Carrots are a fruit that is rich in vitamins and minerals. At the moment, there are many excellent types of carrots and its hybrids. Considering what good varieties of carrots, you need to take into account that an impeccable crop of large vegetables can be obtained only on well-loosened plots of land. It should be understood that domestic species absolutely do not lose foreign ones in productivity, and in terms of carotene level, taste and storage properties, they often significantly exceed them.
By maturity, carrot varieties are divided into categories:
- Early ripening - it takes about 100 days to harvest.
- Mid-season - will bring a crop in the interval from 105 to 120 days.
- Late ripening - it will take more than 125 days.
It must be remembered that most of the varieties and hybrids of foreign selection are bred in order to obtain, first of all, an attractive appearance of carrots - smooth in diameter and length, smooth, and their taste and nutritional properties are reduced. In the fruits of the main foreign varieties, the level of carotene is lower than in domestic ones, and a significant number of them remain in our conditions much worse.
Varieties of carrots may well be suitable for early sowing (we will consider the description below) with small rhizomes. Such vegetables ripen in a shorter time. Round species also mature quite soon, but yield little harvest. The most optimal is a short carrot, which is more appropriate to use a bed.
Foreign hybrids are the most suitable option for getting early products for sale. In stores today, the selection of such varieties of carrot seeds is very rich. And for long-term storage, domestic varieties are better suited, as they are adapted to the climate and perfectly retain their pristine appearance.
How to grow carrots
Carrot is an undemanding vegetable crop. The whole process from the moment of acquiring seeds to the first harvest is quite simple and does not require any special skills. Any soil is suitable for carrots, systematic watering is not required.
Sown through seeds immediately to an open area. After the formation of shoots, the beds are thinned out so that the gap between them is about 5 cm.
Carrots will grow in any soil: sand, chernozem or clay. Vegetables do not require any special fertilizers, they are less susceptible to diseases and pests than other crops.
In the open area for carrots, you can choose any place. The only thing is, the soil should not be very moist, in another carrot is absolutely undemanding.
For loose soil, seeds of long carrots are suitable, and for solid and impermeable soil, short species should be preferred.
How to choose seeds
To determine the necessary type of carrot, you need to focus on:
- Variety and composition of the soil.
- How fast you need to get the crop.
- How will carrots be used (sold, stored, used for cooking, or consumed fresh).
- Crop size.
- Distinctive flavoring features of carrots.
Obviously, when selecting a variety of carrot seeds, it is necessary to take into account all the circumstances, having decided on the most suitable ones.
In particular, foreign hybrids are often grown for the purpose of selling. They bring a stable crop with equal-sized fruits. But these vegetables do not have high taste, in contrast to domestic counterparts. Consider the best varieties of carrots, reviews and photos.
Tushon
Like all early ripening varieties, Tushon is grown for consumption both fresh and for various types of processing. It is frozen, canned, all kinds of dishes are prepared from it. Vegetables ripen approximately 80 days after planting seeds in the soil.
Ripe carrots in shape in the form of an oblong cylinder, about 20 cm long. There are small “eyes” on the surface, looking smooth. The color of the root crop is saturated orange. The form is correct, the same.
By weight, one carrot can be from 90 to 150 grams. The central part is dense, saturated with juice, bright orange. The taste qualities of this early variety of carrots, according to gardeners, are simply excellent. The vegetable has a high level of carotene. The variety is distinguished by good productivity - up to 4.5 kg per 1 sq.m. plot. Thanks to these qualities, he is very popular among summer residents.
Alenka
Many choose this variety of carrots for planting because of the rich harvest. Rhizomes mature 100 days after planting, which is why they are considered mid-season. Carrots grow up to 15 cm long and 4 cm in diameter.
For every 1 square. m. 10 kg of the crop. According to summer residents, the properties of this variety are excellent: carrots are saturated with juice, crispy, suitable for long-term storage, while not deteriorating, not susceptible to disease.
Alenka carrots can be grown in all regions of the country.
Carotel
One of the famous varieties is the Carotel. The crop appears 90 days after planting on the site. The variety is considered high-yielding - you can get 7 kg of vegetables per 1 square. m
Vegetables are unpretentious and practical - can be grown in any region of the country.
Carrots are cylindrical with a rounded tip. It grows approximately 15 cm long and weighs up to 100 g. The most important distinguishing feature is its excellent taste. Carotels have a juice rich pulp that has a strong aroma and inherent taste.
An excellent variety of carrots for storage (can be stored up to 1 year). The vegetable is rich in vitamins, therefore it is more often used for the production of baby food and diet food. Reviews are only positive.
Nantes 4
One of the most popular and widespread varieties is Nantes carrot 4. Ripen approximately 3 months after planting.
Ripe cylindrical carrots with a rounded tip. The color is bright orange, the surface is even and smooth. Rhizomes grow up to 16 cm in size, weigh up to 120 g.
According to reviews, this variety of carrots for open ground has many advantages. The pulp is rich in juice, tasty, rich in carotene and fiber. This variety is suitable for long storage.
Samson
According to the characteristics, this variety of carrots is similar to Nantes. It is considered undemanding in the cultivation and care.
The shape of a carrot is similar to a cylinder with an elongated tip. The color of the vegetable is orange, the surface is flat. By weight, each fruit can reach 150 g.
Due to its attractive appearance, this variety is most grown for sale. Carrots also have excellent taste, suitable for long-term storage and fresh consumption.
Vitamin 6
It belongs to the seeds of carrots of the best varieties for open ground. It ripens approximately 100 days after planting, therefore, refers to mid-ripening. Vegetables of this variety are immune to diseases, unassuming in care.
