Mid-season carrot variety with high yield: Moscow Winter A 515
Carrots planted before winter produce a harvest two weeks earlier than spring ones. For these purposes, the Moscow winter variety A 515 has proven itself well. It was bred specifically for cultivation in the northern regions of Russia.
Description of carrot variety Moscow Winter A 515
Variety Moscow winter 515 belongs to the mid-season and was originally intended for growing before winter. The bush is spreading, the leaves are long and dissected. The roots are smooth, the eyes are small. At the end of ripening, the base of the vegetables acquires a greenish or purple tint.
Origin and development
Moscow winter carrots belong to the Shantanay variety. It was developed by the outstanding breeder S.P. Agapov by crossing the best winter varieties. Moscow winter has gained wide popularity and is grown in Russia, Ukraine and Moldova.
Chemical composition, trace elements and vitamins, beneficial properties
100 g of carrots contain only 24.5 kcal. The nutritional value is a rich set of vitamins, macro- and microelements.
Content of macroelements in root vegetables:
- potassium – 205 mg;
- calcium – 24.3 mg;
- phosphorus – 48 mg;
- magnesium – 35.2 mg;
- sodium – 17.4 mg;
- sulfur – 4.6 mg.
Micronutrient content:
- iron – 0.78 mg;
- zinc – 0.34 mg;
- aluminum – 0.23 mg;
- manganese – 0.2 mg;
- boron – 0.21 mg;
- copper – 0.72 mg;
- fluoride – 0.51 mg.
Vitamin content:
- A – 0.92 mg;
- B1 – 0.07 mg;
- B2 – 0.05 mg;
- B9 – 0.11 mg;
- C – 0.45 mg;
- RR – 1.22 mg;
- E – 0.75 mg.
Carrots have beneficial effects on the body human, in particular on the intestinal microflora, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, vision, helps prevent the formation of stones in the gall bladder and kidneys.
Features of application
Carrot consumed fresh, used for making juices, purees, canning – for all types of processing and winter storage.
Ripening time and yield
The ripening period of this mid-season variety is is within 70-100 days. The yield is 7 kg per 1 sq. m. The average yield from 1 hectare is about 30 tons. Maximum figures of up to 100 tons were noted.
Disease resistance
If you follow the rules pre-sowing treatment and disinfection of seeds, crop rotation and proper cultivation, carrots have high resistance to fungal diseases and most pests.
Characteristics, description of appearance, taste
The shape of the root crops of the Moscow Winter 515 variety is elongated-conical with a blunt end. Length – 16-18 cm, average weight – 120-170 g, diameter at the base – 5 cm. The color of carrots is orange with a reddish tint, the flesh is rich orange, homogeneous, juicy. There are a small number of lateral roots, the eyes are small. The variety has an excellent sweet taste.
Regions for cultivation and climate requirements
Suitable for growing Northwestern, Central, Volga-Vyatka, Central Black Earth and Middle Volga regions. Initially, the variety was intended for cultivation in the Moscow region.
Most often it is used for sowing in the northern regions: Leningrad region, in the Urals, in Siberia.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of the variety:
- resistance to diseases and pests;
- high yield rates;
- color resistance;
- high keeping quality – 98%;
- Possibility of sowing in spring and before winter.
Disadvantage of the variety poor tolerance to arid climates.
Difference from other varieties
Moscow winter differs from other varieties:
- longer germination period;
- the possibility of planting in spring and before winter in almost all regions;
- The variety is most often recommended for fresh consumption during the winter.
Features of planting and growing
For winter growing, carrots are planted at the end of October. when the daily temperature drops to 5°C. For planting, choose a well-lit area with fertile, loose soil. The seeds withstand snow cover and snowless periods of winter. When planting before winter, it is recommended to mulch the soil.
Spring sowing is carried out in April.
Preparing for landing
When planting in spring, the seeds are pre-prepared. First, damaged seeds are discarded. The remaining ones are soaked in water for 1.5-2 hours. High-quality seeds will sink to the bottom of the container, unusable and empty seeds will be on the surface of the water. They are thrown away.
Then the seeds are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate or “Fitosporin M” for an hour. After this, the seeds are germinated on a damp cloth in a warm, bright place for 5-7 days. For better germination and further growth, the tissue can be moistened in a growth stimulator (“Epine” or “Zircon”).
If the seeds are planted in the fall, there is no need to germinate them.. During the winter under the snow and in the spring when it melts, the seeds will be saturated with water and sprout.
Soil requirements
This carrot variety prefers well-drained, neutral soil.. Good yield indicators are achieved when grown on loamy prepared soils.
