Как сохранить морковку на зиму в погребе: Как хранить морковь в погребе зимой, способы и варианты хранения

как правильно организовать хранение в подполе, подвале, как лучше подготовить овощи?

К сбору урожая моркови приступают осенью, а хранят его до наступления тепла. Однако не допустить порчи овощей можно только при соблюдении определенных условий.

Недостаточно опустить морковь в погреб, нужно правильно подготовить и сами корнеплоды, и помещение, в котором они будут зимовать.

О том, как хранить морковь в погребе, чтобы не потерять урожай, читайте в статье.

Подходит ли подпол, подвал для хранения до весны?

Чистый и хорошо проветриваемый погреб – это оптимальное место для хранения моркови. В нем достаточно пространства, чтобы разместить весь урожай.

Поддержание стабильной температуры и влажности воздуха позволит продлить срок годности овощей.

Оптимальная температура и влажность воздуха

Морковь не будет подмерзать и прорастать, если хранить ее при 0…+2 градусов. Повышение и понижение температуры в пределах 1-2 градусов не критично.

Важно не допускать ее постоянных перепадов. Разовый скачок не страшен, но регулярные изменения приведут к тому, что овощи начнут гнить, прорастать или сохнуть.

Влажность воздуха должна оставаться в пределах 95%. Корнеплод на 90% состоит из воды, поэтому при неподходящих условиях теряет ее очень быстро.

Если было замечено, что овощи начинают сохнуть, нужно повышать влажность в помещении. Для измерения этого показателя используют гигрометр. Подробнее о температурном режиме хранения моркови читайте тут.

Подготовка

Подготовка моркови к хранению должна начинаться еще с весны, при выборе семян для посадки. Примерно за месяц до сбора урожая нужно приступать к обработке помещения. Когда погреб будет готов, можно собирать овощи, которые также требуют определенной обработки.

Более подробно о подготовке моркови читайте здесь.

Выбор сорта

Для хранения подходят позднеспелые и среднеспелые сорта, которые собирают во второй половине осени. Такие корнеплоды могут оставаться свежими в течение 7-10 месяцев.

Выбирать для посадки нужно следующие семена:

• Королева осени;
• Флаккоро;
• Долянка;
• Самсон;
• Шанс;
• Нантская;
• Витаминная;
• Московская зимняя и пр.

Нельзя смешивать разные сорта друг с другом. Они должны храниться отдельно. В первую очередь расходуют среднеспелую, а затем позднеспелую морковь. Лучшие сорта моркови для хранения описаны в этой статье.

Как правильно подготовить овощи?

Если опустить в погреб урожай, не прошедший предварительную подготовку, он быстро испортится. Чтобы морковь оставалась свежей как можно дольше, нужно соблюсти ряд условий:

1. Приступать к копке моркови нужно в сухую солнечную погоду. При извлечении корнеплодов из земли действуют осторожно, стараясь не повредить их лопатой.
2. Выкопанную морковь раскладывают на грядке для первичной просушки. Через 2 часа с нее аккуратно стряхивают остатки почвы, но слишком усердствовать не нужно.
3. Срезают ботву практически под точку роста, оставляя отросток длиною до 2 мм. Для удаления зелени используют острый нож.
4. Убирают овощи на временное хранение в теплое помещение, например в кладовку. Через 5-7 дней можно оценить их состояние, отсортировать подгнившие и испорченные плоды.
5. После завершения подготовки овощи можно опускать в подвальное помещение.

Нарушение целостности плода – это входные ворота для инфекции. Даже одна поврежденная морковь может стать причиной порчи большей части урожая.

Помещение

Правильная подготовка погреба – это залог успешного хранения моркови. План действий:

1. Проветрить помещение. Для этого погреб оставляют открытым на 7-14 дней. В нем не должно быть посторонних запахов.
2. Обеспечить доступ свежего воздуха. Это возможно только при наличии хорошо функционирующей вентиляции.
3. Продезинфицировать все поверхности. Стены нужно обработать раствором хлорной извести 2%, которая препятствует размножению микроорганизмов.
4. Побелить стены. К побелке приступают через 14 дней после дезинфекции. На 1 кв. м. уходит около 0,5 л раствора.
5. Обработать тару для хранения. В ней не должно быть признаков размножения плесени. Ящики рекомендуется вынести на солнце, что обеспечить дополнительную просушку и обеззараживание.

Подготовительные мероприятия занимают ни один день. Приступать к их реализации нужно заранее, примерно за месяц до того, как опустить урожай в погреб.

В чем лучше?

Погреб хорош тем, что хранить в нем урожай можно практически в любой таре. Самые популярные способы:

1. В ящиках (пластиковых или деревянных). Тару наполняют любым подходящим материалом. Это может быть песок или сухие опилки, которыми пересыпают овощи, чтобы они не контактировали друг с другом. Срок хранения — 7-9 месяцев для песка, до года — для опилок.
2. В эмалированных кастрюлях. Обязательным условием является целостность тары. На ней не должно быть сколов или ржавчины. В кастрюлю овощи набивают плотно, выставляя их в вертикальном положении. Когда она будет заполнена доверху, ее накрывают бумажным полотенцем и плотно закрывают. Без посыпки морковь будет оставаться свежей до полугода.
3. В тканевых мешках. Пересыпают корнеплоды любым подходящим материалом. Можно воспользоваться луковой или чесночной шелухой, которая будет способствовать удержанию влаги.

