Many summer residents argue when to remove carrots from the garden, at the beginning of September or at the first cold weather? After all, this is one of the most common and favorite vegetables among gardeners. Delicious, sweet carrots are good in salads, first courses, as a side dish, and even for making dessert. But its taste depends on the time of collection. So when should you arm yourself with a basket and go to the garden? Let's find out!

When is the best time to harvest carrots so that they are perfectly ripe and healthy? Some prefer to leave it until mid-autumn. After all, this vegetable is not afraid of the cold. It is resistant to it, and accumulates nutrients and sugars from about the end of summer to the end of September.

Some prefer to leave it until mid-autumn

There are factors that determine the timing of carrot harvesting. First of all, these are the varieties by which it is divided into:

late ripening;
mid-season;
early ripening.

Late ripening carrots Shantane

Mid-season carrot variety "Samson"

Early ripening Soprano carrots

Early ripening – distinguished by juiciness. Its fruits are long and thin. By July you can get a good harvest. If you overcook the vegetable, it will lose its taste and crack. This root vegetable is best used in salads and eaten just like that, because it is not suitable for heat treatment.

This root vegetable is best used in salads and eaten just like that

Another sign that makes it easy to determine when to harvest carrots is the presence of small roots. If it is covered with them, then it is time to start harvesting. If not, you can wait another two weeks.

Mid-season - ripens in three to four months. This is from eighty to one hundred and ten days. In ripe carrots of this variety, the lower leaves become yellow. But, if they turn completely yellow, it means that the carrots are “sick” and should not be eaten. If you dig up mid-season carrots too late, they will become tough and tasteless.

Late-ripening - can stay in the ground until mid-September. This is the ideal time to harvest carrots. As soon as the temperature drops to four degrees, the growth of the root crop stops.

At the very first frost, the edible part becomes covered with a gray coating. Before they arrive, the harvest must be harvested. Overexposed root crops are susceptible to various diseases. Very early harvested carrots of medium and late varieties are very small, unsweetened and without juice. It quickly fades and deteriorates during storage.

Before frost sets in, the crop must be harvested

Overexposed root crops are susceptible to various diseases

Early harvested carrots of medium and late varieties - small, unsweetened and without juice

Novice gardeners are sometimes interested in when to start harvesting carrots and what weather conditions should be there:

it must not be a rainy day, about the third week of September;
The air temperature should be about 10 degrees, because being in the soil, the root crop can tolerate low temperatures.
If it’s already cold outside, then, when the carrots get from the warm soil into the cold environment, they begin to quickly rot.

It shouldn't be a rainy day

The air temperature should be about 10 degrees

When carrots move from warm soil to a cold environment, they quickly begin to rot.

Thus, the root vegetable gradually stops growing, but does not lose its taste, but rather acquires sweetness. But harvesting carrots later does not produce results. The root crop no longer receives growth substances from the leaves.

As you can see, the timing of carrot harvesting may vary. Therefore, you should be careful when choosing a variety and take into account the characteristics of your climatic conditions. By choosing the right time to harvest carrots, you will get a rich and healthy harvest.

By choosing the right time to harvest carrots, you will get a rich and healthy harvest.

Did you know that it is important not only when to dig carrots, but also how. You should learn to do this correctly in order to save vegetables.

Do not water them before assembling; the soil should be dry. This will make it easier to harvest carrots and maintain the juiciness of the roots.

You should learn to do it correctly in order to save vegetables

Do not water them before assembly, the soil must be dry

Early carrots can be easily pulled out by hand. We simply grab it by the upper leaves, using our right hand and holding it in the ground with our left. Carefully pull it to the surface. If it is long or large, then use a shovel or pitchfork to slightly dig it up a few cm so as not to damage it, then, holding it with your hand, remove it from the ground.

Early carrots can be easily pulled out by hand

After digging the hole, be sure to cover it with soil so that other “useful roots” are not infected by the “carrot fly”.

The dug up root vegetables should dry slightly. After this, immediately remove the tops with scissors. This needs to be done as soon as possible, because all the vitamins and microelements from the root crop go into it. Vegetables become dehydrated and lose color.

Dug up root vegetables should dry slightly

First cut off the top part with a knife, then the entire top of the carrot.

