Growing carrots in Siberia: the best varieties for open ground

The Siberian climate requires not only competent plant care, but also a regionalized selection of seed material. Siberian agronomists annually release new seeds that are resistant to the climate of the region, but gardeners are wary of them, giving preference to old proven varieties. We will tell you in detail below which carrot seeds to choose for planting in Siberia.

Features of the climate in Siberia

The Siberian climate is distinguished by cold, snowy winters, which sometimes drag on until early May, and frequent spring (and sometimes early summer) frosts. This leaves an imprint on the selection of carrot varieties for the region. Summer is damp, rainy, or, conversely, arid and dry winds.

Attention! Varieties adapted to the region are a must for a high-quality harvest.

In most of Siberia, the climate is sharply continental, with frosty, dry winters lasting 6-7 calendar months. Spring is short, late, with frequent recurrent cold weather. June is hot and dry, while July and August can be accompanied by heavy rains and frequent thunderstorms.

The summer cottage season in Siberia comes to an end already in August, since September is characterized by sharp cold snaps, and the first decade of October brings sub-zero temperatures.

In Western Siberia, climatic conditions are milder... Altai mountains serve as a natural barrier to cold winds, and Vasyugan swamps humidify dry summer air. The average winter temperature here is from –15 to –25 ° С, summer temperatures are from +15 to + 35 ° С.

In Eastern Siberia, it is much colder in winter, and snow falls in the second decade of October. Summer is sunny, but cold, with occasional rainfall. The northern territory is practically unsuitable for agriculture due to permafrost.

What are the differences between carrot varieties for Siberia

The varieties, zoned for Siberia, are mainly early, have a short vegetative period, allowing you to grow crops in a short summer. They are resistant to frost, drought and rainfall, but produce small yields that are not stored for long.

The best are considered frost-resistant and unpretentious varieties, resistant to flowering, with a dense sweet heart.

Features of planting carrots in Siberia

The most common option for planting carrots in Siberian conditions is spring... With a warm winter and early spring, crops are sown in April - May, provided that the air and soil are warmed up. For sowing, open sunny areas are chosen.

Autumn sowing is carried out less frequently, although it provides vegetables at the beginning of summer. This method is associated with high risks of early frosts, winters with little snow and severe cold weather, which will ruin the crop even under dense snow cover. In addition, the method requires careful soil preparation.

Timing, preparation of seeds and soil

Spring sowing of carrots occurs mainly at the beginning of May, with a long winter it is sometimes delayed until the middle or last decade of the month... The soil should have time to warm up, but remain loose and moist. Podwinter carrots are sown in early or mid-October, depending on weather conditions. Sowing is carried out in the frozen ground so that the seeds do not start growing ahead of time.

For sowing, it is better to choose seeds in pellets or on belts, although farmers prefer to resort to the classic sowing with river sand. Seeding depth is about 2 cm with a row spacing of 10-20 cm.Carrots are sown thickly, followed by thinning of the plantings.

The soil for spring planting is prepared at least a week before sowing.: leveled and watered with hot water at about + 50 ° C, while adding humus, manure or compost. The soil should be loose, without lumps and whole pieces of organic matter - it is crushed and dug up together with the soil. In the fall, before planting, superphosphate and potassium salt are added to the soil.

The best varieties of carrots for growing in Siberia

Despite the unpretentiousness, the vegetable is grown taking into account the region, since the seeds may not take root or not have time to ripen by the time. Most often, early varieties and hybrids are used for sowing, but mid-season and late ones are suitable for autumn planting.

Early

Early varieties have a ripening period of 60-90 days, which, in the case of early spring and warm, long summer, sometimes allows you to harvest two carrots per season:

1. Losinoostrovskaya 13. The growing season is 90 days, yields root crops weighing about 150 g and 14-16 cm long. Root crops are cone-shaped and bright in color, which ensures consumer demand for them. Productivity - up to 8 kg from 1 m². Resistant to frost.
2. Nantes. The growing season is 85-90 days. Root crops 12-14 cm long, even along the entire length, with a rounded tip, pinkish-orange in color. Average weight - 100 g, yield - up to 6 kg per 1 m². Disadvantages - incomplete immersion in the soil and greening of the neck and top of the root crop.
3. Belgien White. Yields a harvest 60-75 days after sowing. It is white due to the absence of carotene in the composition. Root crops are small, weighing about 80 g and up to 10-15 cm long, thin, even along the entire length. It is prized for its high amount of B vitamins, calcium and zinc.

