Sweet mid-season carrot variety Nantes 4

Nantes 4 carrots are popular among farmers due to their ease of care, excellent taste, and high carotene content. The variety is in demand in all regions of the country. If proper cultivation techniques are followed, a rich harvest of tasty and healthy root crops will be obtained.

Characteristics and description of carrot variety Nantes 4

Carrot Nantes 4 – mid-season variety with high sugar content. Carrots are one of the best table varieties of domestic production.

The variety is characterized by a semi-spreading, high rosette, strong tops, rich green dissected leaves. The yield of marketable products is 75-80%.

Origin and development

Carrot variety Nantes 4 is one of the first varieties included in the State Register of Russia (1943). Work on its breeding was carried out at the Gribovskaya garden plant breeding station. The originator of the variety is the Moscow agricultural company Aelita.

Chemical composition, trace elements and vitamins, beneficial properties

100 g of carrots contain: beta-carotene – 19.5 mg, fructose – 9.1 mg. The energy value of one average root vegetable is 25.5 kcal.

Amount of vitamins in root vegetables:

• A – 0.95 mg;
• B1 – 0.07 mg;
• B2 – 0.06 mg;
• B8 – 0.28 mg;
• B9 – 0.15 mg;
• C – 0.52 mg;
• RR – 1.24 mg;
• E – 0.91 mg.

Macronutrient content:

• potassium – 216 mg;
• calcium – 26.7 mg;
• phosphorus – 53 mg;
• magnesium – 37.4 mg;
• sodium – 19.1 mg;
• sulfur – 4.8 mg.

Micronutrient content:

• iron – 0.7 mg;
• zinc – 0.43 mg;
• aluminum – 0.31 mg;
• manganese – 0.2 mg;
• boron – 0.22 mg;
• vanadium – 0.11 mg;
• copper – 0.8 mg;
• fluorine – 0.51 mg;
• molybdenum – 0.23 mg.

High carotene content has a beneficial effect on vision. Eating carrots stimulates metabolism and increases the body's immunity. carrot juice useful for vitamin deficiency, liver and kidney diseases.

Features of application

The variety is characterized by versatility in use. The vegetable is useful in its raw form; it is used in side dishes, salads, and preparations. For children, carrots are a sweet source of vitamins; freshly squeezed juices and purees are prepared from them.

Ripening period

Nantes 4 belongs to mid-season varieties. From the moment of emergence of seedlings to harvest, 75-105 days pass.

Productivity

High-yielding variety, its indicators are 4.2-6.5 kg/m².

Disease resistance

Resistant to color fade has good resistance to damage rot, carrot fly.

Characteristics, description of appearance, taste

Root vegetables are cylindrical in shape, with a rounded tip. The length of vegetables is 16-19 cm, the diameter of the base is up to 5 cm, weight is 85-160 g. They are distinguished by their rich orange color. The skin is smooth, the core is orange. Carrots have no voids inside and do not crack. When ripe, the base of the root crop protrudes above the soil surface and changes color to green or purple. The taste of the variety is excellent: the fruits are sweet, juicy, without bitterness.

For which regions is it best suited and what are the climate requirements?

The variety is adapted to different climatic conditions, approved for cultivation in all regions of Russia, including in the regions of Siberia and the Urals.

The main advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Advantages of the variety:

• high productivity;
• long shelf life;
• friendly germination;
• absence of voids in the pulp;
• resistance to shooting;
• excellent taste.

Flaws:

• demands on soil;
• the need for frequent watering.

What is the difference from other varieties:

• the variety can be sown 2 times per season, not counting winter sowing;
• Nantes 4 easily tolerates temperatures down to −4°C;
• root vegetables do not crack.

Features of planting and growing

Variety suitable for sowing several times a season. The first sowing is carried out in the spring, in March - April, the second - from mid-July.

To get an early harvest sowing is carried out in November. The beds are insulated for the winter with a layer of mulch.