   Овощами наполняют мешок на 1/3, завязывают и ставят в подходящее место. Срок хранения – до полугода.

4. В полиэтиленовых пакетах. Это один из наиболее популярных способов хранения, так как в пленке овощи не гниют, не сохнут и не увядают. В 1 пакет нужно помещать не более 5 кг корнеплодов.

   Тару завязывают, но предварительно в ней проделывают несколько отверстий, чтобы внутри не скапливался конденсат. В процессе хранения овощи будут выделять углекислый газ, который в малой концентрации способствует поддержанию их свежести.

   Если не обеспечить отток воздуха, то уровень углекислого газа повысится до критичных значений и морковь начнет портиться. Пакеты можно заменить полиэтиленовой пленкой. Срок хранения – около 5 месяцев.

5. В бумаге. В чистые листы, без нанесенной типографской или акварельной краски заворачивают отдельно каждый корнеплод. Хранят морковь в открытых ящиках.

В качестве материала для пересыпки корнеплодов можно использовать:

1. Песок. Он должен быть глинистым, а не речным. Перед засыпкой его слегка увлажняют. На 1 ведро берут 0,5 л воды.
2. Хвойные опилки.
3. Мох.

При соблюдении всех условий, морковь пролежит в погребе от полугода и более.

Чем обработать?

Чаще всего морковь перед отправкой на хранение обрабатывают глиной. Это предотвращает процесс ее прорастания и увядания. Есть два варианта применения глины: заливка и обмакивание.

Для заливки ½ ведра наполняют глиной, которую разбавляют водой и оставляют на 12 часов.

Когда материал набухнет, его тщательно перемешивают, добавляют воду и снова оставляют на сутки. Процедуру повторяют 2-3 дня. Глину нужно довести до консистенции густой сметаны.

Дно ящиков, в которые будет уложен овощ, застилают пленкой. Корнеплоды размещают таким образом, чтобы они не касались друг друга. Сверху их заливают глиной. Когда этот слой высохнет, поверх него снова укладывают морковь и опять заливают глиной. Процедуру повторяют столько раз, сколько это необходимо.

Второй вариант – это обмакивание моркови в глину. Она должна быть такой густоты, чтобы не стекала с корнеплодов. Смоченную морковь просушивают и складывают в ящики. Она не испортится, так как каждый экземпляр будет надежно защищен высохшим панцирем.

Глина – это экологически чистый материал, который не содержит вредных для человека примесей. Ее применение позволяет увеличить срок годности урожая до 8-10 месяцев. Перед употреблением в пищу овощи нужно тщательно промыть и очистить.

Вместо глины можно воспользоваться раствором мела и воды. Каждую морковь обмакивают в подготовленный состав и отправляют в ящики на хранение.

Еще один вариант – применение парафина. Корнеплоды нужно опустить в горячую массу. Для придания им эластичности можно растопить в парафине небольшое количество пчелиного воска.

Все перечисленные способы являются безопасными. Вещества, содержащиеся в парафине, глине и меловом растворе не проникают внутрь овощей. Поэтому после помывки и удаления кожуры они остаются пригодными в пищу.

Лучшие и худшие соседи

Хранить морковь нужно в отдельной таре. Ее нельзя смешивать с другими корнеплодами. Однако рядом могут находиться такие овощи, как:

• картофель;
• свекла;
• кольраби;
• репчатый лук;
• топинамбур;
• редька.

Худшим соседом моркови являются яблоки, которые выделяют вещества, способствующие быстрому созреванию и порчи всех овощей, которые располагаются в непосредственной близости.

О совместном хранении свеклы и моркови можно прочитать здесь и тут.

Проблемы и способы их устранения

Проблемы, с которыми можно столкнуться при хранении моркови и способы их устранения:

1. Увядание. Необходимо повысить уровень влажности в погребе. Для этого нужно позаботиться о правильной вентиляции. Временной мерой может стать разбрызгивание воды с помощью пульверизатора, либо расстановка ведер с жидкостью.
2. Появление плесени на урожае. Это происходит при избыточном увлажнении. Справиться с проблемой можно, если поставить в погреб мешок с негашеной известью.
3. Гниение. Почему гниет морковь? Скорее всего, в тару попал больной овощ. В этом случае весь урожай нужно перебрать, удалить поврежденные корнеплоды и вновь убрать на хранение.

Полезная информация

Советы, позволяющие продлить срок годности овощей:

1. Перед уборкой моркови в погреб ее нельзя чистить. Удаление шкурки приведет к быстрой порче.
2. Не следует полностью очищать морковь от земли, а тем более нельзя ее мыть.
3. Урожай нужно регулярно перебирать, удаляя испорченные плоды.
4. Если овощи хранятся в ящиках, то высота насыпи в них не должна превышать 1 м.