How to cut it correctly, leaving part of the leaves or completely? Amateurs twist it with their hands. Experts use a sharp knife to cut off first the upper part, then the entire top of the carrot. If you do not trim the leaves all the way, they will soon begin to grow. This will reduce the weight of the root crop and negatively affect its quality. Therefore, the tops are cut off completely, including the top 1-2 cm.

The processed root vegetables are slightly dried in the sun and ventilated for several hours. Then you need to sort out the crop:

Vegetables with a gray coating, cracks and other damage are put aside. They can be used as animal feed or food
The rest are carefully placed in rows in boxes and placed in a cool place for a week.

1.Damaged vegetables can be used as animal feed

2.Carefully placed in rows in boxes and placed in a cool place

Thus, the root vegetables are gradually cooled. Then they are sent to the cellar for the winter.

When you've finished collecting carrots, it's time to send them for winter storage. If vegetables need to be preserved temporarily, they are sprinkled with twenty cm of soil. Hay is not used; it creates a moist environment favorable for the development of harmful microorganisms.

If vegetables need to be preserved temporarily, they are sprinkled with earth.

Storing root vegetables in sand

It is better to take sand that contains clay rather than river sand. It perfectly retains moisture and temperature and protects vegetables from rotten rot.

A layer of sand is poured on top, and a row of vegetables is laid out again.
The prepared carrots are laid horizontally. Vegetables should not lie tightly together.
The bottom of the box is sprinkled with sand a few centimeters.
Before backfilling, the sand is slightly moistened in the following proportion: per ten kg of sand, one liter of water.

It is better to take sand that contains clay rather than river sand.

Vegetables should not lie tightly together

Prepared carrots are laid horizontally

A layer of sand is poured on top, and a row of vegetables is laid out again

The best sawdust is coniferous. They contain phytonicides - special substances that prevent pathogens and protect vegetables from sprouting. The method of laying carrots is the same as in the previous example.

Polyethylene

Some summer residents store vegetables in open polyethylene bags. They maintain an optimal level of moisture, which prevents the product from rotting. The carbon dioxide that root vegetables produce during storage evaporates if the bags are left open, so they should not be tied.

High concentrations of carbon dioxide cause vegetables to rot. Therefore, holes must be made in closed bags to allow oxygen to enter.

Some summer residents store vegetables in polyethylene bags

High concentrations of carbon dioxide cause vegetables to rot

The vegetable is perfectly preserved in ordinary clay diluted with water.

Carrots are perfectly preserved in ordinary clay

The first way to store root vegetables in clay is as follows:

Dilute the clay with water to the consistency of thick sour cream.
After a day, the clay is mixed and water is added again. It should lie under water for several days.
Place film on the bottom of the container. We put root vegetables on it and fill it with clay. After drying it, lay out the next row of carrots and so on.

Dilute the clay with water to the consistency of thick sour cream.

We put root vegetables on it and fill it with clay

Processed carrots are dried and ventilated

The second method is a little more complicated:

Pre-prepare the garlic mixture: take two liters of water for 250 grams of garlic, rolled through a blender;
then we prepare a mixture of clay and water;
then the vegetables are dipped one at a time, first in a mixture of garlic and water, then in clay;
processed carrots are dried and ventilated until a “shirt” of dried clay forms on it;
put vegetables in boxes.

That's all . The main thing is to do everything slowly and carefully, observing the rules for collection and storage periods. With experience, you will easily understand when to dig up carrots and how to properly store them.

The generally accepted dates for harvesting carrots for winter storage begin at the end of September and end by the second half of October. At this autumn time of year, the weather is usually dry.

Harvesting carrots should not take too long. It is better to immediately put this root crop in boxes and move it for storage to an equipped cellar, unless otherwise provided for, for example, collecting carrots for sale.

If the planted carrots are intended for sale or early harvest, then the recommended time for it is the beginning of summer (June-July). In this case, the landing was supposed to take place in early spring. Such products are not recommended for further long-term storage.

Specific dates for harvesting carrots are determined depending on the general condition of the plant, the characteristics of its variety and the weather conditions of the growing area. Properly prepared for storage and packed in boxes on time, carrots will retain all their nutrients for the winter without spreading rot and disease. How to determine the exact time to harvest carrots?

