Carrot Nantes is perhaps the most famous Russian cultivar of fiery orange root crops. There is no gardener who in his life at least once did not sow the seeds presented in the garden. Moreover, many grow a popular variety year after year, without switching to new-fangled import hybrids. What is the reason for such constancy?
Not inferior to modern import hybrids
Recently (especially among farmers growing carrots for sale), overseas hybrid seeds have become very popular, from which root crops of an ideal appearance grow. From such seeds it is easy to grow carrots with a beautiful flat surface, without ugly processes, large, bright, with an extended shelf life. However, those who tried to compare root vegetables in taste come to a unanimous opinion: Nantes carrots are much tastier, and there is much more carotene in it. But in terms of productivity, our root crops are in no way inferior to imported hybrid varieties, and they are competing in keeping quality. The presented variety of orange "vitamin" is suitable for raw food, canning and storage until the next harvest.
Origin of the variety
Carrot Nantes-4 (reviews indicate its continued popularity), bred by the breeders of the All-Russian Research Institute of Vegetable Crops in 1943 by means of family as well as individual selection of seeds of hybrids of the Nantes type. In the same year, the variety was zoned for planting throughout the Soviet Union. And it doesn’t matter whether this variety is sown in Uzbekistan or in Estonia: carrots will have good seedlings and high yields.
Zoning
Based on the fact that people are accustomed to choosing seeds suitable for cultivation in all areas of our vast country, the popularity of one or another variety of root crops is emerging. Such species are most often mid-season, which endows them with excellent taste, as well as good stable yield and long shelf life. From the foregoing, we can conclude that the variety of carrots Nantes is a universal option, regardless of the climatic zone of sowing, because it immediately meets all the requirements.
Maximum ripening time
How much time should pass from the moment of the appearance of the first seedlings to the complete ripening of the fruit? In mid- season carrot varieties, this period does not exceed 4 months. That is, after laying the seeds in the soil, 120 days should pass - and the Nantes carrot, the photo of which is presented here, can be safely harvested for the winter. If the seeds of Nantes carrots were sown in early May, then with the advent of autumn, on any of the fine days, they begin to harvest. Delay in harvesting in the hope that the root crops will grow a little more, naive. Carrots ripen exactly as much as nature has been given to it. However, nothing bad will happen if, due to various circumstances, the vegetable harvest is postponed until October. Carrots will not begin to develop, but will not rot even in rainy weather. Indeed, such a variety as carrot Nantes-4 is distinguished by good keeping quality and excellent resistance to decay.
Carotene Championship
Growing carrots regularly, it is a sin not to take advantage of the onset of beam ripeness and not to start eating young root vegetables directly from the garden. There is a lot of carotene in this variety, and over the winter stocks of valuable substances in the root crop are depleted. So when else to prepare your body for the harsh and prolonged cold weather, enriching it with vitamins, if not in the summer? In addition, germinating a young carrot, you can kill two rabbits with rhinestones: and get the maximum benefit for the body, and free up space for the growth of neighboring fruits. It is worth noting that already 50 days after the first sprouts, Nantes-4 carrots ripen to beam ripeness, and the carotene content in the fruits reaches 20%.
Brief description of the variety
So, what external signs can he boast of? Root crops have a classic orange color, a smooth cylindrical shape of medium size. Many are sure that the excessive size of the fetus indicates its rigidity. But the hostesses like to treat the child with a juicy little carrot, or use it whole, without a trace, for frying in soup. Therefore, when purchasing carrots in a store, especially large root crops are often ignored. What can not be said about this variety. Nantes carrots (reviews by gardeners indicate this) are unusually juicy and sweet. Root crops have almost perfect sizes: the length does not exceed 16 cm, and the average weight varies in the range of 100-150 g.
Average yield
So, we have found out why the presented species has been so attracted to gardeners for many, many decades. Perhaps, among all the varieties there is no more universal one, which has absorbed so many positive qualities. And what is the yield of such a popular plant as Nantes carrots? Gardeners with confidence and without any exaggeration state that, regardless of climatic conditions, they collect up to 6.5 kg of juicy vegetable from 1 m 2 of land. Imagine that people remove more than half of a bucket of root vegetables from a small patch of a bed. And if the bed is large, then the harvest is calculated in bags at all. And this despite the average size of carrots.
