage that needs to be given maximum attention (read on how to prepare carrots for storage in winter).

It is forbidden to carry out the procedure with your hands, breaking off or twisting the tops. Be sure to use sharp knife and do not leave even small cuttings. Due to the cutting off of the upper part of the carrots, growth points are drowned, germination stops, and the original properties and taste are preserved.

How to carry out the procedure correctly?

Pruning the main green mass. A small tubercle should be left, cutting off the tops just above the top of the fruit.
Dry the carrots in the sun for 24 hours.
Cut off 2-4 mm from the root crop head. If there are ring cracks or other lesions on the surface, cut off from 5 mm to 1-2 cm.
Removal of the root part - tails, since it is with them that decay begins. The root should be cut off in the place where the tail diameter is 5 mm or less.

Further actions - laying out the carrots in one layer on a plastic wrap on the ground, drying in the sun for 2-3 hours. During this period, the cut sites will be covered with a protective crust, which will improve the storage quality. After that, the fruits are placed in a cool place for a day and only then are they lowered.

You can also learn about preparing carrots for storage for the winter from.

Photo

Below are photos of examples of how to cut carrots:

Winter storage methods

The high-quality preservation of the root crop is ensured by placing it in sand or sawdust, plastic bags or in boxes with clay. The simplest is storage in the basement in wooden boxes with a lid. It is necessary to place containers at a distance of 10-15 cm from the walls, since the walls can become damp, which will affect the carrots. You need to put containers on shelves or low stands. 1 box should hold no more than 20 kg of fruit.

What kind of filler should I put in the box?

.
The material contains phenol, which will prevent rot and other diseases. The carrots are folded into a box and sprinkled with sawdust.
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Root vegetables should be laid out on a thick sandy pillow (cover the shelf or the bottom of the box). Each new layer must be re-filled with sand. You need to use slightly damp sand.
Chalk solution.
The chalk must be diluted with water to a homogeneous consistency. Dip each carrot in the solution, put it in boxes and send it to storage.
Slurry.
It's dirty but effective method... Suitable for those cellars in which the roots often rot and deteriorate. From clay and water, you need to make a chatterbox - a stretching mass. Dip carrots in the solution, dry. The clay should completely cover the fruit. After drying, put the carrots in boxes or baskets, lower them into the basement.
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Dry root vegetables must be folded in tight bags and lowered into the cellar, placed on the floor on protective supports. Make several holes at the bottom of the bags so that the condensate can escape. Do not close or tie the bag.

What if something went wrong?

Throughout the entire period, it is important to ensure that it does not rot, grow, and does not lose its taste and marketability. Of the physical processes, moisture evaporation is the highest risk. Carrots have a thin peel, contain a lot of colloids - this affects the intense loss of moisture. Possible results include weight loss, wilting, loss of marketability.

To prevent such changes, it is important to ensure good air exchange and constant temperature. If decay was found, the affected fruits must be thrown away, the place of decay and adjacent root crops should be sprinkled with slaked lime or chalk. In case of mass decay, all carrots must be sorted out and implemented (used) as soon as possible.

Primary processing of carrots before storage is cleaning, correct pruning tops and drying. At the time of harvesting, it is imperative to cull damaged vegetables. After cutting the greens, you need to wait for the formation of a dry crust at the cut site and only then lower the carrots into the cellar.
The final one depends on the chosen technology:

clay and sawdust will help preserve the fruit until the next harvest;
wet sand - 7-8 months;
ordinary wooden containers without filler - 4-7 months;
plastic bags - 3-6 months.

Regular inspection of the crop, removal of damaged fruits and pruning of regrown tops already in the basement will extend the period and improve the quality. It is important to consider that the condition of the tops plays a decisive role during storage. The larger the stump left, the faster the root vegetable will begin to germinate.

ATTENTION! The only unwanted neighbor for root crops is an apple. The fruit gives off ethylene, which affects the taste of the carrots.

If the basement freezes, the boxes with carrots need to be additionally covered with felt or any other thermal insulation material... It is advisable to use small and thin fruits in the first place, as they dry faster. Larger carrots, with the right approach, will last until spring-summer. Be sure to insulate vegetables from direct sunlight and moisture.

Pruning carrots before laying for the winter is a must. The final period and quality of storage of the crop depends on the quality of its implementation. You need to cut off the tops with a sharp knife or scissors, leaving no growth points and hemp. It is necessary to lower the roots into the basement only after the cut points are covered with a protective film.