An early ripe hybrid of carrots with excellent yields: Amsterdam

An early ripe hybrid of Amsterdam carrots has a high yield and a sweet bright orange pulp. The culture is easy to grow even for novice gardeners, observing simple rules of agricultural technology.

Description of Amsterdam carrots

Culture for 30 years has not lost its popularity due to the ease of cultivation, excellent taste and versatility of use.

Origin and development

The hybrid was developed by Polish breeders in the mid-90s. In Russia, it was first grown in the Central Black Earth Region, then began to be cultivated everywhere.

The culture has taken root well both in the southern regions and in the Urals, Siberia, and even the northern regions.

Chemical composition, trace elements and vitamins, useful properties

According to its chemical composition, Amsterdam is one of the advanced hybrids and has a rich list of vitamins and trace elements.

The composition of carrots contains trace elements important for the human body:

• aluminum;
• boron;
• vanadium;
• iron;
• iodine;
• cobalt;
• lithium;
• manganese;
• copper;
• molybdenum;
• nickel;
• rubidium;
• selenium;
• strontium;
• fluorine;
• chromium;
• zinc.

All microelements in combination with each other have a beneficial effect on the functioning of systems and organs and are well absorbed when consumed.

Among the vitamins contained in the root vegetable:

1. B vitamins: thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid. Provide immune support to the body; normalize the work of the cardiovascular and nervous systems; improve skin condition, bowel function; participate in energy exchange; protect the body from stress and muscle tension.
2. Vitamin PP or nicotine, the use of which is to eliminate "bad" cholesterol, participate in fat metabolism, hormone production, normalize the liver and the digestive tract.
3. Beta - carotene, necessary for the body to maintain visual acuity and bone growth, accelerate the healing of wounds and abrasions.
4. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid - a strong antioxidant, without which it is difficult for the body to cope with inflammatory processes.
5. Vitamin E - an irreplaceable element of youth. Fights premature aging of the body, supports the immune system, removes free radicals and toxins.
6. Vitamin H - a catalyst in metabolic processes, promotes the production of collagen and insulin, improves liver function.
7. Vitamin K strengthens capillary walls and ensures blood clotting.

Ripening period

It is one of the earliest carrot hybrids. Only 80 days pass from emergence to technical ripeness. If the seeds are sown in late April - early May, then the roots are consumed in mid-August.

Yield

Another advantage of the hybrid is its high yield. From one square.m collect from 3 to 5 kg of vegetables. Subject to all the rules of agricultural technology, the yield rises to 7 kg.

Disease resistance

Not every carrot hybrid is as resistant to disease as the Amsterdam carrot. Diseases affect her extremely rarely - this happens when the irrigation regime is not followed or adverse weather conditions.

Characteristics, description of appearance, taste

The leaves of the plants are dense, have a bright green color, the shape of which is a semi-spreading rosette. The height of the sprouts reaches 50 cm. Root crops: bright orange, cylindrical in shape with a blunt tip and a small core. Vegetable size 15-20 cm, weight 150-180 g. The pulp is juicy and tender, with a high sugar content and delicate aroma.

For which regions is it most suitable and what is the climate requirements

Due to its undemanding soil and air temperature, Amsterdam grows throughout Russia. But the best harvest is obtained in areas with a temperate climate. The hybrid has proven itself well in the Central region, southern regions of Siberia and the Far East.

The optimum climate for a hybrid is moderately humid, neither hot nor arid.

The main advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid

The main pluses of the Amsterdam carrot:

• ripens earlier;
• not demanding on the soil composition;
• has an increased yield;
• resistant to diseases and flowers;
• unpretentious in care;
• differs in the evenness of root crops with a blunt tip;
• has increased sugar content;
• universal in use: good both fresh and processed;
• planted not only in spring, but also before winter.

There are few disadvantages of the hybrid:

• yield losses during long-term storage;
• exactingness to watering;
• susceptibility to a number of diseases.

Features of planting and growing

The key to a high yield is the correct preparation of seeds, planting sites and soil.

Preparing for landing

To improve germination, the seeds are soaked in slightly salted water for 15-20 minutes. The seeds floating on the surface are removed as empty and unusable, the rest are dried. To accelerate the development of the plant, the seeds are placed for 1-3 days in a damp cloth with the addition of an ash solution, a natural growth biostimulator.

Ground requirements

The place for sowing is chosen carefully: open, sunny, without shading.

The soil is prepared with the introduction of humus, ash and peat. It is also recommended to add sand - the soil structure becomes looser, allows air to pass through, retains moisture and allows carrots to penetrate deeper into the fertile layers of the soil, stretching in length without curvature.

Predecessors

Carrots are not planted in the same place for two years in a row. They choose ridges where legumes, cucumbers or cabbage were the predecessors.

Timing, scheme and landing rules

There are two options for sowing seeds by timing: early spring (late March - all April) and late autumn (November).