Nantes Carrot: planting and care during the summer
When to start sowing seeds? Many gardeners are in such a hurry to make all plantings that they do not wait until the land warms up, and sow carrots as soon as the land is free of snow. It is not right. After all, the seeds will not swell and hatch until the soil temperature reaches 20 degrees. Thus, seeds planted too early will simply lie and wait in the wings. The optimal distance between the rows is 30 cm. To increase productivity, you need to observe the distance and not save on the ground. To form grooves for sowing, you can use long wooden slats laid across the beds. Sowing depth - 1-2 cm.
After laying the seeds, the grooves are slightly mulched with loose soil or other related materials (according to the tradition of our grandmothers, this can be sawdust), they are shed abundantly and covered with agrofiber. Many gardeners use covering material when planting the Nantes-4 carrot variety. Testimonials using this method indicate the preservation of the optimum temperature on the soil surface, as well as the retention of life-giving moisture and the obstacle to evaporation from the garden. After 10-14 days, you can wait for the first shoots, all this time periodically spilling the bed directly on top of the agrofibre.
After the shoots have appeared, the covering material can be removed until better times, or use it as a defense of strawberry plantations from thrushes. Now comes the time of daily watering, top dressing, loosening the soil. It is for the enrichment of the soil with oxygen that we need such wide grooves. If Nantes carrots in some places sprouted too closely, you can carefully begin to get rid of the excessive density of seedlings, thinning them. As soon as the seedlings get stronger, they cover with freshly cut grass or hay in order to maintain constant humidity on the row of rows. Important! The uniform moisture of the soil prevents cracking of root crops and their improper formation. After reaching heap ripeness, the root crops are thinned so as to leave them in a row at a distance of 6-10 cm from each other. It must be ensured that the carrots do not grow in pairs, otherwise weaving will occur.
When to finish daily watering?
After heap ripeness is achieved and final thinning is performed, you can not carry out daily irrigation, but restrict yourself to irrigation with an interval of 2 times a week, but produce them very abundantly. Gardeners are of the opinion that one plentiful watering will bring more benefits than 3-4 surface. And as we have already found out, mulching (covering rows of rows between hay and straw) can permanently retain moisture in the depths of the beds. Periodically, it is necessary to check the degree of hardness of the soil surface under the mulch. Nantes carrots, like all root vegetables, love not only moisture but also oxygen. Therefore, if loosening is necessary, then it should be done, again shed the bed and again mulch the aisles.
Are there early varieties of Nantes carrots?
Of course, breeders did not fail to take the opportunity to develop an early ripe variety of a popular species. For everyone who wants to get a ripe juicy orange vegetable already 100 days after the appearance of the first shoots and enjoy plenty of incomparable sweet tastes and a high content of vitamins, there is a variety of Nantes-3. Orange-red cylindrical root crops can reach a length of 20 cm. All the best qualities of the species are preserved and complemented by increased sweetness, which makes the vegetable ideal for baby food. Recently, improved Nantes carrot, which has an extended shelf life , is widespread . Having found a forgotten bag in 2-3 years after purchase, you can not worry about good seedlings.
On what soil to grow?
We have already said that carrots require regular hydration and nutrition with oxygen. Therefore, loose light sandy and peaty, loamy soils are suitable for planting. But on heavy clay soils a large crop does not wait. The soil should be crumbly, moderately fertilized, so that the root crop can form correctly, without encountering any obstacles in the form of earthen lumps on its way in the growth process. All gardeners from time to time complain about the ugly, improperly formed, with many fingers clumsy carrots. To prevent this from happening, in autumn you can plant winter rye on the bed , thereby ennobling the soil.
The predecessors in the garden
Vegetables should wander around the beds, making a kind of cycle. This contributes to the control of pests living in the soil. The fire root feels very well sown to the place where last year potatoes, legumes, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes stayed.
How to store a vegetable: recommendations
Despite the fact that carrots of the presented variety are stored without problems, it is not forbidden to follow general recommendations. Let's listen to the advice of experienced gardeners and find out how they keep their impressive harvest. So, experts advise thoroughly rinse the root vegetables in several waters before laying vegetables for storage, and then dry them. The tops are cut off completely, slightly capturing the tip of the carrots, which will prevent unwanted re-germination in the winter during storage. Pure dry root vegetables are packed in dark plastic bags and put into the cellar.