TOP 7 reasons for limp carrots in the ground
Every gardener tries to grow the ideal crop, adhering to all the rules of planting and care. Growing carrots is a popular trend as this root vegetable is not only widely used in cooking but also has many health benefits. When choosing the next new variety of seeds, looking at the packaging, you can contemplate an even, smooth, impeccable shape and the same size, bright orange color, full of nutritious carrot juice. Manufacturers specializing in the procurement of seed products promise abundant harvests of root crops, high-quality ripening and the possibility of long-term storage. This is what every gardener would like to see when harvesting, but, unfortunately, expectation and reality do not always coincide.
Root crops grow gnarled, “horned,” long and thin, completely losing their characteristic vegetable appearance, juiciness and color. Quite often, you can dig up already wilted root crops directly from the ground. Let's figure out what can cause carrots to become limp while still in the ground.
It is difficult to name one single reason why it can be clearly concluded that this particular problem affects the texture of the root crop, and eliminating it will completely correct the quality of the carrots.
Preliminary preparation when harvesting from the garden
Carrots are a root vegetable whose life cycle lasts 2 years , in the first year it produces leaves and crops, and in the second it produces seeds. You can store carrots, and it’s quite simple, but you need some preparation (how to prepare carrots for storage?).
On a note! In order for carrots to last all winter, it is necessary not only to create conditions for storage, but, first of all, to properly harvest the crop and select the fruits.
What structure should a root crop have so that it does not mind long-term storage? First of all, it is better to choose varieties that ripen quite late. Many gardeners prefer to plant even slightly unripe root crops for the winter. Secondly, be sure to dry the carrots before you remove them. That is why it is recommended to choose dry weather for harvesting.
Then it will be enough to simply shake the carrots off the ground and let them lie for a while. The height of the harvesting season occurs at the end of September - beginning of October. Don’t worry that cold weather will already begin in some regions; light frost will not harm the crop.
When harvesting carrots from the garden, you should try not to damage the skin, as this affects the possible shelf life of the vegetables. We cut off the tops, leaving only a couple of millimeters on the fruit itself.
We talked about whether it is possible to wash carrots before storing them here, and from this article you will learn about ways to store both clean and dirty root vegetables.
Rhizoctonia spores
Vegetable breeders claim that the culprit is diseases of vegetable crops and spores of fungal bacteria that travel by air from one plant to another, affecting increasingly large areas of vegetable beds. The once beautiful, bright green tops of carrots become yellow, and the root crop withers and, by the time of harvest, becomes completely unsuitable for consumption and long-term storage. There is a specific name for this disease; the root crop is affected by rhizoctonia - a dangerous fungal disease of vegetable crops that can destroy the entire carrot crop in a short period of time.
How does rhizoctonia appear on the site? The “existence” of rhizoctonia in garden beds is caused by non-compliance with crop rotation, sowing carrot seeds after harvesting beets, parsley or turnips. Conclusion, for carrot root crops to grow successfully, you need to choose a new bed every year.
Storage in a cellar or basement
The easiest way to store root vegetables in the cellar is in clay. Sedimentary rock forms a protective layer that retains the moisture necessary for long-term storage of the vegetable. The method is quite labor-intensive, but the shelf life of fruits with this storage method is up to a year.
There are two main options for storing carrots in clay:
- Dipping carrots into clay. Unwashed fruits must be sequentially dipped into garlic mash and liquid clay and left until dry. Afterwards, the root crop is placed in boxes or bags and stored in a cool place. In addition to increasing shelf life without loss of taste, the method also protects vegetables from pathogenic microbes.
- Filling with clay. Dry clay should be filled with water and left for 24 hours. Afterwards, you need to dilute the mixture to the consistency of sour cream. A thick film is laid at the bottom of the box intended for storing carrots, then the vegetables are laid in layers. The fruits should not touch each other. The clay is poured from above, after the first layer has dried, the procedure is repeated.
How to store carrots in the basement? Film bags or wooden boxes are suitable. The bags are not tied; holes should also be made in them to allow the release of carbon dioxide, which is released by carrots in small quantities in order to protect against diseases, or excess moisture - condensation, which accumulates on the inner walls of the bag. The method is not the most successful, but is often used because of its simplicity. In such conditions, root vegetables can be stored for up to 4 months.
