Mid-early carrot variety with high carotene content: Children's sweet
One of the important vegetables in the baby’s diet is carrots. It is especially useful in its raw form. To attract the child’s interest in this bright, crispy vegetable, breeders are constantly improving carrot varieties and increasing the carotene and sugar content. One of the representatives of such varieties is the Baby Sweet carrot.
Description of carrot variety Children's sweetness
Children's sweetness belongs to the mid-early varieties. Sowing is carried out in late April - early May. Carrots can withstand temperatures as low as -4°C. Ripening period is 110-130 days. Root vegetables are rich orange in color, sweet, juicy and crunchy. The variety has high yields - 286-371 c/ha.
The variety can be sown before winter. Sowing is carried out after the temperature drops to +5°C, usually in late October - early November.
Variety used for preparing baby juices and purees.
Other "children's" varieties
Breeders have developed many sweet varieties of carrots. One of them - carrots Children's joy. She grows smaller than Sweetness, but they have the same taste.
Variety Children's – mid-season with a high content of vitamins PP, C, E, K, B, A. Harvest – sweet and juicy root vegetables with a small core.
Children's vitamin – mid-season variety. Recommended for fresh use and winter storage. Weight of root crops 95-130 g.
Sweet tooth – one of the best sweet varieties, late-ripening, ripening period – 4 months.Contains an increased amount of saccharides and provitamin A.
Origin and development
Carrot variety The children's sweet was created by breeders based on the variety Amsterdam.
He is part of annual plants of the Berlicum variety, producing root crops for one season. When planting root crops for the second season, active growth will occur only in the tops, followed by flowering and ripening of the seed material.
Chemical composition and beneficial properties
100 g of raw carrots contain: fructose – 12%, dry matter – 12.7-14.1%, beta-carotene – 20.8 mg. The energy value of one root vegetable is 34.5 kcal.
Content of macroelements in root vegetables (per 100 g):
- potassium – 225 mg;
- calcium – 24.6 mg;
- phosphorus – 52 mg;
- magnesium – 37.4 mg;
- sodium – 18.4 mg;
- sulfur – 4.5 mg.
Content of microelements (per 100 g):
iron – 0.76 mg;- zinc – 0.37 mg;
- aluminum – 0.36 mg;
- manganese – 0.22 mg;
- boron – 0.23 mg;
- vanadium – 0.13 mg;
- copper – 0.72 mg;
- fluoride – 0.5 mg;
- molybdenum – 0.22 mg.
Vitamins included (per 100 g):
- A – 0.97 mg;
- B1 – 0.07 mg;
- B2 – 0.07 mg;
- B8 – 0.32 mg;
- B9 – 0.12 mg;
- C – 0.7 mg;
- RR – 1.24 mg;
- E – 0.93 mg.
Root vegetables contain a high content of carotene – provitamin A. In children's bodies, it affects the growth and strengthening of bones, teeth, hair, and promotes skin health. The vitamins contained in carrots improve immunity and increase resistance to various infections.
Features of application
Carrots Children's sweetness is one of the sweetest varieties. Due to its excellent taste, it is widely used in baby food in the form of bunched products, freshly squeezed juices, and purees. Widely used in cooking for preparing various vegetable stews, soups, and salads.
Ripening period
Children's sweetness belongs to the mid-season varieties. Period from emergence to full ripeness is 110-130 days.
Productivity
Children's sweetness characterized by high yields: from 1 m² you get 4.5-6.8 kg of carrots. In some areas with favorable growing conditions, yields reach 7.5 kg per m².
Disease resistance
Pre-sowing seed treatment, soil disinfection after harvesting vegetables and in the spring before sowing can increase the resistance of the variety to many diseases and damage from insect pests. Does not have particular resistance to certain diseases.
Characteristics, description of appearance, taste
Root vegetables of the Children's Sweet variety bright orange in color, the core has a red-orange tint. The shape is cylindrical, with a rounded tip, weight - 100-140 g, length 12-18 cm. The rosette of the variety is semi-spreading, the tops are strong.
The taste of the variety is excellent, root vegetables with high sugar content, crunchy. Carrots contain a high content of provitamin A. Due to their juiciness, the variety is widely used for making freshly squeezed juices.
For which regions is it best suited and what are the climate requirements?
Variety recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region of the country. Grows well in Voronezh, Belgorod, Lipetsk, Kursk, Tambov regions.
To grow a variety and preserve its properties suitable temperate climate with warm summer season and long frost-free periods during the winter.
