To grow carrots is a laborious and laborious process. For a good harvest, gardeners need to sow the seeds, to ensure good and proper care for the seedlings.
Carrots - capricious vegetable. After sowing, the shoots sprout unevenly, forming thick spots on the garden bed. In the case of such a situation, it is necessary to thin the carrot in time, and it must be done correctly so as not to harm the growing vegetable. How to do it correctly, so as not to harm the vegetable will be discussed later in the article.
What is it and how is it different from weeding?
Most gardeners use carrot seeds from sachets for planting, which they buy in stores. Such seeds are sown densely, as some litters do not germinate well.
Dense shoots are recommended to thin out, as the plants will interfere with each other during growth, fighting for useful nutrients and trace elements. The roots will grow small, not smooth, pale and not tasty.
It is important not to confuse the procedure - thinning and weeding.
- Thinning carrots - the process of periodic removal of excess sprouts in the case of dense shoots. It is carried out to obtain even, large and tasty root crops. When breaking through seedlings it is necessary to use special equipment.
- Weeding - the process of removing weeds, grown mixed with carrots in the garden. Weeds need to be removed by hand, in order not to harm the inventory of the nearby root vegetables. The frequency of weeding depends on the growth of weeds in the garden.
A photo
Next you can see a photo of thinned carrot.
Seed Features
Almost all seeds have poor germination. After sowing, seedlings germinate unevenly.. In one part of the beds can be single shoots, in the other - a strong thickening of shoots. The reasons for uneven germination of seeds and thickening of sprouts are the following factors:
- Seeds were sown in random order.
- Improper planting of seeds with a strong recess.
- The appearance of a dense earth crust on the surface of the beds after watering during planting.
Dates
Crops thinned for the entire growing season no more than two times. The procedure is recommended after the appearance of the first 2 leaves. At this time, the normal sparseness of the landings is already visible. It is necessary to thin out in time, because during growth the roots can overlap. This may make it difficult to break through extra shoots. The procedure is carried out in two stages:
- First breakthrough seedlings spend 4-5 weeks after rooting of seeds. Seedlings should be at a distance of 1.5 - 3 centimeters from each other.
- The second - 21-28 days after the first removal of excess sprouts. During this period, weak and thickening seedlings are eliminated. You need to leave the plants with 4-6 full leaves.
Causes of thick shoots
Dense shoots germinate for the following reasons::
- Bought loose seeds of good quality. They have good germination.
- Seeds are sown at the correct depth, which improves the germination of the root.
- Planting was carried out in a simple way - abundant sowing of seeds in the grooves in random order.
- Favorable weather conditions for landing.
How to perform the procedure?
In order to properly thin out the carrot seedlings, gardeners need to know the technology of breaking through seedlings and the procedure: whether it is necessary to treat the sprouts before thinning and what exactly, what distance to keep between them after removing excess and much more. So, the procedure is carried out early in the morning. The soil should be wet.. For this, the beds are watered in advance so that the water is completely absorbed into the soil. Wet earth will facilitate the process of removing excess seedlings.
You can use the following step by step instructions:
- The soil surface is pre-moistened with a spray gun or sprayer.
- Plants are treated with solutions that scare the carrot fly. When breaking through, the smell of carrot essential oils spreads and there is a risk to attract an insect pest.
- Leave a gap between seedlings 2-3 centimeters.
- Gently pull out weak plants. Remove all weeds from the bed.
- Plants are removed carefully, strictly in an upright position so as not to harm nearby growing root crops.
- After removing the excess and weakened sprouts, the seedlings need to be moistened again. You need to water with warm water, the temperature of which is 18-20 degrees at the rate of 2-3 liters per 1 square meter.
- Loosened soil is slightly compacted so that insects could not lay eggs in the soil.
- Loosen the ground between the rows.
The second removal of excess and weakened vegetable bushes is carried out according to the same instructions, leaving a gap between plants of 6 - 7 centimeters. After both procedures, all plant residues must be removed so as not to attract the pest to the fly with carrot odor.
There are the following ways to quickly break through the root.:
- Manual breakthrough. Manual removal of roots is not a very convenient way. The risk of damaging the neighboring plant and its root is very high.
Thus, it is not always possible to tear the root crop completely and its lower part may remain in the ground. This happens mainly when re-thinning, when the plants have already gained strength and their roots are well entrenched in the soil.
- Scissors use. This is a method of thinning the sprouts with ordinary scissors, leaving a distance of 4 cm between seedlings on the garden bed after cutting. How to use scissors for thinning: take scissors and cut the greens under the root, and leave the roots in the ground.
But experts do not advise using this method of thinning: the roots left in the ground will begin to rot and decay, becoming sources of diseases, especially fungal ones. Plants left to grow root crops are easily infected with these diseases. As a result, you can go without a crop.
- Use of garden tweezers. When using garden tweezers, you can grab thinner trunks. This method is longer, as it is necessary to be careful when working with the tool and not to damage the plant growing nearby.
- Apply to remove the roots of the knife. Experienced gardeners call this method of thinning with a knife a “grandmother's.” The knife is introduced into the ground by 2-3 centimeters and cut several shoots at once. With this thinning there is a danger of damaging the growing root next to it. Tools for thinning each gardener chooses individually.
Many gardeners convenient to break through the carrots by hand. In a word, everyone chooses for himself the way to best perform the procedure.
What happens after improper thinning?
Improper thinning of carrots is non-compliance with the technology and procedure for removing excess and weakened sprouts during the first and second thinning. Wrong breakthrough of seedlings leads to the following consequences:
- Growing roots are damaged and may rot.
- On the roots appear unnecessary processes.
- The damaged sprout weakens and then it is prone to various diseases.
As a result of improper thinning, you can get a “clumsy” crop or be left without a crop at all, which is why it is very important to ensure proper care of the sprouts in the open field after the procedure.
Is it possible to plant thinned sprouts in open ground and is it necessary to replant?
Many gardeners are interested in such a question: is it possible to plant carrot seedlings after thinning? Yes, remote shoots can be used as seedlings and transplanted to places where carrots rarely sprout. For proper transplanting of seedlings during thinning, it is recommended to adhere to the following instructions:
- After breaking through the plants should be placed in a container with water.
- Choose not damaged plants with a strong root.
- The plant is partially pruned. Leave the beam length of 7-10 centimeters, so the plant survives better.
- When planting, the root should enter the soil completely vertically.
- The distance between the individual bushes should be about 10 centimeters.
In the case of transplantation after thinning there is a probability that the seedlings will not take all. Root carrots may end up with deformed and small root vegetables.. Compliance with all the rules and technologies of thinning carrots is a pledge of a good and large crop for the gardener.
To avoid thinning, experienced gardeners use special tools and tools for sowing seeds and quickly removing excess seedlings. You can also apply the following methods of planting carrots:
- tape
- in trays for eggs;
- mix the seeds with wet sand and many others.
No matter what method the gardener chooses for himself, in order to get a good harvest, it is also necessary to plant and fertilize the soil before planting.