It is much better to store carrots in wooden boxes, which (to avoid moisture) should be placed on a stand 10-15 centimeters from the wall. Root vegetables are placed in a storage container so that there is free space between them. It is good to sprinkle the vegetables with wet sand, onion peels or pine sawdust. This prevents vegetables from rotting, prevents sprouting and ensures a constant temperature.
The choice of storage method largely depends on the size of the crop. The main recommendation, no matter what method is used, is to ensure the most optimal storage conditions possible - high air humidity (90-95%) and constant temperature (about 10 degrees).
Lack of systematic loosening of beds and thinning of crops
Careful and proper care of carrots involves periodic thinning of crops and mandatory loosening of the top layer of soil. If the plantings are dense, then the fruits simply do not have enough room to grow, they stretch out and take on ugly shapes.
The top layer of soil, hard and cracked after watering, prevents the penetration of oxygen, nutrition and moisture to the roots of the plant. Thus, a root crop grown in a garden bed without proper loosening will certainly wither before reaching technical maturity.
Infected seeds
Many gardeners, especially beginners, completely rely on the manufacturer, who indicates on the package label that the seed is processed and completely ready for sowing and, often, does not disinfect the seed.
It is still worth carrying out disinfection measures with seeds. How to disinfect carrots before planting? Immersing the contents of the package for some time in a weak solution of potassium manganese will disinfect the seeds. In this simple way, you can prevent the accumulation and development of spores of pathogenic bacteria, and will prevent the development of diseases and lethargy of the root crop while still in the ground.
Ways to combat diseases and pests
It will not be possible to make limp or rotten carrots hard again, but you can protect the vegetable from diseases and pests without much difficulty.
Experts recommend the following measures to counteract the enemies of carrots:
- treat storage rooms with a solution of bleach (400 g of lime per 10 liters of water), and then ventilate;
- whitewash the shelves with lime (1 kg of lime per 10 liters of water);
- before sowing, add a mixture of 5 kg of humus, 20 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium chloride to the ground;
- the seed must be treated in a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
- spray plants with such products as “Immunocytophyte”, “Trichodermin”, “Gamair”, etc., according to the instructions.
Excessive fertilization
The benefits of additional nutrition in the form of complex additives, minerals, acids, amino acids and rotted organic matter are undeniable. But, both moisture and fertilizers must be applied only in the recommended quantities and doses, because anything that is too much is not healthy.
For example, an excess of nitrogen-containing compounds in the soil allows root vegetables to accumulate nitrates in their pulp, which significantly affects the yield and appearance of the vegetable. With an excess of nutrition and moisture, the fruits crack and wither while still in the ground, before the period of full ripening. Conclusion, do not overdo it with fertilizing; strictly adhere to the carrot fertilizer calendar.
Carrot flies, aphids and leafhoppers are the causative agents of wilting of root crops
The consequence of the presence of weeds, thickened crops and waterlogged soil in vegetable beds is the settlement of insect pests.
The carrot fly lays down larvae, which later turn into worms and penetrate the pulp of the fruit. Affected carrots first simply wither and then rot, so when harvesting you can find not only limp, but also rotten root crops.
Aphids and leafhoppers drink juice from mechanically damaged carrot tops and transfer spores of fungal bacteria from the diseased plant to the healthy one. Crops affected in this way change their appearance, the tops of carrots turn yellow, and the fruit becomes covered with hairs and withers right in the ground. Conclusion, avoid the abundance of weeds that provoke the appearance of pests, and also do not forget to spray, for example, with bioinsecticides, which are harmless to humans, but destructive to pests. Read more about biological products that will help you easily cope with pests without harming humans in this article.
Possible causes of rotting during home storage
Frequent reasons why carrots begin to soften and rot at home include the following:
- if the selected root crops already have damage and signs of rotting;
- the requirements for storing vegetables are not met;
- sudden temperature changes occur in rooms with carrots;
- excessive humidity.
Did you know? Several centuries ago in England, ladies decorated their hats not only with feathers or flowers, but also with carrot tops, which retained their fresh appearance for a long time.