Harvesting early varieties

Varietal characteristics have a direct influence on determining the timing of harvesting root crops. Today, three varieties of carrots are known: early-ripening, mid-ripening and winter. Early ripening varieties include such types of carrots as “Amsterdamskaya”, “Artek”, “Rex”, “Konservnaya” and others. The time to harvest carrots from early-ripening varieties comes in mid-July. To begin with, only the largest and ripest root crops are collected, filling the resulting voids with earth.

This is done so that the growing carrots are protected from the carrot fly. Then, they begin to work on the remaining root vegetables, placing them in a box for long-term storage. Harvesting carrots that have not yet reached maturity may result in a spoiled harvest. Such root crops may not last until spring, because they have not had time to gain the necessary vitamins and juiciness.

Harvesting dates for mid-season carrots

For mid-season varieties such as “Blues”, “Lidiya”, “Vitaminnaya”, “Marlinka”, harvest dates begin in early September. Here it is necessary to remember that carrots grown in warm soil heated by the summer sun should not be harvested too early. Abruptly moving a vegetable into a cold cellar can worsen its appearance and nutritional properties. Such carrots can wither and even rot, leaving no hope of preserving the harvest.

Harvesting carrots that have come due will be stored throughout the winter season without any problems. It is better to harvest mid-season varieties at a lower temperature, when the air cools significantly, but not lower than +4. According to the rules, harvesting carrots of mid-season varieties should be completed before frost, so that the cold does not have time to destroy the structure of the root crop and allow rot to settle on the crop. Harvesting carrots that are properly timed will remain in boxes until spring. The main thing is to periodically sort through the harvested crop so that one rotten root crop does not spoil the entire box.

Harvest time for late varieties

Harvesting carrots whose dates are not assigned to warm weather are winter varieties. Frost-resistant “Coral”, “Perfection”, “Yellowstone”, “Flakoro” can be harvested until the end of September, when very cold nights have not taken hold in the autumn weather. It is best to harvest the entire carrot crop before frost and not risk the harvest.

It is not difficult to calculate the harvesting time for late varieties of carrots. This root crop ripens by the 80th day, and in some varieties by the 110th day after planting. It is considered the most delicious among its brothers. It is also important to remember that you should not keep even late types of carrots in the ground. They lose their beneficial properties, may crack and become unusable. Harvesting carrots, the timing of which will be calculated according to favorable days of the calendar, will be the best solution for storing the crop.

Carrots: terms and rules for harvesting

Harvesting and storing carrots

Carrots are healthier the longer they remain in the garden, because... It is on autumn days that nutrients and vitamins intensively accumulate in it. And at the same time, of all the root crops, perhaps carrots, more than other vegetables, depend on the correct choice of harvesting time, both the size and quality of the harvest, and the safety of the root crops in winter.

To solve this issue - it’s time to remove the carrots or leave them in the ground for another 10-15 days, you need to dig the root crop 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 ripening carrots are usually harvested selectively as needed. In this case, larger root crops are pulled out first to improve growing conditions for neighboring plants. In this case, it is necessary to immediately fill with soil all the voids formed after the plant was pulled out in order to protect the “neighbors” in the garden from the carrot fly.

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

Popular wisdom says: “On Cornelius (September 24), the root in the ground does not grow, but freezes.” One must act in accordance with this sign, i.e. Harvest the main crop of carrots of mid- and late-ripening varieties at the end of September, focusing on weather conditions.

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

Biological ripeness of root crops occurs after the end of intensive growth when they reach the shape and color typical for a given variety. But under unfavorable conditions, at very high or low temperatures during the period of root crop formation, biological ripeness of carrots may not occur, and then the root crops have to be harvested at the stage of technical ripeness.

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

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

Further prolonged delay in harvesting does not have a positive effect, because if the daytime air temperature does not rise above 4-5°C, then the outflow of nutrients from the leaves to the roots practically stops and the carrots stop growing. Carrot roots in the soil tolerate a short-term decrease in temperature to -3...-5°C. But if you dig them out of the ground, they cannot tolerate even the mildest frosts.

Harvesting carrots should only be done in good weather. Varieties with short and semi-long root crops are easily pulled out of the ground by hand, but when harvesting long root crops, you cannot do without a fork or shovel.

