Why Are Your Carrots Growing So Slowly?

Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:57 pm

It happens like this: a gardener has sown seeds according to all the rules, diligently tended the beds, but the carrots do not grow. What is the reason and what measures should be taken to save the harvest, in which work, hope and expectations are invested? In the article we will explain why carrots do not grow in the garden and how to avoid it.

Why carrots grow poorly

There are several main reasons: improper care;

• unfavorable weather conditions;
• improper adjustment;
• violation of crop rotation rules;
• inadequate microclimate;
• excess or lack of light;
• improper watering;
• poor quality planting material;
• too high a planting density

. Let’s look at each of these reasons in detail.

Improper care

Carrots are a fickle vegetable. Failure to follow the rules of care will affect the quality of the harvest: untimely thinning – due to lack of free space, the root plants grow small or do not form at all; abundant or insufficient watering – this prevents the carrots from developing fully; lack of ridging – the vegetable stops growing and its upper part becomes green; poor feeding – excess organic matter contributes to root rot during storage.

Unfavorable climatic conditions

External factors, such as weather conditions, also affect the outcome of the harvest. Carrot seeds germinate at temperatures of + 3 ° C, and indicators of + 18 ° C to + 24 ° C are considered optimal for full growth and maturation. A further increase in temperature will slow the growth of the vegetable.

Incorrect adjustment

When planting seeds in dense or clay soil, the optimal distance from the surface is 1 cm, in loose, sandy soil – 4-5 cm. If you plant the seeds deeper, the moisture will not reach the roots during watering. Keep track of the forecast: if a dry season is expected, sow deeper, wet – shallower.

Violation of crop rotation rules

Sowing the next crop in the same place where the vegetable was grown last year is considered the biggest mistake. Also, due to common pests, carrots cannot be planted after lettuce and parsley.

Microclimate inconsistency

In dry or overly wet soil, carrots will grow poorly and in dense soil, they will prove unready and clumsy. In addition, the plant is picky about the acidity of the soil. If the pH is 5.5 or lower, the acidity must be neutralized. If the soil is suitable for a vegetable, but it still grows poorly, observe whether a crust forms after watering or rain, especially during the most important period – seed germination and sowing. It, too, is the cause of growth inhibition, and it should be carefully destroyed. If carrots are not huddled, the part of the vegetable that has already appeared above the ground will turn green. This is due to the accumulation of corned beef venom under the influence of sunlight.

Lack of light

Carrots like sunlight, so even a little shade will slow development. Even a temporary power outage with tall neighbors in the garden will harm carrots. For this reason, you can not plant the vegetable next to tall crops, such as corn.

Poor watering

Overwatering or lack of watering will also affect the growth of carrots. This applies not only to the volume of liquid spent, but also to the correspondence of watering with the stage of growth.Excessive wetting of root plants at the end of development will cause them to crack or stop maturation.

Poor quality planting material

When buying and planting seeds, pay attention to their expiration date. Latecomers have a small chance of germinating and developing into a full-fledged vegetable. Do not pursue gigantism. Varieties the small carrots grow and ripen faster than their huge counterparts.

Too high density of planting

Many gardeners wonder why small carrots grow in the garden. Meanwhile, the reason is simple – too dense plantings. Carrots need to be thinned out. The close proximity of root plants to each other (less than 4 cm) will not allow everyone to develop fully. As a result, the vegetables will become weak and small. The width of the bed should not exceed 1.5 m (4 carrots in a row), row spacing – at least 22 cm. Important. Poor traction (without pre-watering) will also affect plant growth. If the soil is dry, pulling on the desired bush, you can hang the one that should remain. As a result, the carrots will slow down or stop growing.

Carrot care rules

To make the vegetable pleasant with its growth, size and taste, observe the following maintenance rules: Carrots are sown in the same place after the harvest of the previous crop only after 2-3 years. The vegetable grows well after tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, onions, garlic. Before planting seeds, think about the location of the beds. During the growth process, each plant should not get dark.

They need full sunlight. For this reason, large crops are planted only on the north side of the carrots. It is important to create a favorable microclimate if the soil is not ideal in terms of performance. 12-13 kg of sand per 1 m² are introduced into the soil, which will make it friable.

The increased acidity is neutralized in the fall. To do this, 1 tablespoon. dolomite flour on 1 m² of land until the pH reaches 6-7. The beds are dug to the depth of a shovel bayonet, making a “perinka” for a temperamental vegetable. Be sure to thin the beds. The first thinning is done when there are 2 true leaves. After a few weeks, a second is carried out, so that there is at least 4-6 cm between each carrot.Before pulling, water the soil to soften it and not to hurt the vegetables.

Loosen the soil after each watering and rain to avoid crusting. Ridging is done at the stage when the vegetable has already appeared above the soil. It is effective after watering and in cloudy weather, when there is no pest – a carrot fly. In the heat, watered 3-4 times a week in the evening – 4 liters of water per 1 m². In the middle of the growing season – once a week with the same amount.

During the active growth period, when 3/4 of the tops have grown, adhere to a rare watering, do not flood. If the thermometer readings exceed + 24 ° C, periodically cool the vegetables using the evening gravity watering method. The water will saturate the soil by a few inches, cooling the soil and lowering the temperature above. Don’t forget to remove weeds from the garden

How to increase the speed and quality of carrot growth

Carrot needs the right dressing… Homemade and standard fertilizers are suitable.

Folk fertilizer A good old manure will do very well. This will require 5-6 kg per 1 m² of soil. Fertilize the soil in the spring before planting the carrots so that the manure has time to decompose and take on a form that the plants can use.

In autumn, it is good to fertilize the soil with wood ash – 500 g per 1 m². Poultry manure is also used as an organic fertilizer. Mix it and water in a ratio of 1:10, leave about 2 weeks in a dark place (the composition should ferment). Before watering, dilute again – 1 liter of fermented composition to 10 liters of water. Fertilize the soil in the fall or before planting a vegetable.

“Too much is also bad”, so don’t overdo it. Enough 3 times for the entire growing period: The first feeding is done in liquid form 3 weeks after germination

.For this purpose, 1 tablespoon is suitable. l. nitrophosphate on a bucket of water. The next is carried out in 15 to 18 days. Now the composition is as follows – 2 c. on a bucket of water. For the latter, a solution of potassium sulfate is used – 6-7 g per bucket of water (for 1 m²). This fertilizer will positively affect not only the growth of the root plant, but also its softness.

Are also considered popular: potassium chloride. It is used in combination with humus – 10 g of potassium fertilizer for 2-3 kg of humus to be dug in autumn or spring. Saltpeter is applied at sowing – 10 g per 1 m². Superphosphate. It is ground into powder, sprinkled on the soil 2-3 weeks before planting or in late autumn at a rate of 65-85 g per 1 m² and dug up.

Conclusion

To get a rich harvest of carrots, arrange the beds properly, prepare the ground, observe the principles of crop rotation, take care of the planting in a timely manner. This will avoid the common among the gardeners errors and reap an excellent harvest in the end