Заключение

Хранение моркови в погребе предполагает соблюдение нескольких условий. Основные моменты, на которые нужно обратить внимание:

• чистота в помещении,
• поддержание температуры воздуха в пределах 0…+2 градуса,
• правильная подготовка овощей.

Тара и пересыпной материал может быть любым. Лучше всего урожай хранится в ящиках с песком, глиной или опилками.

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Providing plenty of moisture helps prevent these foods from shriveling. 90003 90002 You can achieve the necessary humidity level in a root cellar three ways.First, install a dirt floor, which will retain more natural moisture than one made of concrete or stone. We recommend spreading gravel on packed earth. This helps keep feet dry when the ground gets really damp. Should the storage area need more moisture, you can supply it by sprinkling the gravel with water, which — because of the large surface area — will evaporate readily and fill the air with moisture. 90003 90002 Bringing us to the second way of keeping humidity high: Add some water either by sprinkling the floor, spreading damp (but not dripping wet) burlap bags over the produce or placing pans of water on the root cellar floor.Such measures are often necessary in the fall, when you’re first storing produce. Basement root cellars are much more likely than dug-in root cellars to need added humidity. In very moist areas, root vegetables can be kept uncovered in bins, and they’ll stay smooth and firm. But if your humidity reading falls short of the ideal, you may get better results with a third option: Pack the vegetables — especially carrots, beets and parsnips — in damp sawdust, sand or moss; this cuts down surface evaporation.90003 90002 It’s important to remember that cool air absorbs less moisture than warm air. You get a pretty unstable situation in a place that’s both cold and very damp. A slight drop in temperature can cause air that, at 34 degrees Fahrenheit, say, has room for a bit more moisture, to suddenly become fully saturated at 32 degrees. When this happens, you’ve reached the dew point, and the excess water that the air can no longer hold begins to condense on wall, ceiling and even vegetable surfaces.When produce becomes wet, it’s more likely to spoil — even at low temperatures. To be safe, buy a hygrometer (a humidity measuring device) at the hardware store. 90003 90002 90015 Root Cellar 90016 90015 Ventilation: 90016 Basically, air must be admitted then monitored and circulated through a root cellar. Admitting air to the cellar (as described below) helps keep the area at the desired low temperature. Equally important, adjusting air intake helps to reduce excessive humidity, thus preventing undesirable condensation.Air — set in motion effectively — removes both vegetable odors and ethylene gas given off by stored fruits, which might otherwise produce off-flavors in other foods. 90003 90002 To understand how air can circulate through a root cellar, remember that warm air rises and cool air falls. In a large or tightly enclosed cellar, you’ll need both an air intake and an outlet. The intake should be low, and the outlet should be high; ideally, the two should be on opposite sides of the room to best circulate the air.Cool air will enter through the low intake, and warm air will be re leased through the outlet. In a small storage area, or in one with many cracks where air can enter (such as an old stone foundation), a single outlet placed high to exhaust warm air may be sufficient. Always elevate crates a few inches so that air can circulate underneath them. 90003 90002 90015 Root Cellar Temperature: 90016 Your most important consideration. A good root cellar can both borrow cold and keep cold. You borrow cold by digging into the ground, where the temperature well below frost level remains a fairly constant 52 F or so.This works because the deep-down earth temperature is slow to be affected by ultra-cold surface temperature, so your underground vegetables will have an extra margin of protection. You can borrow cold by letting the night air into the cellar either with a window or a closable exhaust pipe. 90003 90002 If you can maintain temperatures between 32 and 40 F, you have an excellent storage place. A temperature range of 40 to 50 degrees will still permit shorter-term storage of root vegetables and apples, and will keep onions and some of the short-lived storage vegetables like peppers, tomatoes and eggplant in good shape for a month or so.90003 90038 90002 In an indoor root cellar, the area close to the ceiling will be a few degrees warmer than space near the floor, so you’ll have at least a small difference in conditions that you can take advantage of by placing vegetables according to their different storage requirements. 90003 90002 A thermometer is essential for a well-run root cellar. One with minimum / maximum readings will give you a good picture of the kind of temperature variations you’re working with.90003 90043 The Root Cellar For You 90044 90002 The kind of root cellar you build or adapt will depend on the floor plan of your house, the lay of your land and the temperatures and snow cover in your area. 90003 90002 If you have an old house with an unheated, dirt-floor basement room, you’re all set. With slight modification, or in some cases none at all, you’ll have an ideal vegetable-storage cellar. In a house with a heated basement, it’s possible to partition off an unheated corner for vegetable storage.90003 90002 If you prefer an outdoor root cellar, you can either dig into a hill or go straight underground and top the cellar entrance with a bulkhead door, patio or porch. Most outdoor root cellars are dug into a north-facing hill or are underground on the north (coolest) side of the house. You’ll find exceptions to this rule in some of the northern states and Canada, where temperatures plummet well below zero in winter and stay there. Some of the old-time outdoor root cellars in these areas are built on southern exposures for easier winter access.Once winter sets in, it’s plenty cold there even though these cellars get more sunlight than it seems they should. 