Analysis of mistakes when growing: why carrots are bitter and how to prevent it
Sometimes, even if you follow the rules for growing carrots, bitter root crops appear on your plot. There are many reasons for this phenomenon: from an incorrectly selected variety and insufficient moisture to unsuitable soil and exposure to pests.
From the article you will learn why carrots are bitter and how to prevent bitterness from appearing.
Causes of bitterness in carrots
Carrots become bitter or completely lose their taste not only during cultivation, but also after harvesting. Therefore, vegetables are provided with suitable conditions during cultivation and storage.
Bad soil
One of the reasons for the change in taste is unsuitable soil for carrots. With high acidity or excess alkalis, or lack of nutrients, the development of root crops is disrupted. A heavy, clayey substrate is also not suitable, since a surface crust often forms on it, preventing the penetration of oxygen and creating a barrier to the uniform distribution of moisture.
At high acidity, many nutrients are converted into a form inaccessible to plants. Certain types of beneficial bacteria living in the soil die. If the acidity exceeds 7.5 pH, the crop completely stops absorbing iron, and this primarily affects the taste of vegetables.
Important! To make carrots sweet, they need enough potassium. Root vegetables require phosphorus to keep them tender.
To ensure uniform distribution of nutrients and access of oxygen to the roots, the soil around the tops is regularly loosened. Liming reduces soil acidity.
Pests
Some pests make root vegetables practically unsuitable for consumption and storage.
Most often the following appear on the site:
- Psyllids - small insects that actively destroy almost all plantings. Grass fleas feed on the sap of the tops; as a result, they dry out completely, crop growth stops, and photosynthesis stops. If the damage occurs after the root crops have formed, they will taste bitter.
- Carrot flies - appear in the upper layers of the soil and on the surface with the onset of stable heat. At the same time, the tops acquire a bronze tint and gradually fade.
- Umbrella moth larvae - destroy both root crops and seeds. Signs of their presence are cocoons left after pupation.
- Wireworms - yellow worms 2-3 cm long that feed on the root part of carrots and leave behind thin passages. This provokes the development of fungus inside the root crops and their complete rotting.
- Slugs - appear only at night, leaving behind shiny white marks.
Often the area is also attacked by carrot aphids, which destroy the tops. In this case, the leaves quickly curl and dry out, and the formation of root crops is disrupted.
Incorrect watering mode
Carrots acquire a bitter taste due to lack of moisture. Root crops from dry soil do not absorb nutrients and microelements and do not accumulate juiciness. Cold water is also contraindicated for the culture.
Soil moisture should be at least 50%. In dry weather, plantings are watered intensively, in rainy weather - as the soil dries out.Maximum moisture is required at the beginning of the growing season.
Bad variety and seeds
Bitterness in carrots occurs when sowing dates are violated. For example, planting too early leads to over-ripening, which affects both the presentation of the crop and the taste. Inexperienced summer residents are in no hurry to dig up root crops so that they grow more. It is important to carefully read the instructions on the package of seeds and observe the planting and harvesting dates, taking into account the degree of ripening.
Important! Hybrids are only suitable for one-time cultivation from seeds. Subsequent collection of planting material will result in the appearance of bitterness and loss of taste and nutritional qualities of carrots.
When choosing a variety, they are guided by the characteristics presented by the manufacturer, the amount of total sugar in root vegetables, and climatic regions suitable for cultivation. Vegetables destined for cool areas will be bitter and small in size in southern latitudes.
Late and early harvesting
In the hope that the root crops will grow even more, many gardeners are late in harvesting. Harvesting carrots too late is not allowed: the vegetables become over-rooted, overripe, lose almost their entire supply of nutrients and become tasteless, bitter and tough.
Prematurely dug carrots are not suitable for storage: they are too vulnerable to fungal diseases. The resulting bacteria feed on carbohydrate compounds, which leads to bitterness.
Why do carrots become bitter when stored?
Proper storage conditions for the harvested crop are the key to its good taste. Only completely healthy root crops that are not damaged by pests and diseases are planted. The room temperature should not exceed +2°C, and humidity - 80%.Otherwise, the vegetables will spoil, become bitter and tough.
The optimal storage method is in wooden boxes, a cellar or basement, where there is no constant light.
What to do to prevent carrots from becoming bitter
The soil for growing the crop is constantly moistened and loosened. As a rule, it is those parts that are bitter that are above the surface of the earth and turn green when exposed to sunlight. The alkaloid solanine is formed in vegetables, which is dangerous for consumption, so the green part of the carrots is cut off from the harvested crop.
To prevent such a problem, the soil is periodically loosened so that the root crops are completely in the ground.
How to prevent bitterness
To grow tasty carrots, suitable for long-term storage, with a maximum supply of nutrients, a number of conditions must be observed:
- the crop is regularly watered, not allowing the soil to dry out completely, moistening the soil to a depth of at least 25 cm with warm water;
- carefully select varieties suitable for a specific climatic region;
- do not fertilize the plantings with manure - as an alternative I use wood ash and compost;
- monitor the level of soil acidity (a suitable indicator is 5.5-5.6 pH);
- periodically loosen the soil to provide oxygen access to the roots;
- The parts of carrots protruding above the surface are sprinkled with earth;
- Ripe vegetables are harvested in a timely manner.
Carrots are cultivated without the use of nitrates: they accumulate in the soil in large quantities and are actively absorbed by root crops along with other elements. This not only spoils the taste of vegetables, but also makes them poisonous.
Is it possible to eat such carrots?
The characteristic bitter taste of carrots can spoil the taste of the dish to which it is added. Such vegetables are not always suitable for consumption. If they are spoiled due to attack by pests or fungal diseases, look lethargic or too hard, woody, then it is better to destroy the entire batch.
If bitterness appears only at the top of the vegetables, simply cut it off. An unpleasant taste can be gotten rid of in a simple way - heat treatment, which kills all substances that impart bitterness. After this, the carrots are suitable for frying, broths, and canning.
Tips and tricks
The pleasant sweetish taste of carrots comes from sugars, which are formed only with proper soil preparation. The rejection of organic matter, in particular manure, increases the sugar content, which leads to deformation of root crops and the appearance of a characteristic iodine taste in them.
For planting, choose a well-lit area. Carrots are sown again in the same place no earlier than after 3 years. If necessary, the soil is limed before planting: 0.4-0.5 kg of lime is added for every 1 m2 every 6-7 years, depending on the acidity level.
Carrots grow well in an area where the following crops were previously grown:
Don't forget about fertilizers. During the formation and growth of root crops, the crop is fed with nitroammophoska (at the rate of 40 g per 10 liters of water). In August, agents with boron and manganese are added, which improve the taste of vegetables and give them sugar content.
The tobacco mixture will protect the area from carrot flies. The product is scattered between the beds during thinning. To prevent pests, onions are planted next to the beds. To prevent insects from laying eggs, the soil is mulched with sawdust, pine litter, and grass. This retains moisture and slows down the growth of weeds.
Conclusion
Growing tasty and nutritious carrots on your own plot is not so difficult. To do this, the rules of agricultural technology are followed: the crop is regularly watered, not fertilized with manure, the soil is loosened, the protruding parts of root crops are sprinkled with soil, and the crop is harvested on time.
Equally important is the choice of a suitable variety, protection from pests, and nutritious soil with low acidity.