Preparing for landing

Seed material requires preparation: it is soaked for 1-1.5 hours in water. Suitable seeds will sink to the bottom, empty ones will float on the surface and are thrown away. High-quality seeds are disinfected in a pink solution of potassium permanganate or a solution of “Fitosporin” (5 drops per 1 liter of water) for two hours.

Important! After disinfection, the seeds are not washed with water.

The seeds are then placed between two layers of damp cloth to germinate. This takes 5-6 days. Seeds can be sprayed with a solution of growth stimulator “Zircon” (4 drops per 1 liter of water).

Attention! For pre-winter planting, the seeds are not germinated.

Soil requirements

Nantes 4 grows well on loamy, sandy loam, peaty soils. The beds are placed in a lighted place, avoiding low-lying areas.

The soil is being prepared since autumn. When digging deeply, humus, cow manure, and wood ash are added. In spring, the area is loosened and the top layer is leveled with a rake.

Predecessors

According to the rules of agricultural technology, the crop is planted after tomatoes, onions, zucchini, cucumbers, garlic, lettuce.

Important! It is not recommended to plant carrots after dill, parsley, and celery. After growing them, a favorable environment for the reproduction of parasitic insects is created in the soil.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Spring sowing is carried out after the top layer of soil has warmed up to +8...+10°C. This happens in late April - early May. In the prepared area, make grooves 1.5-2 cm deep and moisten them with warm water.

The seeds are laid out at intervals of 2 cm, covered with a layer of soil, and compacted a little by hand. A distance of 25-28 cm is left between the rows. The beds are covered with lutrasil (spunbond) at night to preserve heat.

Features of cultivation

Before planting, the soil is loosened, hard lumps and stones are removed so that the growing root crops do not run into obstacles.

For this variety, high beds are made, about 28-30 cm. To prevent the soil from crumbling, the bed is limited with planks.

Nuances of care

When growing varieties choose sunny areas, since the crop does not tolerate even slight darkening. With a lack of sunlight in root crops, the sugar level decreases and the yield decreases.

Watering mode

Since the seeds are placed in moist soil, in the first days there is no need for watering. The beds begin to be watered 3-4 days after planting. Before emergence, watering is carried out every day in the morning.

After the sprouts appear, the soil is moistened every other day, At the same time, make sure that the stream of water does not wash out the seeds. When the seedlings grow to 12-15 cm in height, the beds are watered every 3 days. Mature plantings are moistened once a week. In dry weather, the frequency of watering is increased to 2 times a week. As the crop grows, the amount of watering increases.

Attention! The soil is moistened to a depth corresponding to the length of the root crops.

2-3 weeks before harvest watering is stopped.

Thinning and weed control

Culture thinning required after emergence. When plantings are thickened, the root crops will grow small; insect pests can easily infest in such beds. The first thinning is carried out when the shoots reach 9-10 cm.

Remove the weakest shoots, increasing the distance between the remaining ones. The second thinning is necessary during the formation of root crops. The distance between plants is increased to 4-5 cm. During the growth of the bushes, weak specimens are periodically removed. As a result, a distance of 8-10 cm should form between the plants.

Weeding is necessary throughout the growing season. The active growth of weeds depletes the soil, and root crops become insufficient in nutrients. The growth and development of culture is inhibited.

Top dressing

First feeding carried out 2 weeks after emergence. Prepare the composition: 20 g of urea, 15 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water.

Fertilize a second time 3 weeks after the first, during the formation of root crops. Prepare a solution: 20 g of potassium sulfate, 25 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water.

The third fertilizing is carried out by adding ash: a glass of wood ash is poured into 10 liters of water, left for 2 days.

The fourth feeding is carried out to infuse root vegetables with juice, improve the taste of carrots: dissolve 4 g of boric acid and 1 g of potassium permanganate in 10 liters of water.

Attention! Fertilizing is carried out only on moist soil.

It is not recommended to apply fresh organic matter as fertilizers. (chicken droppings, fresh manure). This will lead to active growth of tops, rotting of root crops in the soil or during storage.