The crop does not tolerate acidic soil well.Before planting, the soil is dug up, freeing it from stones and heavily compacted pieces. Carefully remove plant debris from last season. Then the soil is leveled and grooves are made.
Other varieties and hybrids of carrots:
High-yielding, juicy and sweet carrot hybrid Abaco F1
Predecessors
The best predecessors of carrots are cucumbers, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes.. The variety is not recommended to be planted after dill, parsley, parsnips, since they and carrots have the same diseases and pests.
Dates, scheme and rules of planting
Seeds are planted in open ground in late April - early May.. At this point the soil warms up to +6…+8°С. In the prepared area, make grooves 2 cm deep, leaving a distance between rows of 19-20 cm. Water the grooves with warm water and place seeds in them at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. Then the grooves are covered with soil without compacting.
Autumn planting is carried out in early Novemberwhen the ground temperature drops to 5°C. The furrows are not watered; the seeds are placed to a depth of 3-4 cm with an interval of 3 cm and sprinkled with earth mixed with sand. The beds are mulched with peat in a layer of 4-5 cm.
Reference. When planting before winter, do not soak the seeds.
Features of cultivation
When sowing carrots before winter, you need to choose level beds, without slopes.. In the spring, when the snow melts, melt water can wash away the seed.
When sowing crops in autumn, the beds must be insulated with agrofibre to protect the carrot crops from frost. It will prevent them from freezing when the temperature drops to -8°C. In addition, water passes through the agrofibre well. During precipitation, moisture will moisten the beds.
Big attention is paid to removing the soil crust by loosening the top layer of soil. A dense crust delays air access to the roots.
Watering mode
The emerging seedlings must be watered every three days in the morning with warm water.. As soon as the plants become stronger, watering is reduced to once every 7-8 days. As the crop grows, the volume of liquid added is increased. The soil should be saturated to a depth of 23-25 cm.
Important! Watering should be regular. Alternating drying out of the soil and excessive moisture leads to cracking of root crops.
Two weeks before harvest watering is stopped.
Thinning and weed control
Great attention is paid to timely thinning of seedlings. The first thinning is carried out when two pairs of leaves appear on the seedlings. Remove weak shoots, leaving a distance of 2 cm between plants.
The crop is thinned out a second time when the root crops are formed. The distance between plants is increased to 3-4 cm.
The next thinning is carried out as the plantings thicken, removing insufficiently developed specimens and leaving a distance of 5-6 cm between plants.
Attention! The resulting holes from the removed shoots must be covered with earth.
When thinning, weeds are simultaneously removed, interfering with the normal growth of the crop.
The soil is loosened after each watering or rain. This must be done to ensure air access for root crops.
Top dressing
For the formation and growth of root crops, fertilizing is necessary.
The first feeding is carried out after two pairs of leaves appear on the seedlings. At this point, nitrogen fertilizers are required. The soil is watered with a urea solution: 10 g of the drug per 10 liters of water.
The second feeding is carried out three weeks after the first.They add potassium and phosphorus, which are necessary for the formation of root crops. The following composition is used: 20 superphosphate and 15 g of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water. This feeding is needed at the end of June.
Third feeding performed 20 days after the second, in July. At this time, the crop needs boron and manganese for root crops. Prepare the composition: dissolve 2 g of potassium permanganate and 3 g of boric acid in 10 liters of water. Water the beds with the solution.
A solution of wood ash is often used: 300 g of ash is poured into 10 liters of hot water and left for two days. The solution is poured under the root. You can use dry ash - scatter 1 cup around each plant.
Nitrogen fertilizers are no longer used.
Attention! It is not recommended to apply cow manure, as it negatively affects the shelf life of the crop.
Since winter carrots germinate two weeks earlier, all fertilizing is carried out earlier according to a scheme similar to spring carrots.
Disease and pest control
Culture is often affected such diseases:
- Fomoz. First, the tops get sick, becoming covered with gray-brown spots. Gradually, the disease spreads to root crops, leading to large losses during storage. Phoma can be prevented by applying potassium fertilizers during the growing season. Affected plants are treated with copper-based preparations. At the first manifestations of Phoma during the growing season, 1% Bordeaux mixture is used: 100 g of copper sulfate and 150 g of lime are dissolved in 5 liters of hot water and filtered. Plants are sprayed in the morning.
- Alternaria, black rot. The disease is infectious, transmitted through seeds and contaminated soil. It starts with blackening of leaves and stems, then moves to root vegetables. Spraying in the evening can provoke the disease.To combat rot, the drug “Rovral” is used at the initial stage. Prepare a 1% solution (1 g of fungicide is diluted in 1 liter of water) and spray the affected plants at the first sign. With this composition you can water the soil 0.5 liters for each plant.
