Many people believe that the white type of carrot is formed due to violations of agricultural engineering rules, others mistakenly believe that this is a type of horseradish, parsnip or turnip turnip. However, white carrots are an independent plant, distinguished by excellent taste.
General characteristics of white carrots
Carrots can grow completely white for two reasons - if seeds of the corresponding variety are planted or because of improper agricultural technology. The last option involves sowing an orange variety. Such carrots are not tasty, with bitterness, clumsy. The main reasons are poor seed, lack of top dressing, non-compliance with irrigation techniques, etc. Thus, ordinary carrots become wild (this is what grew many centuries ago).
But the modern white vegetable variety was developed by American breeders who changed the genome. In simple words, the beta-carotene pigment gene has been replaced by an element that produces vitamin E. As a result, an umbrella plant akin to wild carrots is obtained. The species grows in a temperate climate, so it is easily grown in our country.
Wild carrots of a white hue were practically not used until the 17th century, until the Dutch breeders turned the root crop into a sweet and juicy orange-colored vegetable. It is such a carrot that has reached our times.
Appearance of the bush and fruits
The plant has a feathery type of leaves with a strong dissection, is petiolate. Tops can be confused with parsley (some varieties). Root crops have no shades. The color may be ivory or pronounced white. The surface is smooth, the flesh is juicy.
Ripening and yield
White carrots are divided into different varieties. Each of them has excellent ripening periods, but the germination time is one - from a week to 14 days. The ripening period ranges from 2 to 3 months.
The yield is quite high: from one hundredth of the garden you can remove up to 500 kg of root crops, at least 100. There is a possibility of increasing the yield even further (up to 800 kg). To do this, you need to apply fertilizer four times a season.
Composition and calorie content
The composition of white carrots is very rich, but unlike orange varieties, it lacks beta-carotene and anthocyanins, thanks to which the human body receives vitamin A.
What is contained:
- copper and iron;
- zinc and lithium;
- boron and selenium;
- potassium and phosphorus;
- chlorine and sodium;
- magnesium and calcium;
- iodine and sulfur;
- chromium and fluorine;
- vanadium and manganese;
- aluminum and nickel;
- cobalt and molybdenum;
- pectin and bioflavonoids;
- amino acids, etc.
The energy value of white carrots is 32-33 kcal / 100 grams. The ratio of substances:
- proteins - 1.3 grams;
- carbohydrates - 6.9-7.2 grams;
- fats - 0.1 grams.
Useful and harmful properties
Due to the rich content of nutrients in white varieties of carrots, the vegetable has the following beneficial properties:
- prevents the development of cancer cells;
- improves the functionality of the gastrointestinal tract.
- strengthens the immune system;
- beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, preventing strokes, atherosclerosis and heart attacks;
- dissolves and removes harmful cholesterol, toxins from the body;
- improves the condition of the liver;
- normalizes blood glucose in diabetes mellitus;
- has a diuretic and choleretic effect;
- regenerates damaged cells and tissues;
- restores visual acuity;
- speeds up the metabolism;
- enhances coagulation of blood fluid;
Despite such a large list of beneficial effects on the body, white carrots can be harmful. Most often this happens if the vegetable is contraindicated. When it is forbidden to use it:
- an allergic reaction (more often to pectins);
- hypervitaminosis (for vitamins of groups B, E, C);
- some pathological disorders of the thyroid gland.
Accordingly, overeating of white carrots is also undesirable, as in this case, gastrointestinal diseases may worsen. And against the background of an accelerated metabolism, an adverse reaction in the form of frequent urination may occur.
Pros and cons
Benefits white varieties:
- low calorie content, therefore, the vegetable is used for diet food;
- comprehensive effect on the body;
- ease of care and cultivation;
- excellent taste;
- unusual color that attracts buyers and culinary specialists.
Disadvantage white carrots have one - it does not have beta-carotene. Also a number of contraindications, in which the root crop is forbidden, can be attributed to the minuses.
Cooking white carrots
In cooking, white carrots are used for different dishes:
- salads;
- juices;
- frying;
- baking;
- soup, borsch;
- second courses.
Popular varieties of white carrots
White belgian
Title in English - White Belgian (Blanche A Collet Vert). The variety is distinguished by the presence of a green strip of 1 cm. Other features:
- the color of the pulp is close to yellow-white;
- germination time of seed material - from 7 to 15 days;
- the root crop ripens in 3 months;
- the maximum length of the fetus is 20-25 cm;
- does not tolerate low temperature, the minimum mode should be + 10-12 degrees;
- taste is better manifested after heat treatment;
- does not require special fertilizer when growing.