The main advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The variety is characterized as:
high-yielding;- resistant to stemming;
- having excellent taste and commercial qualities;
- easy to care for;
- resistant to temperature drops down to -4°C;
- differs from other sweet varieties by a longer shelf life.
Disadvantages of the variety:
- demands on soil fertility;
- dependence of taste on the illumination of the area;
- the need for periodic hilling.
What is the difference from other varieties
From other varieties of crops Children's sweets are different:
- higher levels of sugar and carotene;
- to maintain high levels of sugar and carotene, the variety requires constant good lighting;
- The variety grows well only on fertile soils.
Features of planting and growing
The variety is unpretentious in care. Subject to the conditions of agricultural technology, a correctly selected plot of land with a suitable soil composition, you can obtain high yields.
When growing varieties in temperate climates it is allowed to plant carrots before winter. With this growing method, the harvest is obtained 15-20 days earlier than with spring sowing.
Preparing for landing
Only fresh seeds are used for sowing. The germination rate of seed two or more years old will be low.
The seeds are pre-sorted, removing light, immature and damaged specimens. Remaining soak for 2 hours in warm water. Empty, unusable seeds floating on the surface are discarded. The specimens that have sunk to the bottom of the container are removed and disinfected: a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is heated to 40°C and the seed material is dipped into it for 15 minutes.
The seeds are then germinated, wrapped in a cloth moistened with a solution of wood ash (1 teaspoon of ash per 1 liter of water). After this they are ready for sowing.
Attention! For pre-winter planting, the seeds are not germinated.
Soil requirements
Carrots are demanding on the quality and composition of the soil.. To grow the variety, loose, fertile soil is required. If the site has clay soil, add peat and humus to it when digging. If the soil is heavy, sand is added to it. If the soil acidity is too high, dolomite flour is added by digging. The variety grows well on loamy soils.
The soil is prepared in the fall. All plant residues are removed, the soil is dug deep, and potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are added.
In the spring, before sowing, the area is loosened and dry wood ash is added.
Predecessors
When choosing a site for sowing carrots, particular importance is given to predecessors. The crop grows well if it grew in this area last season. legumes, grains, onions, garlic, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes. You should not plant carrots after parsley, dill, fennel, parsnips, since these crops and carrots have common diseases and pests.
Reference. Carrots should not be planted in the same area for two or more years in a row.
Dates, scheme and rules of planting
Spring sowing is carried out in late April - early May, after the soil warms up to 8-10°C. In a pre-prepared area, make grooves 2 cm deep and water them with water. The seeds are laid out to a depth of 1.5-2 cm at a distance of 2 cm from each other. The grooves are sprinkled with a small layer of earth, slightly pressing it down. Leave a distance of 20 cm between rows.
For pre-winter sowing, planting is carried out in late October - early November.when the air temperature finally drops to 5°C.
Features of cultivation
To plant the variety, choose a sunny area with loose soil.. It is necessary to take into account the depth of groundwater so that root crops are not in constant moisture.
Important! Overmoistening of the soil leads to the appearance of root rot.
Big attention is paid to constant loosening to prevent the formation of soil crust.
Carrots sown before winter germinate 2-3 weeks earlier spring, so watering, loosening, and fertilizing are also carried out earlier according to a scheme similar to spring.
Nuances of care
When growing a variety, it should be taken into account that Children's sweetness grows well in sunny areas and does not tolerate even light shade. With slight darkening, the level of sugar and carotene in root vegetables decreases. In insufficiently lit areas, yields also decrease.
Interesting things on the site:
When is it time to collect carrot seeds and how to do it
Watering mode
Before and when seedlings appear, the soil is moistened every 3 days.. Watering is carried out in the morning with a small pressure of water so that the seeds are not washed out of the soil. As the plants grow, the abundance of watering is increased, while reducing their frequency to once a week. The soil should be moistened to a depth corresponding to the length of the root crops.
Important! Irrigation should be carried out regularly. Irregular watering at long intervals leads to cracking of root crops.
15-20 days before harvest watering is stopped.
Thinning and weed control
The first thinning is carried out when two pairs of leaves will appear on the seedlings. Leave a distance of 2 cm between plants, removing undeveloped specimens. Then the procedure is repeated when the root crops reach a diameter of 1.5-2 cm.Ultimately, there should be a distance of 5-6 cm between the plants.
Weeds are removed during thinning, since their active growth retards the development of vegetables.