90003 90002 If you live in an area where winter temperatures are often below zero degrees Fahrenheit and snow cover is heavy, you may prefer climbing into an under-porch storage pit to shoveling through drifts to get to a hill-cave root cellar. Many underground root cellars (such as the one detailed below) are built with an anteroom or double doors that form an airlock, which helps keep warm summer air out of the cellar and also prevents undo chilling of the produce in severe winter weather.90003 90002 If your winters are mild, with average temperatures well over 30 F, you will not be able to achieve the most desirable low temperature in your cellar for keeping root vegetables. Those vegetables probably will keep very well in the garden row, and the warm-keepers like squash, onions and sweets should do fine in a cool corner of your house. 90003 90002 Many people opt for a 8-by-10 foot space or larger — but few can fill them to capacity (a 5-by-8 foot space can hold 30 bushels of produce).If you plan on keeping buckets of soil to store vegetables such as celery, a 8-by-8 foot space should suffice. We recommend using multiple shelves to maximize space. Use only rot-resistant woods, and slat for good air circulation. Shelves should also have 1 to 2-inch cleat at the back to keep edges away from the wall. 90003 90002 With a really well-planned root cellar, fresh tomatoes, tender dandelion shoots, nuts, pears and cantaloupes can all be preserves. 90003 90043 An Excavated Root Cellar 90044 90002 As we mentioned before, there are many options when it comes to root cellaring.But unless you’re lucky enough to have an existing usable structure or live in a warm climate where a garden row is a good choice, you’ll want to consider an excavated root cellar. 90003 90002 Dug-in root cellars work well because they are insulated by the earth surrounding them. The soil is a poor conductor of heat, so the temperature of the ground 6 feet under is cool and fairly constant. The natural moisture of the earth helps keep humidity high. Since soil is heavy, an underground root cellar should be strongly built.In addition, because frozen, wet soil can expand and rupture walls, it’s important to provide drainage around the cellar to stop waterlogged soil from freezing and caving in the walls of your cellar. The dug-in root cellar root shown in the Image Gallery is divided into two parts for several reasons: The small anteroom helps insulate the inner chamber from extreme heat and cold and also provides a choice of conditions, allowing your vegetable storing system to be fine -tuned. 90003 90002 Let’s assume that you’re lucky enough to have a north-facing hill, and you intend to make a dug-in root cellar in the slope of the hill.You’re ready to begin, but how? 90003 90002 90015 Step One: 90016 As you’ve surely guessed, your first step is to dig a hole in the hill. You’ll need to remove enough soil to make space for the volume of the cellar you plan to build. It’s no help to dig a hole much larger than you really need, for all that space will have to be backfilled. Dig deeply enough so that the footer will be below the depth of the average frost penetration in your area. Most of the cellar will be protected by soil. Dig down an extra 2 to 3 feet around the door where the foundation will be most exposed to the cold.Fill with gravel up to the base of the footer. 90003 90002 90015 Step Two: 90016 Lay drain pipe from the floor drains in the cellar out to daylight. The floor inside the root cellar should be a bit higher than the level of soil outside the door so that water drains off. 90003 90002 90015 Step Three: 90016 Pour the concrete footer. After the ground in the cellar site is leveled, make forms from 2-by-8 lumber. The footer should be 16 inches wide for a concrete block wall and 8 inches wide for a poured concrete wall 4 inches thick (in other words, twice as wide as the wall will be).Technically, of course, the footer will be only 7 ¼ inches deep, since that is the actual dimension of a piece of 8-inch lumber these days. Put several reinforcing rods in the concrete poured over the dug-out spot at the door. Let the footer cure for three to seven days before proceeding with the walls. 90003 90002 90015 Step Four. 90016 Start laying concrete blocks. 90003 90002 Since you’ve sensibly planned the dimensions of your cellar in multiples of 8 inches (half the length of a standard concrete block allowing for mortar joints), you should have no trouble here.Leave a gap for a standard door. For vent pipes in side walls, either leave a gap between blocks or chip one block. Your cellar should be from 6 ½ to 8 inches deep. 90003 90002 90015 Step Five. 90016 Make forms to support the poured concrete roof. The roof should be reinforced with crossed and tied reinforcing bars as shown in the diagram. The bars should be embedded in the bottom half of the poured concrete roof. If they’re too close to the surface, they do not do much to strengthen the roof.The pour is made directly on plastic-covered ¾-inch plywood, which is supported by joists resting on beams, which are held up by 4-by-4 posts. You’ll also need a form running around the roof perimeter to hold the concrete ceiling until it dries and hardens. Make this form out of 2-by-6 lumber and attach supports at the corners and at least every 4 feet along the sides. Without these supports, the weight of the concrete is likely to bulge the forms and then drip through the gap. Why cover the plywood with plastic? So that water from the concrete mix does not seep through and drain off, weakening the concrete.A flat roof is easiest to build; just remember to insert the exhaust and intake pipes in the ceiling form board before you pour the concrete for the roof. 90003 90002 90015 Step Six. 90016 Start to backfill around the cellar. Tamp the soil lightly but firmly as you go. When the level of backfilled soil is still 2 to 3 feet below the projected soil surface height on the slope, insert a perforated 4-inch drainpipe running across the entire back of the cellar, bending around both corners and ending at daylight.The pipe should rest on a 3-inch gravel bed and have a length of heavy roofing paper or 6-mil plastic sheeting tucked partly over the top (but not around it) to prevent silt from clogging it. The pipe should slope 1 inch across 8 feet starting from center back down both sides. 