At the same time, we must not forget 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: avoid blows, breaks, scratches and other mechanical damage to carrots, because Root crops do not heal well such damage, through which rot pathogens penetrate into the root crops.

You cannot leave the tops uncut for a long time, because... the leaves, quickly evaporating moisture, will cause the root crops to wither, which will sharply reduce their resistance to diseases during storage. There is no need to completely clear the root crops from the soil. You should also not wash them, as this can accelerate the development of diseases. It is also impossible to keep collected carrots in heaps in the garden for a long time, because... Root crops quickly wither and become unsuitable for winter storage.

How to remove tops? Do not tear it off by twisting it with your hands. Just cut with a knife. If you leave small petioles, then closer to spring tops will begin to grow on the root crops, which will not only reduce the weight of the carrots, but will also sharply worsen its nutritional value. Therefore, cut the root vegetables 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 germinate during storage.

Immediately after cutting the tops, the root crops must be removed under a canopy and lightly ventilated before placing them in boxes. Then the root crops are sorted, removing diseased, damaged and soft ones. 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 are well cooled, and only then the already cooled carrots can be stored in the basement.

Harvesting carrot root crops must be completed before the onset of cold weather, since root crops damaged by frost lose resistance to pathogens. During temporary storage, root crops are covered with a layer of soil of 15-20 cm. They cannot be covered with straw or tops, since after harvesting they release a lot of moisture. Therefore, when straw and tops are moistened, conditions are created for the development of diseases.

Harvesting and storing carrots

Carrots are a much more demanding crop than potatoes when harvesting, transporting and winter storage. It is very sensitive to mechanical damage and does not heal damage well, which is what causes various diseases to develop in the first place. Carrot roots that are frozen and withered in the sun are also poorly stored.

There is no need to try to thoroughly clean the root crops from the soil, as this will cause mechanical damage. You should also not wash them before storing them, as this accelerates the development of diseases.

The prepared carrots are placed in boxes and left to cool for 5-6 days. And only after this the well-chilled root vegetables are transferred to storage, because When cooled, carrots go into a dormant period more easily and consume less nutrients.

Many gardeners lightly spray the root crops with an aqueous infusion of onions before storing them. To do this, 200 g of onions must be poured into 10 liters of hot water and left for 24 hours. But after this treatment, the carrots must be thoroughly dried.

Only healthy, not wilted or frozen products can be stored in the basement. At the same time, it is advisable to store root crops of different ripening periods separately by variety.

Carrots are root vegetables that require demanding storage conditions. In addition, it is more likely than other crops to become infected with diseases through the air. Unlike other root vegetables, it is very sensitive to increases in temperature in the basement, especially during the initial period of storage.

That is why many gardeners are well acquainted with the feeling of annoyance when they put away perfectly healthy carrots for storage in the fall, and in the winter most of the crop was “eaten” by rot.

Even with a very slight increase in the temperature in the storage to 4°C and a decrease in air humidity, the biological dormancy of the carrots is disturbed, and it begins to germinate and at the same time wither, which sharply reduces the shelf life of root crops. Therefore, both the storage and root crops must be cooled immediately after storing the products to the optimal temperature of 0...1°C, and when stored together with potatoes to 1...2°C. The preservation of carrots is also positively affected by the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the air (3-5%).

Carrots are also very sensitive to air humidity, which must be constantly high (90-95%), otherwise the root crops may wither and lose their resistance to disease. Typically, during storage, carrots begin to deteriorate from the bottom of the root crop.

There is no consensus on how best to store carrots in storage. Carrots are often stored in tight boxes, sprinkled with a small layer of wet sand on top. Filled with carrots, such boxes can be stacked up to 2 m high.

The humidity of the sand should be such that when squeezed in your hand, water does not ooze out of it, but the sand lump retains its shape. The sandy environment reduces the evaporation of moisture from root crops, ensures an even temperature, and the accumulation of carbon dioxide released by root crops, which has a beneficial effect on their preservation.- as if preserves them.

Sand also protects against diseases, including such dangerous ones as various rots. This is especially important for carrots, since they are the most difficult to store of all root vegetables.

To prevent the development of diseases, it is advisable to add chalk or well-slaked lime to the sand in an amount of 1-2% of its volume. Poorly slaked lime mixed with wet sand can cause carrot burns, so you need to carefully monitor the quality of the lime. Next year, the sand must be replaced with fresh sand.