- Bacteriosis affects the crop during the growing season. Yellow areas appear on the lower leaves and darken as they grow. The stems are covered with dark brown spots. Over time, wet brown areas form on the root crops. To prevent the disease, three weeks after germination, spray with the drug “HOM” (40 g of the drug is diluted in a bucket of water).
- Brown spot, cladosporiosis. Constrictions and brown spots appear on the leaves, and dark stripes appear at the bottom of the stem. Then the leaves curl, the tops and roots rot. For prevention, it is recommended to add an increased dose of potassium and phosphorus. At the first signs of damage to the tops, use the drug “Barrier”: 8 g are dissolved in 10 liters of water and spray the tops and leaves from the top and bottom.
Some pests are also dangerous for carrots:
- The crop is often affected by carrot fly (pictured below). To combat it, pollination with wood ash is used. If there are a large number of insects, plants are treated with insecticides “Aktara” and “Decis”.
- carrot psyllid sucks the juices out of plants, the tops dry out, root crops stop growing and become dry and hard. In case of insect invasion, plants are treated with Intavir and Actellik.
- Naked slugs feed on the vegetative parts of the crop, destroying crops. Then they lay eggs in the soil, which interfere with the growth of root crops. To prevent the appearance of slugs, it is necessary to remove from the site in the fall all plant debris in which the mollusk is hiding.The following composition is added to the soil: 200 g of lime, 250 g of wood ash and 500 g of superphosphate. In the spring, after planting seedlings, the beds are sprinkled with crushed eggshells - the delicate body of the slug cannot tolerate scratching particles.
Difficulties in growing
If the rules of agricultural technology are not followed, the variety may develop “hairiness”. Such root vegetables do not last long. To prevent excessive growth of roots, it is necessary to loosen the soil in time, apply fertilizing and water in a timely manner.
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Harvest and storage
The degree of maturity of the root crop is judged by overgrowing with small roots and changing color to a red-orange hue. Typically, full ripening occurs in mid or late September.
How and when to collect
After 70-100 days from planting, observe the beginning of yellowing of the lower leaves of the tops. It indicates the ripeness of vegetables. At this time, around August, the harvest begins. Since winter carrots ripen earlier, they are harvested in mid-July.
Choose dry weather for harvesting. Vegetables are harvested by hand, pulling them by the tops. If necessary, carrots are removed from the soil with a pitchfork. Lift it together with the soil, holding it by the tops, and easily shake it off. The greens are rolled or trimmed, the vegetables are sorted: the damaged ones are put aside for processing, the rest are laid out in a dry room to dry for 5-6 days. Then the carrots are placed in the prepared container and moved to the vegetable storage.
Storage features and keeping quality of the variety
Store carrots in a well-ventilated area at air temperature +2…+4°С. Humidity in the room is maintained at 85-90%.If the recommended conditions are met, the keeping quality of the variety reaches 98%.
Advice from experienced gardeners
Experienced gardeners advise:
- for sowing before winter, use 25% more seeds than for spring sowing;
- When sowing before winter, delay the planting date as far as possible so that during thaws the seeds do not have time to germinate.
It is also noted that With a lack of potassium, young carrot leaves curl.
Reviews about the Moscow winter carrot variety A 515
Amateur summer residents and farmers characterize the variety as easy to grow, producing a crop with excellent taste and keeps well in the cellar throughout the winter.
Svetlana, Krasnodar: “For several years I was going to try to plant carrots before winter. Last year I decided. I planted the Moscow winter variety A 515. I really liked the result. The carrots grew tasty and juicy".
Evgeniy, Saratov: “Relatives shared seeds of Moscow winter carrots. For comparison, I planted the seeds in November and April. The winter seeds sprouted a little earlier. They grew up the same way. I collected a lot of vegetables. I liked the taste".
Irina, Moscow region: “I liked planting Moscow winter carrots A 515 for the winter. The main thing is to cover the beds well. In spring, do not rush to water. The soil takes a long time to dry after snow. I liked the harvest because of its quantity and quality – the root crops are tasty and juicy.”.
Conclusion
The Moscow winter variety A 515 is suitable for sowing in late autumn and spring. Carrots have a high content of carotene, which is preserved over a long period of storage.
Studying the characteristics of the variety, the rules of its sowing and cultivation will allow you to get a good harvest of tasty, sweet root vegetables, recommended for fresh consumption in salads during the winter.