90003 90002 The purpose of this drainpipe is not to keep water out of the cellar, but to prevent pressure on the rear wall of the root cellar from expansion due to frozen wet soil. 90003 90002 Backfill with gravel above the pipe.If filling in manually, you can place a board behind the pipe and gradually fill in soil behind the board, pulling the board out every few inches. 90003 90002 90015 Step Seven. 90016 Finish backfilling around the cellar sides. Later, you may need to fill in with more soil as the disturbed ground settles. 90003 90002 90015 Step Eight. 90016 Using construction cement, attach rigid 2-inch sheets of urethane or Styrofoam to the exterior surface of the root cellar roof. 90003 90002 90015 Step Nine.90016 Spread a sheet of 6-mil polythylene over the insulation. 90003 90002 90015 Step Ten. 90016 Cover the root cellar with 2 to 4 feet of earth. Plant grass on the roof to hold the soil so it does not run off when it rains. 90003 90002 90015 Step Eleven. 90016 Spread gravel on the root cellar floor (optional). 90003 90002 90015 Step Twelve. 90016 Make shelves. Be sure to leave that 2-inch gap between the shelf and the wall to allow for air circulation. Brace the shelves with scrap wood as shown.Better not to make the shelves too deep, 16 inches should be plenty. 90003 90002 90015 Step Thirteen. 90016 Insulate a standard door with 2-by-2 lumber nailed all around the edge on the inside. Fit 2-inch Styrofoam inside this frame. Cover the Styrofoam with Aspenite or similar paneling. If you can maintain between 32 and 40 F, you have an excellent storage place. 90003 90002 In our own experiments with storing live winter vegetables, we discovered a pleasure akin to the contentment of dressing by the warm fire on a cold morning.90003 90043 Other Keys to Root Cellar Success 90044 90002 Now that you know how to construct your root cellar, a few hints on how to make the most of it: 90003 90002 90015 Accessibility: 90016 The more convenient your root cellar is, the more useful it will be to you. A root cellar that is close to the house, easy to clean, well lit (a bare light bulb is fine) and handy is the most satisfying. 90003 90002 90015 Canned goods: 90016 Do not keep jars of canned goods in your main vegetable-storage area.The level of dampness you need for your root crops will rust the lids. 90003 90002 90015 Cooperative Root Cellaring: 90016 As we discussed earlier, a space of 8-by-8 feet should be plenty for the average family. But consider setting up a cooperative root cellar, with maintenance tasks shared by several families. Building the cellar could be a joint effort, too. Or one owner could accept produce and charge a small rent or accept barters. 90003 90002 90015 Darkness: 90016 An electric light is a big help when you go to plunder your store, but between times, the root cellar should be dark.Light deteriorates some storage vegetables. If you ventilate a basement room by raising an outside window, be sure to shade it. 90003 90002 90015 Pests: 90016 Close all spaces as tightly as you can to keep the mice out. This means screening all vent pipes and windows and making sure the door fits tightly. 90003 90002 90015 Storage: 90016 The debate is crates vs. half-bushel baskets. Half-bushel baskets are light in weight and easy to handle. Crates utilize space more efficiently and they can be stacked.You decide. 90003 90002 In our own experiments with storing live winter vegetables, we discovered a pleasure akin to the contentment of dressing by the warm fire on a cold morning — the pleasure of delving into one’s own store for food to put on the winter table. As we shiver our way back to the warm kitchen with parsnips in our pockets, a handful of potatoes and a bag of carrots, we feel very good because we’ve managed to grow it and to keep it. We wish each of you the same kind of satisfaction.90003 90002 90158 Material in this article appears in Mike and Nancy Bubel’s new edition of 90159 90158 Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables 90159 90158. The book is available from 90159 90158 MOTHER EARTH NEWS Shopping 90159 90158, and contains detailed plans for all types of root cellars, plus a number of wonderful insights and tips. 90159 90003 .90000 Winter Carrots | Mother Earth News 90001 90002 90003 90002 Eating carrots right out of the garden in the winter is a real treat. Once they are kissed by the frost, they begin to sweeten up. That’s why I do not bother growing carrots to eat in the summer anymore — I’m spoiled by the winter carrots. To have them in winter, however, I have to plant them in the summer. The carrots you see in the picture were pulled January 18. They were planted on June 27, seeding into furrows hoed between rows of rye stubble.In the fall I broadcast rye seed, except where the carrots will be planted the following summer. In that bed I plant the seed in rows to allow for carrot planting between the rows later. 