The roots are red-orange in color, their surface is even, with small “eyes”. The shape of a carrot resembles a cylinder with a rounded tip. Reach sizes up to 18 cm, by weight 170 g.
Carrots are rich in carotene and other useful trace elements, after storage also remains useful. According to reviews, this variety of carrots is sweet and delicious.
Chanten Royal
It is attributed to mid-season species. The crop appears 120 days after sowing. The variety is practical, suitable for cultivation in regions with any soil.
The roots are bright orange, the shape is similar to a cone. Carrot grows 17 cm long, up to 5 cm in diameter. The carrot peel is smooth, the shape is correct. Vegetables are unpretentious to many diseases.
It is suitable for storage for up to 9 months, is used fresh, or for cooking various dishes. Many summer residents consider these seeds the best variety of carrots.
Queen of autumn
This variety is planted in the autumn. The crop appears after 3 months.
Root crops are smooth, has a cylindrical shape, and the peel is smooth. Carrots grow up to 22 cm long and weigh up to 170 g. Carrots have a pulp rich in juice, excellent aroma and taste. The appearance of vegetables allows you to grow the "Queen of Autumn" for sale.
The variety is resistant to a cool climate, many diseases, stands out for high productivity. With 1 sq. m. up to 9 kg of the crop.
Sentyabrina
This variety begins to produce crops 120 days after planting. Carrots are large - weighing up to 300 g, and can grow about 25 cm long.
Rhizomes of a standard orange hue, the surface is flat, the shape is similar to a cone. Vegetables are suitable for fresh consumption, cooking various dishes, canning. If the carrots are left for long storage, then there will be almost no vitamins and nutrients left in it, therefore it is better not to use it for storage.
Abaco
It is considered a rather capricious variety, created on the basis of several common species. Culture is subject to natural conditions: temperature and humidity. To get a significant and high-quality crop of carrots, a systematic and generous watering is necessary. Seeds are planted exclusively in stable, warm weather, the air temperature should be about 15-17 degrees.
If it is not enough to water the carrots, then the fruits will crack, deform and become unsightly. Ripe carrots reach a length of about 20 cm, and the hue has a bright orange.
According to reviews, the vegetable is very pleasant in taste, perfect for cooking salads, cooking, canning. Abaco is not suitable for long-term storage.
The emperor
Modified carrots vary greatly depending on the seed producer. Some vegetables of this species have a sweetish pulp, while others are fragile - they break apart with little physical impact.
Carrots are bright orange in shape with a sharp tip. By weight, carrots can grow up to 550 g, and about 35 cm long.
The taste of root vegetables is also very unusual, differing from the standard and familiar “carrot” taste.
Nandrin
Carrots of the Nandrin variety are early ripe, but differ in that they are well stored for a long time. The vegetable is unpretentious - does not require frequent watering and at the same time grows well.
Ripe carrots are quite large in size - up to 25 cm in length, of an orange hue, similar in shape to a cone, saturated with juice and very fragrant.
Next, consider non-standard varieties of carrots, description, reviews of gardeners.
Custom grades
In addition to the common orange-colored carrots, there are other varieties of this vegetable.
Depending on the content in the root crop of substances such as anthocyanin and beta-carotene, carrots can be of various shades - red, yellow, purple, cherry, green, pinkish and even black. It is noteworthy that initially the shade of “cultivated” carrots was yellow (contains carotene) and purple (contains anthocyanin), the remaining colors are the result of selection. It is believed that this culture began to conquer the world in the western and eastern direction from Afghanistan and Iran. Moreover, the “eastern” carrot has a red tint, while the “western”, European, was yellow, and later became more orange.
Unusual types of carrots are:
- White carrots. In structure, such carrots are similar to ordinary carrots. A distinctive feature is that the vegetable does not contain pigment, therefore it has such a shade. The taste of carrots is pronounced, the flesh is saturated with juice, rich in vitamins and trace elements. For a long period, such carrots were used to feed livestock, but today many are grown for food. The fruits of white carrots are suitable for long storage, it is used to prepare a variety of dishes.
- Red carrots. Red carrots have an intense color due to the pigment lycopene, which is also found in tomatoes and watermelons. For a person, lycopene is very useful: it protects the body from the formation of cancer cells, removes toxins from the body, and helps normalize the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. A distinctive feature of all varieties of red carrots is an increased level of carotene. Carrots also contain many nutrients, up to 15% of the total weight of the fetus. The resulting types and modifications of red carrots have an excellent appearance and excellent taste.
- Black carrots. Quite a special look, stands out among others in appearance and other characteristics. The pulp of black carrots is saturated with juice, has an excellent taste with a touch of vanilla. This vegetable is unpretentious to low temperatures, can easily tolerate small frosts. Another distinguishing feature of black carrots is that during flowering, beautiful yellow inflorescences with an exotic aroma are formed. Due to the bright pigmentation, the extract of black carrot is actively used as a natural dye in cooking.
- Yellow carrots. Yellow carrots were not intentionally bred by breeders; they exist in nature for a long time. A significant effect on the color of carrots is exerted by the accumulation of coloring pigments - xanthophyll, carotene, anthocyanin. This variety has a higher content of useful elements than any other species. Xanthophyll supports the work of the heart and blood vessels, lutein protects the eyes from ultraviolet radiation. Brings a rich harvest and requires regular watering.
There are also special feed varieties. They are intended for feeding livestock, as well as small animals and birds. The fruits are not distinguished by a noble taste, but at the same time they contain a lot of nutrients, microelements and fiber.
Choosing the seeds of the best varieties of carrots for open ground, it is worth focusing on some important points. To get a plentiful harvest for sale, it is worth choosing foreign and domestic hybrids, and for your own garden, tried and tested varieties of local selection are suitable.