Carrots do not fade and are stored well in small stacks on the floor or shelves. Root crops are laid in rows in the form of a truncated pyramid, placing them with their heads outward so that they do not touch each other. In this case, each row is sprinkled with a layer of wet sand of 2-3 cm, on top and along the edges the thickness of this layer is adjusted to 5 cm.

As the top layer of sand dries, it must be moistened. In order to maintain the strength of such a “pyramid,” it should not be laid in more than 7 layers. For 100 kg of carrots, an average of 3-4 buckets of sand are consumed.

But this method is very labor-intensive and requires a lot of space for sand. In addition, not all gardeners have sand. This sand must be changed or calcined every time in order to destroy the pathogens of Phoma and gray rot. Therefore, now many gardeners store carrots in plastic bags with a capacity of 40-50 kg (sugar bags), tied at the top with a rope. It is advisable to make 10-15 holes with a diameter of 1 cm in them to allow excess carbon dioxide to escape.

In such bags, almost optimal relative air humidity is created, as well as the necessary amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide (up to 4%), which promotes long-term preservation of root crops, suppressing the development of phytopathogenic organisms.

Bags filled with carrots can be placed vertically with the top open without tying or poking holes. But if such a bag is accidentally closed, then excess carbon dioxide quickly accumulates in it, the oxygen content drops, and after 2-3 weeks the carrots begin to rot.

Coating or claying of carrots gives good results. To do this, root vegetables are placed in a creamy clay mash or lime milk, and then dried with increased ventilation. After drying on root vegetables, clay or lime forms a thin crust, which protects carrots well from wilting and various diseases. These carrots are then placed in boxes.

Dry dusting of carrot roots with chalk is also widely used at the rate of 150 g of chalk per 10 kg of carrots. At the same time, the chalk layer formed on the surface of root crops creates a slightly alkaline environment, which prevents the development of diseases.

Carrot roots are well preserved if they are sprinkled with an aqueous infusion of onion peels before laying or sprinkled with such peels. They also remain juicy and healthy when thrown into the bin with the potatoes.

You can store carrots in the basement and in ordinary plastic bags with a capacity of 2-3 kg. To do this, they are filled with chilled carrots and immediately transferred to storage. The carrots are covered with wet sand on top. Opened bags are placed in 3-4 rows.

In winter, if diseased root crops are found, they are removed, and hands must be washed with a solution of potassium permanganate or soap before touching healthy root crops. If white rot develops significantly when storing carrots in the basement, it is advisable to temporarily reduce the air humidity by using fluff lime.

Recently, some gardeners have begun to use sphagnum moss, which is harvested in August, to store carrots. It is dried to a moisture content of approximately 7% (such moss is almost dry to the touch) and the potatoes are layered. When stored in this way, root crops do not get sick, do not wither, are not damaged by mice, and the air in the basement is free of the smell of dampness and rot.

When storing carrots in piles or trenches, the root crops are layered with light loamy soil and covered with a layer of straw up to 60 cm thick. Then the soil is first covered with a layer up to 20 cm thick, and before the onset of frost, the thickness of the soil layer is brought to 35-40 cm.

When harvesting carrots in the fall, some gardeners leave a few plants to overwinter in the bed for spring use, sprinkling the top of the bed with peat or dry leaves. But this can only be done in areas where the soil is not infested with wireworms or mole crickets. This- a very good old-fashioned way to preserve carrots until spring.

Carrots dug from the soil in the spring are as fresh and juicy as those dug in the fall. However, such storage of carrots is only possible if they are not damaged by pests and diseases and are well protected from rodents, for whom fresh carrots are a real delicacy.

But carrots must be well prepared for wintering in the garden. Before the onset of real frosts, it must be covered with dry leaves or peat chips and laid on top with spruce branches. Then you need to cover it with snow, compacting it slightly. And at the end of winter, you need to make sure that the snow stays on the garden bed until spring.

Well, if you don’t have a basement, then a small amount of carrots (8-10 kg) can be stored in a cardboard box. To do this, carrots are placed in rows as tightly as possible and for every 15-20 carrots, one medium horseradish rhizome is placed, which prevents diseases and promotes long-term storage of carrots. The same result is achieved by using large perforated plastic bags. A box or bag of carrots should be placed in the coldest place in the room and checked occasionally to remove root crops with signs of rot.