90003 90002 Here in Virginia in Zone 7, our ground rarely freezes for an extended time, so I can pull carrots most anytime I want. If we are going to have snow cover or freezing ground, I harvest what I’ll need ahead of time. If your ground does freeze for an extended time, or you have snow cover, you would want to mulch the carrots with leaves or straw.With the mulch over them, the tops will die, but that’s okay. Even when the rest of the area is frosty, or even frozen, your carrots will be protected and easy to pull. If you have problems with voles, do not put the mulch down too early. Wait until you’ve been hit with some cold weather for a bit so that the voles find other winter homes. Your carrots will be fine. You could mulch an area somewhere away from your carrots so that the voles will go there first. 90003 90002 When you are digging the carrots you might want to have an organized system for the harvest, particularly if the bed is mulched, since you can not see where they are.Start at one end of the bed and go from there. Harvest what you need in the kitchen for the next week or so, then mark that spot where you left off. You could use a stick or your garden fork, if you are one of those who leave your fork in the garden through the winter. Then you can find your way to that spot to begin harvesting next time. 90003 90002 Carrots are biennial, going to seed the second year. In early March, the carrots will want to send up a seed stalk and grow hairy roots. If you still have some left, dig them up and store them in plastic bags in the vegetable drawers of your refrigerator.Think of that as your root cellar with ever-changing offerings. They could keep for the next month in there if you have enough to last that long. I plant carrots in June to allow enough time for them to reach maturity by mid-October. If we begin eating them then and continue into April with the ones stored in the fridge, we have carrots on the menu for six months-all from one planting in June. You have to pay some attention to get them off to a good start in the summer, but it’s worth it. Find out more about winter carrots at Homeplace Earth.When you dig the last of them in March, the bed is ready for your next crop. Spread compost and whatever organic amendments your soil may need and plant. If you do not plant something then, Mother Nature will plant something for you and you will have to deal with it later. 90003 90012 90002 Learn more about Cindy Conner and what she’s up to at Homeplace Earth. 90003 .90000 Saving Carrot Seeds — Organic Gardening 90001 90002 The Seed Garden 90003 (Seed Savers Exchange, 2015) by Micaela Colley & Jared Zystro and edited by Lee Buttala & Shanyn Siegel brings together decades of research and hands-on experience to teach both novice gardeners and seasoned horticulturists how to save the seeds of their favorite vegetable varieties. 90004 90005 90002 Carrots are a popular garden crop, but they pose several challenges for seed savers-the most notable of these being their ability to cross-pollinate with wild carrot, or Queen Anne’s lace.Ubiquitous in the Northeast and Midwest and common in most other regions of the United States, the weedy form of the species forces gardeners to carefully manage the isolation of cultivated carrots grown for seed. Carrots also require vernalization; however, because of their small size, carrot roots can be vernalized in a refrigerator, which is not as feasible for many other biennial crops. 90005 90002 Beyond the many hues of orange that seed catalogs typically offer, carrot varieties can be found in a wide range of root colors including white, yellow, red, purple, and black.Carrot roots can be a single color throughout or display one color on the exterior and a different color in the interior. 90005 90002 Carrots are broadly grouped into types based on shape: Imperator, Nantes, Danvers, and Chantenay. Imperator carrots are very long, with tips that gently taper to a point; these are the carrots most commonly found in supermarkets. Nantes carrots are slightly shorter than Imperator carrots and have tips that are blunt rather than pointed. Danvers carrots are about as long as Nantes, but thicker, and Chantenay carrots are the shortest and thickest of the carrot types.Widely grown by food processors to make canned and prepared food, Danvers and Chantenay carrots are often preferred by home gardeners because their sturdy roots can be grown more successfully in heavier soils than Nantes and Imperator types. In addition to the common market classes, there are also specialty types including small round carrots, such as ‘Thumbelina’, and the large ‘Oxheart’ carrot, which has wide shoulders and short roots that may weigh up to 1 pound each. As with most root vegetables, carrots have a history in the United States of being used for both forage and fodder.90005 90002 Carrots originated in Afghanistan sometime before the tenth century CE. From Afghanistan, carrots spread west to Europe and east to China. Based on historical record, literature, and art, the earliest cultivated carrots are believed to have been yellow or purple rather than the bright orange primarily associated with them today. Carrots were grown in Europe for several hundred years before the orange carrot rose to prominence in the seventeenth century. 90005 90002 Carrots that evolved in the subtropical regions east of Afghanistan, such as ‘Kuroda’, tend to have fuzzier, grayer leaves than their western counterparts.Subtropical carrots also tend to bolt, or go to seed, much more easily than western carrots, and can even flower in their first growing season. 90005 90016 Growing Carrots for Seed 90017 90002 Carrots are biennial plants that require vernalization in order to flower and set seeds. Typically, carrots must be exposed to temperatures below 50 ° F (10 ° C) for up to 10 weeks to initiate development of their floral stalks. Before they are vernalized, carrots can be spaced as if they are being grown as food, with three-quarters to 2 inches (2 to 5 cm) between plants.After vernalization, carrots being grown for seed should be replanted with suitable spacing for seed production: 6 to 18 inches (15 to 46 cm) between plants in rows 24 to 48 inches (61 to 122 cm) apart, or 15 to 18 inches ( 38 to 46 cm) on center. 