Step-by-step instructions for beginner gardeners: how to properly thin out carrots and what is it for

Carrots are an unpretentious crop that is not too demanding on the composition of the soil and climatic conditions. However, it is important to thin out seedlings on time, and this is a painstaking and tedious task.

Consider when and how to properly thin out carrots, why to do it and how to sow a vegetable in order to do without this procedure.

For what purpose are seedlings thinned out

This procedure creates optimal conditions for crop growth. Densely planted vegetables interfere with each other, their roots intertwine, forming irregular root crops. Plants lack nutrition.

Pulling carrot beds is an important prerequisite for a healthy, succulent root crop.

Is it possible to do without it

When sowing in the traditional way, the seedlings will be thickened - it will not work to avoid thinning.

Even sowing one seed at a certain distance from each other or using special tapes with grains glued to them will facilitate the care of carrot beds.

Terms of the procedure

Traditional growing method involves the removal of excess plants in 2 stages.

First step

For the first time, carrots are thinned out after the first 2 leaves have grown.

Advice! On the eve of the procedure, the beds are well watered. This will make it easier to remove excess plants without damaging the neighboring ones.

At the first stage, a distance of 2-3 cm is left between the plants. After the procedure, the beds are loosened, slightly compacting the ground next to the sprouts.

The first pulling is convenient to combine with weeding. Removing weeds and loosening the soil will provide the delicate shoots with optimal conditions for further development.

Second phase

The second time the crops are thinned out in 2-3 weeks, when the tops grow up to 10 cm. The distance between the roots is increased to 5-7 cm. When determining the exact interval, they are guided by the recommendations of the manufacturer of the variety or hybrid.

Attention! After thinning, a characteristic odor spreads from remote plants, attracting a dangerous pest - carrot fly. Therefore, the sprouts are removed from the beds into a compost heap and covered with earth and sawdust.

Thinning should be moderate, otherwise it will negatively affect the quality of root crops and yield indicators.

Decimation technology

Pull carrots in different ways: with hands, tweezers or scissors.

Manually

Manually remove excess sprouts by gently grasping them with two fingers. If the soil was previously well moistened, then the plant is easily pulled out along with the root.

Important! When pulling, the sprout is pulled straight up, trying not to tilt to the side. Otherwise, there is a high risk of damage to the roots of neighboring plants. The damaged shoots form additional lateral roots, and the vegetable grows horny or twisted.

The procedure is carried out in clear weather so that all the plants are clearly visible.

Tweezers

Ordinary tweezers are a reliable assistant in this procedure. It is especially convenient to use it at the first stage, when the sprouts are still very small and it is not easy to grasp them with your fingers.

First, the earth is thoroughly moistened, after a while they begin the procedure. With the tool, they grab the stem of the plant as close to the soil surface as possible and pull the stem up with a sharp movement.

Scissors

This is a quick way to remove small and poorly developed plants The essence of the method is as follows: with sharply sharpened scissors, the aerial parts of the excess sprouts are cut off. At the same time, the roots do not touch: after a while they will dry out on their own.

Thinning in the greenhouse

Cultivation of early carrots in greenhouse conditions allows the first harvest to be taken already at the beginning of summer.

Greenhouse care landings similar to caring for garden beds in the open field. Plants are thinned and weeded in 2 stages, removing weak and diseased specimens. Before the procedure, the soil is moistened, and after that it is loosened and compacted.

Transplanting carrots removed during thinning

If there is a place free from crops on the site, the pulled out shoots are often transplanted. After this, carrots do not take root well, therefore, unlike beets, they are not grown by seedlings.

Advice! The removed shoots are transplanted only after the first stage of thinning, while the plants are very small. At the second stage, it is not recommended to transplant - the carrots will hurt for a long time and grow small and unsightly.

In the selected area, holes are marked with a pencil or an even stick and seedlings are laid out in them. The land around the plants is compacted and well watered. With proper care, the sprouts will give a solid increase in the yield.

Planting methods without thinning

Using simple techniques will save you from pulling carrot beds or greatly simplify this procedure:

1. Mixing seeds with bulk material. The grains are small, so sowing them evenly is not an easy task. Makes it easier to add dry sand, fine peat crumbs, dried coffee grounds, or other suitable material.
2. Mixing radish and carrot seeds. Early ripening varieties radish will ripen even before the carrot sprouts appear. So two crops are harvested from one garden bed.
3. Mixing seeds with paste. The cooled liquid paste, together with the grains, is poured into the grooves. It is convenient to use an old teapot with a spout for this.
4. Sowing pelleted seeds. They are much larger than usual, so it is easier to plant them evenly.
5. Sowing seeds glued to the tape. For this, seeds tested for germination are attached with paste to strips of toilet paper or ready-made tapes are bought.

With any method, special attention is paid to the quality of the planting material. Seeds must be fresh and only from trusted manufacturers.

Tips from experienced summer residents

The recommendations of experienced gardeners will help you grow an enviable crop of juicy crispy carrots:

• the culture loves fertile, light and loose soil;
• weeds and stones lead to deformation of root crops during growth;
• fertilization with fresh manure leads to curvature and branching of vegetables (it is better if the manure was applied 1-2 years ago);
• with a lack of moisture, roots form lateral roots, and this has a bad effect on the taste and appearance of vegetables;
• the site is prepared in autumn, if necessary, deoxidizing the soil with lime or dolomite flour and adding phosphorus and potash fertilizers;
• in the spring, the soil in the garden bed is loosened, carefully breaking up clods of earth and choosing stones;
• monitor the illumination of crops;
• carrots grow well where tomatoes, legumes, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers were previously planted.

Compliance with these recommendations will save you from problems with growing crops and will give even healthy roots.

Reviews

Each summer resident has his own way of thinning carrot beds and his own observations regarding this procedure.

Natalia, Nizhny Novgorod: «Every year I sow carrots in the traditional way and then thin out in 2-3 stages. I think that pulling gives an excellent result. The result is larger carrots of approximately the same size. "

Valentine, p. Lugovoe: “I've had the experience of pasting seeds onto toilet paper. Unfortunately, unsuccessful. Nothing came up at all. Now I mix the seeds with dried sleeping coffee and plant them. The result is excellent, there is almost no need to pull. "

Alina, S.Red: “I usually thin out carrots in 3 steps, as it is difficult to determine which carrot to leave the first time. The first thinning is, of course, the main one in terms of the number of removed plants. In June I finish sowing in those places where carrots have not sprout. "

Conclusion

Thinning carrot beds is an important stage in crop care, necessary for the normal growth and development of root crops. Thickened plantings lead to the formation of small twisted carrots. Sowing on a belt will help to do without this tedious procedure.