V. Shafransky

(Gardener No. 50, December 24, 2009)

Carrots: terms and rules for harvesting

With carrots, everything is complicated and simple at the same time; for some vegetable growers it’s simple, for others, probably more responsible ones, it’s difficult. The first are simply confident that carrots can be harvested literally at any time, stretching this period right up to mid-October, because carrots are not afraid of frost! Others are confident, and not without reason, that when harvesting carrots, you must be guided by certain deadlines, otherwise the carrots in storage will begin to rot or will acquire a completely non-carrot taste and will become as hard as wood.

Let's figure out who is right. Timely harvesting of carrot roots will have a positive effect on the shelf life of the fruit and their nutritional properties, but early or prolonged harvesting can ruin both.

So, what factors influence the timing of carrot harvesting? This, of course, is the type of variety - early-ripening, mid-ripening or late-ripening carrots, as well as the purposes for which the root crops are actually grown, the appearance and condition of the plants, and, of course, the weather outside the window.

Previously, it was believed that the best time to harvest carrots was before mid-September. Supposedly, after mid-September, the beds should already be free of carrots, and the soil should rest. This makes sense, for example, when the average daily temperature drops to four degrees Celsius, the growth of root crops completely stops, and if the mercury in the thermometer drops below zero degrees, then there is a high probability that the root crops will slowly begin to rot. It is clear that such root crops will either last for a very short time or not at all. Taking this into account, it is advisable to remove root crops from the site before the onset of autumn frosts, which means that the limit is not mid-September, but its end. If you rush and dig the root crops out of the soil too early, they may begin to wither primarily due to the temperature difference - from warm soil to a cold cellar. Of course, now we are talking about late varieties, but if we are talking about mid-season cultivars, then you can calculate the optimal digging time based on the ripening period indicated on each packet of seeds, that is, on average from 80 to 100 days. Of course, there are additional signs indicating the ripening of root crops - these are yellowed lower leaves. If you notice this phenomenon in a mid-season variety of carrots and the deadlines have already approached, so to speak, then it is completely pointless to keep it in the soil longer, this will not lead to an increase in yield, but it may spoil the taste of the fruit.

As for carrots that are distinguished by early ripening periods, or those that were sown before winter, they are harvested at the height of summer, and they are not stored, but are added to marinades and various summer salads to improve their taste and increase their vitamin content. Such carrots are harvested as soon as their diameter reaches one centimeter, tied into bunches and stored for a short time in a regular household refrigerator. It is impossible to keep early carrots in the soil, they will lose their taste and their appearance will deteriorate, and they may become completely covered with cracks, that is, they will become completely unusable.

So, we have more or less figured out the timing, let's now decide how best to harvest the carrots. This vegetable is not difficult to harvest; if you have varieties growing on your plot that form medium and short root crops, then you can do it with your own hands; you can simply pull the root crops out of the soil, holding them by the tops. Long carrots will definitely have to be dug up; removing them completely from the ground is difficult. For digging, use either a pitchfork or a bayonet shovel; the main thing is to choose the right distance to the root crop and try not to damage it. Usually it is enough to just slightly raise the soil, and the root crops will easily come out of it, as soon as you pull them by the tops.

So, we have extracted the carrots, then the opinions of gardeners again differ. Some argue that after digging up carrots, they can be left together with the tops directly on the site for two or three days so that the nutrients from the tops pass into the root crops, while others advise tearing off the tops immediately. In fact, the latter are right; nutrients are more likely to move from the root crop to the tops, but not vice versa. In addition, the tops will also draw out some of the moisture from the root crop, wilting it.

Taking this into account, immediately after digging up all the carrots from the plot, you need to wait several hours until the soil on the surface of the root crops dries, after which the tops can be cut or torn off by hand, leaving a small part, about one and a half centimeters long.

Such a simple process sometimes significantly increases the shelf life of root crops, because the tops do not tend to germinate, thereby leading to the loss of some nutrients and moisture by the root crops.