90005 90002 Where winter temperatures are cold enough to fulfill carrots ‘vernalization requirement, but do not fall below 15 ° F (-9 ° C), plants can simply be overwintered in the garden. Straw mulch, leaves, or row cover can provide a bit of extra protection from the cold in borderline climates and also help mitigate widely fluctuating fall, winter, and spring temperatures.Even when carrots can be vernalized in-ground, many gardeners choose to dig them-either before or just after overwintering-to evaluate roots, cull off-type and diseased roots, and replant selected roots at a wider spacing that better accommodates the plants ‘ size at seed maturity. When carrots are to be overwintered in the garden, sowing should be timed so that the roots will be slightly smaller than full size at the onset of winter, because younger plants are less susceptible to damage from the cold than more mature plants.90005 90002 In the northern United States, where winter temperatures frequently fall below 15 ° F (-9 ° C), carrots must be dug before the first hard frost and vernalized in storage. If possible, dig carrots when the soil is relatively dry; shake or gently brush the roots to remove as much soil as possible, but do not wash them. Trim tops down to just above the crown by making two or three diagonal cuts upward from the base of the leaf stems. Carrot roots can be stored in perforated plastic bags or any ventilated container: In bags, evenly disperse wood shavings around the carrot roots; in containers, line the bottom of the container with wood shavings, clean sand, or dry leaves, and then alternate each layer of carrots with a thin layer of whatever storage medium is being used.Cull out diseased or off-type roots prior to storage and again before replanting. 90005 90002 The optimal storage conditions for carrots are between 35 and 38 ° F (2 and 3 ° C) and 90 to 95 percent relative humidity. A more practical goal-and one used by seed-saving farmers and gardeners for ages-is to meet the plants ‘basic vernalization requirements and prevent stored roots from freezing or desiccating. A traditional root cellar is ideal for this, but garages, sheds, and other unheated structures can be equally useful in some climates.Given the size of carrot roots, a refrigerator can provide a suitable space for storing and vernalizing this crop. Carrot roots stored at optimal conditions can remain viable in storage for four to six months or longer. 90005 90002 In the spring, roots should be removed from storage and prepared for replanting. Cutting off the bottom third of the carrot root facilitates transplanting and also provides seed savers with an opportunity to check interior root traits. To discourage rot, the cut ends of the roots should be allowed to scar over for a day before they are planted back in the garden.Each root should be set so the plant’s crown is just above the soil line, mimicking the height of the crown during its first season in the garden. 90005 90016 Flowering, Pollination, and Seed Set 90017 90002 Individual carrot flowers are quite small, but when tightly arranged in the compound umbels characteristic of the Apiaceae, they provide a showy floral display that is readily visited by a variety of pollinators, including flies, wasps, and bees. Cross-pollination is encouraged, as each perfect flower is protandrous and sheds its pollen before its stigma is receptive.However, carrot plants produce many compound umbels, some containing upward of 100 flowers, and self-pollination occurs when insects transfer pollen between flowers on the same plant. 90005 90002 Carrot plants flower in a sequential pattern. The central flower stalk first produces a terminal umbel, called a primary or king umbel. Flowering then progresses to branches that grow from the main flowering stalk; these lateral branches produce secondary, tertiary, and sometimes quaternary umbels.Each order of umbel is smaller than the last and the lower orders may not develop in tightly spaced plantings. Depending on the variety, carrot plants in flower may grow to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and often require staking. 90005 90034 90034 90016 Variety Maintenance 90017 90002 Carrots are insect-pollinated, so the recommended isolation distance between varieties-or between a variety and a population of wild carrot-is 800 feet to one-half mile (244 to 805 m). Gardeners who share seeds with others or who garden in settings that do not provide many landscape barriers may choose to use the upper end of this range as a starting point when determining an isolation distance.Large-scale commercial seed growers separate different varieties by 1 to 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km). The foliage of Queen Anne’s lace or wild carrot is fine and low-growing while in the vegetative stage, thus wild carrot plants growing near gardens may not be apparent until they begin to flower, but they can easily cross-pollinate with a domesticated carrot variety . Gardeners in areas lacking wild carrots can likely manage isolation for one variety each season because other nearby garden carrot plantings are unlikely to be in the flowering stage, unless they too are being grown for seed.90005 90002 Other than isolation by distance, options for controlled pollinations are limited because carrots are insect-pollinated, and caging plants requires the use of introduced pollinators. Additionally, isolation by flowering time is impractical because the multibranched plants flower for a month or longer. 