Disease and pest control

If the rules of agricultural technology are not followed, root crops are affected by Phoma. It is expressed in the appearance of brown spots on vegetables and dark empty areas. When signs of disease appear, the soil is treated with an aqueous solution of the drug “Maxim” (1:1).

When infected with brown spot Root crops and tops become covered with rusty spots, seedlings wither and die. Diseased plants are sprayed with a solution of the fungicide "Gamair" (2 tablets of the drug per 1 liter of water).

Black rot may appear on the tops - Alternaria blight.. The stems become covered with yellow spots, the foliage curls, and areas of dry rot are visible on the roots. The disease is treated with the fungicide “Acrobat MC”: 20 g of the product is diluted in 5 liters of water and sprayed on the plants.

Frequent pest of crops - carrot fly. Its larvae feed on leaves, causing the plant to dry out. To repel insects, plantings are pollinated with ash and tobacco. The seedlings are sprayed with Bayleton (0.5 ml per 1 liter of water).

Slugs destroy leaves in a short time. To repel insects, the drug “Thunderstorm”, crushed eggshells, is scattered around the plantings.

Harvest and storage

Harvest takes place at the end of August. If you leave root vegetables in the ground, the flesh will become loose and crack. After collection, the vegetables are sorted, dried and transferred to a storage location.

How and when to collect

Yellowing of the lower leaves of the tops indicates that the root crops are ready for harvesting. Choose dry weather for cleaning. Vegetables are pulled out of the ground by holding them by the tops or using a fork. Root crops are shaken off from soil residues and laid out on a dry surface to dry for 5-7 days.

After this, the carrots are sorted, removing damaged specimens. Before bookmarking long-term storage The tops of root crops are cut off to prevent germination.

Storage features and keeping quality of the variety

Carrots are stored in wooden boxes, sprinkled with layers of vegetables sand. The air temperature in the storage is maintained at 0…+4°C, humidity – 85-90%. As humidity increases, rot will appear on root crops.

There must be constant ventilation in the room. If a favorable microclimate is maintained, the crop can be stored for 7-8 months without losing its taste. The keeping quality of the variety reaches 97%.

What difficulties may there be when growing

When preparing the beds, ensure the uniformity of the soil. If a growing root crop rests against stones or hard lumps of earth, it begins to grow to the side and becomes bent.

If you dry out the bed, and then over-water the soil, this will cause cracking of the root crops.

The peculiarity of the variety is that the base of the carrot grows above the soil level.. After rains and watering, the beds are raised by raking soil from the rows to them.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Experienced gardeners advise:

1. Purchase seeds that have a packaging date of no more than 1 year. Such seeds will have higher germination rates. When planting seeds with a shelf life of two years or more, this figure will drop to 50-60%.
2. Do not buy granular seeds. Such seeds are in a shell, to dissolve it you will need abundant watering, they will take longer to germinate.
3. Before seedlings emerge, moisten the beds with watering cans with divider attachments or use drip irrigation. Strong water pressure can wash seeds out of the soil when watering.

Reviews of carrot variety Nantes 4

The carrot variety Nantes 4 is in demand among gardeners.

Nina, Yaroslavl: “The variety Nantes 4 is planted by many of my friends.It always sprouts well, tastes good, and can be stored in the cellar for a long time. I'm satisfied with the variety".

Elena, Bryansk: “I tried to plant this variety in spring and before winter. The variety easily withstood frosts. Autumn plantings came up earlier. It turned out that I harvested from early summer until autumn.".

Ivan, Moscow region: “I like this variety. The carrots do not crack, do not deform, and are very sweet. The grandchildren love to nibble on fresh young carrots.”.

Conclusion

The mid-season carrot variety Nantes 4 is in great demand among gardeners. The variety is popular due to its ease of care, high yields, and versatility in use. Carrots have excellent taste, sweetness, and juiciness. It can be grown in various areas of the country.