Important! If the option of autumn planting is chosen, then the seeding rate increases by 40%, since the germination rate of winter sowing is lower.

Seeds are sown to a depth of 1-1.5 cm, the distance between rows is 20 cm.

Growing features

There are several subtleties of getting a high Amsterdam crop:

• onions, garlic, marigolds, calendula are planted to scare off pests in neighboring beds;
• since the sowing depth is shallow, the earth is well tamped with hands so that during the first watering or heavy rains the seeds do not end up at the top of the earth layer and are not lost.

The nuances of care

Caring for Amsterdam is simple, the main thing is to observe the irrigation regime, fight weeds and pests, on time feed.

Watering mode

For the formation of juicy root crops, they are watered after 2 days in dry weather and 2 times a week as usual.

Important! It is necessary to spill the earth abundantly to a depth of 30-35 cm. The deeper the root crop looks for moisture for itself, the more even its structure will be.

The next day after watering, the soil is loosened, preventing the formation of a crust.

Thinning and weed control

As the plants grow and thicken, the carrots are thinned out, leaving gaps between the roots of 4-5 cm. This is done several times per season. Remove those shoots that are not strong and develop poorly.

Weed control is another prerequisite for a good harvest. Weeds take nutrients from the soil and prevent the plant from developing fully.

Top dressing

Amsterdam does not require frequent feeding, but it will certainly respond to them with intensive growth.

Top dressing rules:

1. The first is applied two weeks after germination with a liquid solution of wood ash (2 glasses per 10 liters of water)
2. The second - three weeks after the first ammonium nitrate (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water)
3. The third is nitrophobic (3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water).

Disease and pest control

The hybrid is resistant to diseases, but some of them, with improper care, can infect the plant:

• white rot, which is visible at the base of the fruit, is destroyed by spraying with the preparation "Baikal";
• black rot formed on green shoots and on a root crop is destroyed by watering the plant with potassium chloride (50 g per 10 l of water).

Pests on hybrid - a rare phenomenon if the rules of agricultural technology are followed.

The most dangerous guests on the bushes:

1. Carrot fly, the larvae of which gnaw at the root crop, appear when the soil is waterlogged. Watering is stopped for several days and sprayed with "Intavir".
2. Carrot lily spreads where there are coniferous plantations nearby. The fight against it consists in spraying with tobacco infusion and removing weeds.
3. Gluttonous slugs start up from excessive moisture and thickening of the planting. Avoid stagnant water and thin out plants.

Harvesting and storage

To keep carrots longer and preserve all its useful properties, it must be collected on time and prepared for storage.

How and when to collect

After 80-90 days after germination, the hybrid is ready for harvesting. Choose a dry and sunny day. Carefully removing the roots from the ground, they are laid out in a shady place for drying. The drying process takes 4-6 hours. Then the tops are cut off and placed in a vegetable store.

Storage features and keeping quality of the hybrid

The best way to store carrots is to put the roots in sandbags. The carrots are placed in a storage facility where the average temperature is maintained between 0 and 10 ° C.

Amsterdam is not one of the hybrids with a long shelf life, so you should not grow it in large quantities.

What can be the difficulties in growing

Sometimes vegetable growers face problems:

• cracking of the root: this happens with irregular watering;
• ugly root crops: the reason is an excess of nitrogen fertilizers;
• carrots with hairy roots: the soil is not fertile, watering is irregular.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Advice from seasoned farmers will help increase yields and cope with common hybrid growing problems.

Valery Medvedev, veteran grower, Central District: «To prevent cracking of the roots of Amsterdam, regularly water the carrots to the depth of the root layer, especially during dry periods. The interval between waterings is about 5 days. "

Olga Kostenko, Belgorod: “Thinning a hybrid is more convenient to do with tweezers - the carrot sprout is grabbed and carefully pulled out of the soil. Then the ground around the remaining plants is slightly crushed, and the torn tops are removed away from the beds. "

Reviews of the Amsterdam carrot hybrid

Farmers love hybrid and willingly share their impressions on thematic forums. Here are some examples below.

Regina, Kirov: “I am very pleased that I chose this particular hybrid. I managed to save the carrots until spring. It makes rich juices for a child. "

Inessa, Orenburg: “This year I planted Amsterdam for the first time. The carrots have grown quite large and very juicy.The tops are large, the roots are too. It tastes sweet and the color is pleasing to the eye - bright orange. "

Lidia Petrovna, Yekaterinburg: “We plant only Amsterdam at our dacha. We sow directly into the ground, and then fertilize it several times. Keeps very well in the sand in the basement. Until spring, all carrots are juicy and hard. "

Conclusion

So, a hybrid of Amsterdam carrots is a valuable, nutritious, healthy vegetable. If you make it a frequent guest on the table, you can forget about many health problems. It is not difficult to grow it - it is enough to follow the simple rules of agricultural technology.