Do not forget that root crops of late varieties of carrots will be stored well and for a long time, free from damage and signs of rot, so you need to handle them as carefully as possible. If there is a lot of soil on the root crop, then you cannot shake it off by tapping the root crops against each other or cleaning them with something hard; the carrots should be wiped with your hand or a soft, dry cloth. Never wash root vegetables before storing them; it’s better to let them be dirty than wet.

N. V. Khromov , Candidate of Biological Sciences

Carrots are divided into varieties with early and late ripening. Depending on the time of sowing, early carrots begin to be dug up by mid-July. But it is only suitable for current use. There are also so-called mid-ripening varieties, but late-ripening ones are grown for winter storage. For long-term storage of carrots, it is important to know how to properly and at what time to remove them from the garden.

Why is it necessary to harvest carrots on time and correctly?

When the average daily temperature decreases in September, the growth of greenery slows down, and carrot roots begin to grow rapidly, accumulating vitamins and microelements to the maximum. If you dig them up too early, the carrots will not be fully ripe. Unripe vegetables store worse.
If carrots are kept in the ground, their taste will deteriorate and they may go into secondary growth - roots will form on the roots. In addition, when exposed to negative temperatures, the risk of developing. Rot is also more likely when harvesting during prolonged rains. Although carrots, like carrots, are frost-resistant, it is better not to keep root vegetables in beds at temperatures below minus 2 degrees, because the likelihood of rot also increases.

Signs of ripening carrots

The harvest time for varieties with long ripening periods is the first three weeks of September, before the first frost in dry weather.
The lower leaves turn yellow. Yellowing of the middle leaves indicates that the harvesting period has been delayed, unless this is a consequence of a disease.
Digging up the root crop. If white roots are found on it, then the carrots are ready for harvesting. If cracks are found on the root crop, it is important to remove the entire crop as quickly as possible.

carrot bed

Carrot harvesting technique

Small and medium carrots can be removed from the garden bed by hand. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the root crop. Large carrots must first be dug up with a shovel or a pitchfork, whichever is more convenient, and carefully pulled out by the stems. The main thing here is to dig away from the root crop so as not to damage it. You can even use a small spatula, such as a child's spatula.

If the weather has been dry for a long time, then the day before harvesting it is a good idea to slightly moisten the soil - it is more difficult to remove root crops from dry soil and they can easily be damaged by dry soil.

It is easier to dig up vegetables in non-dry soil.

Do not shake off soil from root crops by hitting them against each other or the soil. In this case, it is easy to damage the carrots, which will contribute to the occurrence of rot.

After digging up the entire crop, carefully clean the carrots with your hands from excess soil and cut off the tops. This must be done with a sharp thin knife, cutting off the top of the root crop by a couple of millimeters. You can do this operation in two stages - first cut off the petioles, leaving about 2 centimeters, then the rest. With this option, there is less chance of damaging large carrots. Some gardeners trim the tops without affecting the root crop itself, but with such pruning, carrots often germinate by the beginning of spring during storage.

Tops cutting method

If the carrots are intended to produce seeds, then 1.5–2 cm of petioles are left. There is no need to unscrew the stems by hand, as this can damage the root crops.

After trimming, the carrots are left to dry the cuts for 2 hours. A good option would be to treat root vegetables and especially cut parts with chalk. To do this, the chalk must be finely crushed.

Carrot storage

The first thing that needs to be ensured for storing carrots is a temperature in the range of 0°C + 3°C, high air humidity of about 90% (especially at the beginning of storage) and the absence of light. At lower humidity, carrots wilt, losing their elasticity. Similar humidity can be ensured by storing root vegetables in plastic bags, sand or sawdust.

Before storing, carrots are kept in quarantine for 10 days in a dark place at a temperature of 10 - 12°C. After this procedure, only healthy vegetables are selected for long-term storage. The rest are used for current needs.

When stored in plastic bags, carrots are washed and dried well. Then they put it in bags and tie them. Several small holes are made in the bags for ventilation.

Harvesting carrots is a controversial issue. Some believe that root crops can be harvested at any time until mid-autumn. Others remain supporters of harvesting vegetables within a clear time frame. They believe that otherwise the root crops will lose their juiciness and begin to rot.

There are still disputes between gardeners about the timing of harvesting. Each summer resident has his own views on this matter.