90005 90002 Although carrots are self-compatible, population size recommendations are similar to those for other outcrossing species. Viable seeds can be collected from 5 plants or fewer, although a population size of 20 to 50 plants is recommended to maintain a healthy variety.The upper end of this range best captures a variety’s genetic diversity, and since carrots are prone to inbreeding depression, the upper end of this range is also preferable if the intent is to save seeds for multiple generations or to share seeds with others. For those saving seeds for genetic preservation, a population size of 80 plants or more is recommended. Some loss can be expected from rot or disease during overwintering, so gardeners should consider growing more plants than the desired population size.90005 90002 Routine selection is necessary simply to maintain some open-pollinated carrot varieties. As always, off-type and especially weak or diseased plants should be rogued any time before flowering, and again before seed harvest, but plants that show undesirable root traits, such as forked roots or prolific root hairs, should also be removed from the population . When roguing or selecting, important carrot traits to consider are root color (exterior and flesh color), root shape, and core size.90005 90016 Seed Maturity and Harvest 90017 90002 During seed development, carrot fruits are small, green, and tightly packed together on each umbel, and most gardeners are probably unaware of their development until they are close to maturity. The fruits, called schizocarps, split into two mericarps at maturity; each single-seeded mericarp is commonly referred to as a seed. Carrot seeds also have spiny appendages called awns that aid in seed dispersal, but these appendages are often removed as part of the cleaning process.90005 90002 Carrot seeds can be expected to reach maturity approximately four to six weeks after pollination, but the sequential flowering pattern of carrots means that umbels continue to mature over a long period of time. The earliest-flowering umbels-the primary and secondary umbels-are also the first to reach seed maturity, and gardeners may reasonably choose to harvest only these umbels, sometimes preferring to limit seed collection to just the primary umbels. This practice requires cutting individual seed heads as they mature, but it allows for an early harvest.A single primary umbel can yield hundreds of seeds, and primary umbels tend to produce the largest and most vigorous seeds. 90005 90002 As carrot seeds mature, they turn from green to tannish brown; fully mature seeds detach easily from the plant. Individual seed heads can be harvested by cutting stems several inches below the umbels. The harvested material should be moved to a well-ventilated space that is protected from rain for further drying for 5 to 14 days. 90005 90002 For a once-over harvest, seeds are collected in the same manner as above when approximately two-thirds of the umbels have turned brown.90005 90016 Cleaning and Storage 90017 90002 Carrot seeds can be easily threshed by rubbing the seed heads between one’s hands or against a fine mesh screen. Because each pair of seeds is held on a thin stem, dislodging the seeds into a container by gently brushing the tops of the seed heads results in a cleaner seed lot containing fewer dry flower stems. 90005 90002 Carrot seeds have appendages called awns that attach to animal fur as a method of seed dispersal, but these awns are typically removed to make planting easier.The seeds can be debearded by rubbing the seeds between one’s hands until the awns break off or crumble. If the awns are not easy to remove, the carrot seeds probably require further drying. After they are debearded, carrot seeds can be screened and winnowed to remove chaff. 90005 90002 When stored under cool, dry conditions, carrot seeds can be expected to remain viable for six years. 90005 90064 90016 Daucus carota 90017 90002 90068 FAMILY: 90069 Apiaceae 90005 90002 90068 LIFE CYCLE: 90069 Biennial 90005 90002 90068 SUGGESTED SPACING: 90069 When growing for seed, increase spacing to 6-18 inches (15-46 cm) between plants, in rows 24-48 inches (61-122 cm) apart.Staking is recommended. 90005 90002 90068 OTHER REQUIREMENTS: 90069 Carrots require a vernalization period of temperatures below 50 ° F (10 ° C) for 10 weeks or less in order to flower and set seeds. 90005 90002 90068 FLOWER TYPE: 90069 Perfect, self-fertile flowers are protandrous and shed pollen prior to stigma receptivity. Clusters of flowers are held in compound umbels. 90005 90002 90068 POLLINATION: 90069 Insect-pollinated 90005 90002 90068 MATING SYSTEM: 90069 Mixed. Protandry facilitates cross-pollination.However, carrots self-pollinate when insects transfer pollen between flowers on the same plant. 90005 90002 90068 ADDITIONAL CROSS-POLLINATION CONCERNS: 90069 Wild carrot, or Queen Anne’s lace, is also Daucus carota. 90005 90002 90068 FRUIT TYPE: 90069 Dry, paired fruits (schizocarps) split at maturity into two single-seeded, indehiscent mericarps. The mericarp is considered a seed. 90005 90002 90068 SEED MATURITY: 90069 Seed maturity occurs in the second growing season, when green fruits turn brown.90005 90002 90068 SCREEN SIZE: 90069 5/64-15/64 inch (2-6 mm) 90005 90002 90068 EXPECTED SEED LIFE: 90069 6 years 90005 90002 90068 ISOLATION DISTANCE: 90069 800 feet-1/2 mile (244-805 m) 90005 90016 Population Size 90017 90002 90068 For Viable Seeds: 90069 5 plants 90005 90002 90068 For Variety Maintenance: 90069 20-50 plants 90005 90002 90068 For Genetic Preservation: 90069 80 plants 90005 90064 90002 90068 For more on seed saving, see our Seed Saving Guide.90069 90005 90064 90002 90003 Reprinted with permission from 90004 The Seed Garden, 90003 by Micaela Colley & Jared Zystro, edited by Lee Buttala & Shanyn Siegel and published by Seed Savers Exchange, 2015. 90004 90003 Buy this book from our store: 90004 The Seed Garden. 90005.