Causes of cracking and curling of carrots

How to protect carrots from cracking.

On the seed package, the carrot looks beautiful, even. However, gardeners are often forced to dig up misshapen, hairy and cracked roots, and they also observe carrots curling.

Poor harvest reasons.

The main factors affecting the quality of carrots are as follows:

The soil.

Stony, loamy soils are not suitable for growing carrots. They slow down growth. The roots do not develop well and take on strange shapes.

Lack of nutrients and organic fertilizers also contribute to slower growth of carrots. It is not recommended to use for planting beds on which tomatoes and cucumbers were previously grown. The crop does not develop well on acidified soils.

Twisting of carrots due to the saturation of the soil with fertilizers.

Fertilizer for planting carrots should be applied with care. Overcharging the soil with fertilizers can negatively affect the taste of carrots, their size and shape.

Incorrect fit.

To get a good harvest of carrots, it is necessary to carry out its correct planting and correct thinning, in which there should be a distance of at least four centimeters between the bushes.

Curling carrots due to improper watering.

When there is an excess of moisture in the soil, the carrots crack. Such carrots are not subject to long-term storage.

A bad variety has been selected.

When choosing a variety, it is necessary to take into account the growing conditions and type of soil. Hard and rocky soils are not suitable for growing large varieties.

When choosing seeds, give preference to F1 hybrids. F2 hybrids taste like wild carrots.

Pests.

In spring, carrot flies are the main pest for growing carrots. Carrots lose their beautiful appearance, deform and develop poorly.

How to protect carrots from cracking.

The following rules must be observed:

In the spring, it is necessary to plow the soil to a depth of more than 20 cm. Remove small stones and household waste.

You need to constantly change the landing site.
The soil can be diluted with coarse river sand. This will avoid distortion and distortion of the vegetable.

Moderate fertilization. Only decomposed organic matter should be used. Fertilize the beds with rotted compost.

It is necessary to systematically loosen the ground. This will provide oxygen access to the inner layers of the earth.

The beds should be watered abundantly at the initial stage of carrot formation. In the last 3 months of growing, watering should be kept to a minimum. Do not water after heavy rains and cold days.

Eliminate root crops damaged by pests. Do not leave infected leaves in the area.

Produce timely weeding.

Use a mosquito net to keep pests out of your crops. Biological fungicides can be used.

Apply mulching. Hay and straw can be used as mulch. Sawdust mulch is not recommended. Sawdust and wood chips strongly acidify the soil, which is harmful for vegetables.

Harvesting is done only in dry weather. This will protect the roots of the cracks.