Before deciding when to remove carrots from the garden, you need to consider the following:

characteristics of the variety. After all, the ripening of early varieties differs significantly from the ripening of later ones;
specific development of cultivated plants;
state of culture;
climatic and weather conditions;
purposes of crop cultivation.

The period of ripening of the plant’s fruits, and, accordingly, the time of their removal from the soil, directly depends on these characteristics.

It has long been believed that the optimal period for removing carrots and other root vegetables from the soil ended on September 13th. After this day, nothing should have remained on the beds. This can be explained by the fact that when the temperature drops to 4°C, the growth of vegetables stops, and when the temperature drops to –3°C, gray rot affects the plant, which negatively affects its shelf life. Therefore, it is worth removing the plant from the soil before the onset of constant autumn frosts (no later than the end of September). However, you should not remove vegetables from the soil prematurely. This will also shorten their storage time.

By correctly determining when to dig up carrots, you can grow a high-quality, beautiful crop with a pleasant taste. Timely harvesting of carrots will have a positive effect on the shelf life of the root crop.

Features of collecting early and late carrots

Some gardeners plant crops before winter or cultivate early-ripening varieties in order to enjoy a sweet harvest in mid-summer. However, such a vegetable usually does not store well. If you collect the fruits of an early crop too late, they will begin to crack while in the ground and lose their juiciness. Accordingly, its taste will change. However, this variety can be successfully grown to produce small bunched fruits. You need to collect such a plant when the diameter of its “root” reaches a centimeter.

It is worth collecting mid-season carrots no earlier than 80–110 days after planting. A sign of ripening of a vegetable may be yellowing of its lower leaves. You must try to collect the root crop exactly on time, otherwise it will lose its taste properties and become loose. Some people mistakenly consider yellowing and wilting of the entire tops to be a sign of ripeness. This phenomenon usually signals not ripeness, but a disease of the plant.

Late ripening fruits should be collected in the first half of September. The day on which the collection is carried out must be fine. Rain on this day will negatively affect the quality of the fruit.

Some gardeners believe that harvesting should be done after the first slight frost. However, such an opinion cannot be taken as truth. After all, sub-zero temperatures contribute to the appearance of gray rot on root crops. In this regard, during storage you can lose the entire crop.

When deciding when to dig up carrots, it is worth considering that removing the vegetable from the soil ahead of time is also detrimental to the fruits of the crop. Temperature differences also have a negative effect on the yield. If the harvest was carried out at a temperature of 20° and above, you should not immediately move the crop to the cellar. In this case, you need to wait until the culture stops growing. In addition, coolness promotes the accumulation of sugar in the root crop.

Harvesting rules

Once you have decided when to harvest the carrots, you can begin the collection itself. Short and medium-length vegetables can be harvested by hand by grasping the tops. Long root vegetables need to be collected by carefully digging them up with a pitchfork or shovel. The procedure must be carried out as carefully as possible so as not to injure or break them. When lifting the top layer of soil, it is necessary to pull the fruit out of it by the tops.

Some gardeners mistakenly believe that it is necessary to leave the crop with tops in the garden for several days. Allegedly, in this way, useful substances from the green part of the plant will pass into the underground. However, in reality this is not the case. The leaves absorb all the beneficial substances from the fruit. Therefore, it is advisable to remove the tops almost immediately after collection. The main thing is to wait until the soil that remains on the collected fruits dries out. You don’t have to remove the leaves on a bunched vegetable, but it’s better to trim them to a couple of centimeters.

The tops can not only be trimmed, but also twisted. Removing the leaves will help extend the shelf life of the crop. After all, if you leave the tops, during germination they will cause the vegetable to dry out and reduce its nutritional properties.

If you doubt whether root vegetables can be harvested, pull a couple of plants out of the ground and inspect or even try them. If you are satisfied with the maturity and size of the fruit, feel free to collect the remaining root vegetables.

So, the correct way to harvest carrots is to ensure long-term storage. It is advisable to place in the cellar only those vegetables that are sufficiently ripe and have managed to accumulate carotene and other biological substances. Damage to the root crop negatively affects the shelf life, so it must be removed from the soil as carefully as possible.

If you cannot correctly determine when to harvest the first time, do not despair. All comes with experience.

Video “When to harvest carrots”

From this video you will learn about when to harvest carrots.