Mid-season

Mid-ripening varieties ripen in 90-115 days, have a long shelf life, but need regular weeding and loose soil:

1. Viking. Productivity - up to 6 kg from 1 m². A large variety with pale orange cone-shaped roots up to 18-20 cm long and weighing up to 160 g. They require a lot of space, need to thin out crops and loosen the soil. Ripen in 100-105 days from sowing.
2. Vitamin 6. The most famous variety. Root crops 14-20 cm long and weighing from 70 to 200 g. Productivity - up to 5-7 kg per 1 m². The variety is unpretentious and frost-resistant, but does not have immunity to diseases.
3. Canada F1... A hybrid most suitable for black soil. Root crops are cone-shaped, bright orange, up to 20 cm long and weighing 130-190 g. Unpretentious, frost-resistant variety grows even on clay soil. Productivity - up to 8 kg from 1 m².

Late

Late varieties with growing periods of more than 110 days are practically not used or are planted as subwinters. They have a long shelf life, but are less sweet compared to early and mid-season varieties:

1. Incomparable. A variety for sandy and clay soils. Aging time - up to 130 days. Root crops are cylindrical, weighing 80-140 g and 19-21 cm long. Productivity - up to 7 kg per 1 m². This frost-resistant variety is ideal for autumn sowing.
2. Nevis F1. A hybrid with a growing season of 115-120 days. Root crops are cylindrical, up to 18 cm long and weighing 120-150 g. Productivity - up to 9.5 kg per 1 m². The hybrid is resistant to diseases, used for juices and conservation. Fresh shelf life reaches 8 months.
3. Vita Longa. Variety with development up to 155 days. Root vegetables without a pronounced core contain a high percentage of sugars. They have a conical shape and a bright orange color, formed due to a high percentage of carotenoids. Root crops are up to 40 cm long and weigh up to 250 g. Productivity is up to 7 kg per 1 m². The variety is suitable for greenhouse cultivation.

The most productive varieties

Productivity depends not only on the variety, but also on proper care during the growing process. The most genetically productive are (from 1 m²):

• Samson - up to 10 kg;
• Canada F1 - up to 8 kg;
• Nevis F1 - up to 9.5 kg;
• Nandrin F1 - up to 9 kg.

Reviews

Gardeners in Siberia are forced to experimentally select varieties and hybrids of carrots in order to determine exactly what kind of crop will bring.

Margarita, Omsk: “According to reviews, I chose Rondo, not every carrot grows in Siberia. This hybrid has matured over the summer. It turned out small bright root vegetables of a round shape, the children liked it, they ate from the garden. "

Chunaev Nikolay, Barnaul: “I give preference to the autumn planting of carrots, in this regard Nevis and the Incomparable are the best, even modern hybrids are far from them. They do not freeze, yield is always high, unpretentious. At the beginning of summer, they are successful on the market at milk maturity. "

Ryzhikova Olga, Novokuznetsk: “I am experimenting so far with the choice of varieties, but for comparison I always keep Losinoostrovskaya. So far, I have not found any better varieties for myself either in terms of care, or in taste and marketability. On the market they are dismantled due to the shape and bright color. It ripens quickly, literally in two months, in a cold summer it can sit a little longer. When preserved, it does not lose color. It's dry, I don't use it for juice processing ”.

Conclusion

The best varieties for the Siberian region are considered to be early maturing, frost-resistant and unpretentious. The early varieties mature in a short summer, while the later ones are more suitable for winter plantings. The first crops begin not earlier than the third decade of April, and during a long winter - in mid-May. Root crops are sown densely, followed by loosening and thinning of the beds. Harvested in 60-110 days, depending on the variety.