Premature absence of tops in root crops
Novice gardeners are also experimenters. Quite often you hear that in order to obtain larger and juicier fruits, the green tops of carrots should be cut off in September.
Undoubtedly, this opinion is wrong. Without the presence of the ground part in the form of green tops before the end of the growing season, the plant will stop its development and growth, and the formed root crop will simply wither. Conclusion, the above-ground part of carrots should remain until harvest.
If you prevent all possible causes of carrot wilting, you will not face such a misfortune as a sluggish harvest.
Source
General issues of root crop preservation
In order to properly organize winter storage, you need to know the basic requirements for carrot varieties and the necessary conditions.
What varieties are suitable?
Which variety is better to choose for sowing so that it can be stored for as long as possible? As mentioned earlier, these should be late-ripening carrots, for example:
"Nantes".- "Touchon."
- Boltex.
- "Vitamin"
- "Chantone".
Of course, when choosing a variety of carrots for storage, you also need to take into account the region in which you live and the temperature. There are varieties that ripen early, but can last until about mid-winter , these are:
- "Alenka."
- "Bangor".
- "Lagoon".
You can read more about suitable varieties of carrots, as well as their shelf life, here.
The necessary conditions
What does a root vegetable need to be stored for a long time? If the vegetables were collected correctly, then this is already half the success. It must be remembered that the vegetable must be stored within 24 hours after collection. Since during this time the carrots reach a temperature that is best suited for storage. You can read more about the temperature conditions required for storing vegetables here.
Reference. The humidity in the room also plays an important role; it should be 90-95%; fluctuations in plus or minus can cause carrots to wilt or, conversely, sprout.
Do not forget that air circulation must be ensured in the room ; this is also important for increasing shelf life.
Why do carrots become soft in the ground?
Carrots become flabby due to waterlogging of the soil, excess nitrogen, the use of contaminated planting material, and violation of crop rotation rules.
Poor planting material
The quality of seeds prepared for planting determines the future harvest.
To prevent its loss, the following is recommended:
Medium-sized carrot varieties ripen much faster than large ones.
Improper watering
Most often, carrots wither due to non-compliance with the watering regime. Excess moisture contributes to the appearance of cracks in root crops, in which the fungus multiplies.
Growing this crop in an area with close groundwater is also undesirable, since the plant will lag in growth.
In dry weather at a temperature of +18...+23°C, carrots are watered 2 times a month.
The amount of water used depends on the phase of the growing season:
In conditions of high humidity and rain, the frequency of watering is reduced, and film tunnels are created to avoid waterlogging of the soil.
On hot days with temperatures above +28°C, the soil is moistened more often, but the amount of water is not increased. In this case, the need for watering is usually indicated by a dry crust formed on the surface. On average, the procedure is carried out every 2-3 days, after which the root crops are hilled.
Important! Watering is stopped 20 days before harvest.
Errors in crop rotation
Correct crop rotation plays an important role in growing carrots. Failure to comply with it leads to soil depletion and a significant decrease in crop yields. It is allowed to grow this vegetable on one plot no earlier than after 5 years.
Carrots are recommended for planting near the following crops:
It is undesirable to do this in the place where they grew:
Ideal predecessors for carrots:
Excess fertilizer
Excessive feeding leads to a number of problems:
An increased nitrogen content in the soil leads to the accumulation of nitrates, which negatively affects the shelf life of root crops. In this regard, it is best to use complex formulations diluted in a lower concentration than recommended in the instructions. Due to a lack of nutrients, carrot tops turn yellow, the stems become thinner, and the root crop becomes lethargic.
Preventive measures
In order for carrots to be stored for a long time, it is necessary to provide them with the proper conditions, namely:
- observe crop rotation;
- weeding;
- thin out young plants;
- plant crops on loose and light soils;
- harvest in dry and warm weather;
- treat storage facilities with sulfur bombs;
- destroy affected root crops;
- store indoors at temperatures from 0°C to –2°C and relative humidity 85–90%;
- choose rot-resistant varieties.
Important! Constant air circulation must be ensured in storage areas for carrots.
If you take proper care of your carrots and follow the above recommendations, you can get a good harvest in the fall, which will delight you with long-term preservation.