Attention! All removed weeds and root crops must be removed from the site after weeding and thinning, as they will attract pests.
Top dressing
3 weeks after sprouts appear carry out the first feeding urea: 20 g of the drug is diluted in 10 liters of water, watered at the root.
Important! Fertilizers are applied only to moist soil.
The second feeding is carried out 3 weeks after the first: Potassium and phosphorus are added for the development of root crops. To do this, prepare a solution of 25 g of potassium nitrate, 30 g of “Superphosphate” and 10 liters of water. To feed the crop with potassium during the third procedure, use a solution of wood ash: 400 g per 10 liters.
Disease and pest control
The most common crop diseases:
- Fomoz - dry rot. Appears on the tops in the form of dry spots with a dark edge. The fungus then attacks the root crops. For prevention, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied to the soil. Affected plants are treated with a solution of Rovral and Maxim.
- Alternaria blight - black rot. Yellow spots appear on the tops, leaves curl, and the fruits become covered with dry rot. At the first signs of damage, the plants are sprayed with the fungicide “Acrobat MC”: 20 g of the drug are dissolved in 5 liters of water.
- Rhizoctoniosis – felt disease, recognized by the appearance of lead stains on root crops, leading to rotting of vegetables. Plants are watered with a solution of copper sulfate prepared at the rate of 100 g per 10 liters of water.
The main insect pest is the carrot fly.. When it appears, the leaves acquire a red-violet hue and curl. Fly larvae feed on root vegetables. To combat carrot flies, the drug “Inta-vir” is used: one tablet of the product is diluted in 10 liters of water, and the plant is sprayed. After 10 days, the treatment is repeated.
Dangerous for baby sweet carrots and mole crickets – it lives in the soil, feeding on root crops. The danger comes from adults and their larvae, which after birth actively destroy root crops. To combat the mole cricket, a composition is prepared from a tincture of mustard, pepper and alcohol.
Harvest and storage
Harvest begins in late August - early September. Winter carrots ripen earlier. The degree of maturity of root crops is judged by the beginning of drying of the lower leaves on the tops. Dry weather is chosen for harvesting. The collected vegetables are first sorted, dried, and then placed in winter storage.
How and when to collect
Vegetables are harvested in late summer - early autumn, at which time root crops stop growing.
Carrot carefully pry with a pitchfork and pull out of the ground by the tops, shake off the ground and transfer to a dry room to dry.
After that it is sorted. Undamaged, healthy specimens are selected for storage.. Their tops are cut off and placed in winter storage. The rest goes for processing.
Storage features and keeping quality of the variety
The vegetable storage facility creates optimal conditions for long-term storage of crops. The air temperature must be maintained within 0…+5°С, humidity – 90-95%. Increased humidity leads to rotting of root crops. The room must be constantly ventilated.
When stored properly the keeping quality of the variety reaches 95%.
What difficulties may there be when growing
During the ripening process, the bases of the root crops appear above the soil level. When exposed to sunlight, the protruding areas turn green. This indicates the formation of solanine. Due to its appearance, carrots begin to taste bitter and become unsuitable for eating. To avoid this, it needs to be hilled regularly.
Advice from experienced gardeners
Experienced summer residents do not recommend growing granulated seeds, since constant abundant watering is required to dissolve the granules. Gardeners note the low germination of such seeds.
Many summer residents recommended to prevent overcrowding of plantings before sowing Mix carrot seeds with sand in equal proportions.
Important! Experienced gardeners warn: you should not water the plants abundantly after a long break - this will lead to cracking of the fruits.
Reviews of the carrot variety Children's sweetness
About carrots Children's sweetness there are only positive reviews among gardeners and farmers.
Olga, Tula: “The salesperson in the store recommended the Children's Sweet variety. I liked the description on the packaging. I decided to try it. The baby carrots grew up to be very tasty and sweet. Even my grandchildren liked it".
Irina, Vladimir: “Children love to chew on thin young carrots. A neighbor at the dacha shared the seeds of Children's Sweets. I really liked the taste: sweet, crispy. The kids really liked it".
Sergey, Omsk: “I am growing a variety of carrots, Children’s sweetness, especially for my granddaughter. She loves to crunch on young sweet carrots in the summer. I liked the taste and shelf life".
Conclusion
Carrots Children's sweetness is one of the most popular varieties of sweet carrots.The high content of sugar and carotene allows it to be used for baby food, making juices and purees. The variety is easy to care for, stores well, and is grown for bunch production and fresh consumption.