Moonlight white
Another name is Lunar White. Indicators:
- the first shoots appear at least a week later;
- Harvesting is carried out after 2 months;
- the skin is thinned;
- the pulp is quite juicy, aromatic, sweet;
- it can be compared to the fruit of a mango tree to taste;
- form - elongated;
- the size of the root crop is up to 30 cm;
- favorable temperature conditions - at least 16 degrees of heat;
- long shelf life (up to 12 months under certain conditions);
- requires regular watering;
- special soil is needed - peat, chernozem;
- type of landing - geometric.
White satin
Otherwise called White Satin. It has such distinctive features:
- sprouts in the same period as previous options;
- matures in 70 days;
- the flesh has a creamy tone;
- tip - pointed;
- taste is sweet;
- maximum length is 30 cm;
- a specific crunch is present;
- watering - moderate;
- the soil should be medium-loose;
- cylindrical shape.
Features of growing white carrots
In order for white carrots to meet the taste and other parameters, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of agricultural technology.
Preparation for landing
First you need to determine the type of soil. It should be of neutral acidity, but a slightly acidic soil is allowed. Preference should be given to chernozem, light loam, sandy and peaty soil.
Other features of the preparatory measures:
- Site selection based on crop rotation. You need to plant white carrots after zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers.
- From future beds remove all weeds with the root system.
- Fertilizers are introduced in the autumn: ammonium nitrate - 25 grams, potassium salt - the same amount, superphosphate - 50 grams, water - 10 liters.
- Before planting, the bed is dug up, grooves are created.
- Preparation of seed material. Soak the grains in plain water or with the addition of fertilizers. To sustain a day, after which you can plant. Two main methods are used for this:
- when wet, the seeds are glued to the tape;
- the grains are mixed in equal proportions with sand (after soaking, the seed is dried).
Landing Features
Optimal conditions for planting seeds:
- You can plant in autumn and spring. In the first case, the crop can be harvested in the summer, in the second - in the fall. Winter crops are sown in October, in spring - in April, and for long-term crop safety - in May or June.
- Scheme: the row spacing is 28-32 cm, the distance between the bushes (after thinning) is from 5 to 15 cm. The depth of seed laying in the autumn is at least 5 cm, in the spring - 3-4 cm.
- The optimum soil temperature is 10 degrees.
- If winter seeds are planted, the soil should be predominantly light (with peat and sand).
- Sowing standards for winter planting - 0.5 grams per 1 linear meter, for spring - 0.3 grams.
Care Rules
Immediately after sowing, the seed material is covered with a moistened tissue, which will maintain the necessary moisture level and provide oxygen access to the soil. Further care is as follows:
- How to water? Excessive moisture should not be allowed to stand in the ground, but plants should not dry out. Before the appearance of the first shoots, water once a week, then the frequency is reduced to 2-3 times a month. When the root crop forms, watering is reduced even more. The penetration depth of the liquid is not less than 30 cm. Water should be warm and settled.
- Feeding rules. Land needs to be fertilized 3 times per season. The first seedlings are fed the first time, the second and third - through a monthly interval. Minerals can be added predominantly. Namely: in 10 liters of water add a couple of glasses of wood ash, 15 grams of urea and superphosphate, 20 grams of nitrate with potassium and a tablespoon of the drug Nitrofoska. An important requirement is to fertilize the soil immediately after watering the carrots.
- How to loosen and weed? Carrots are thinned out twice during active growth. Loosening is carried out in several stages: the first time after the appearance of sprouts, the second after the first thinning, then - as necessary. In the first 2 times only the aisle is loosened, then between the bushes. Hilling is necessarily carried out (as necessary).
- Mulching. Mulch is introduced only after the seedlings have reached a 15-centimeter size. For this, grass (dry or fresh), needles, foliage, compost, nettle, manure are used. The use of cardboard residues and burlap is acceptable. Categorically it is not recommended to add peat and newspapers. The mulch layer should not exceed 8 cm. If you do not mulch, then you will have to carry out frequent loosening and watering.
Diseases and Pests
White carrots, like orange, are susceptible to diseases and pests. What is affected and how to deal with it:
Diseases / pests | Treatment Methods and Warnings |
Powdery Mildew | Fungicidal preparations. |
Black rot. | Means Rovral. |
Brown spotting. | Loosening between rows is carried out. |
Felt rot. | Copper chloride solution. |
Cercosporosis. | A solution of Bordeaux mixture (1%). |
Bacteriosis. | Fungicide Hom (for prophylaxis, spray 20-25 days after the formation of sprouts). |
Rot is gray. | Nitrogen fertilizers, Bordeaux fluid. |
Insect pests: leaf flea, carrot fly and moth. | Chemical products: Profis, Decis, EDC. Folk remedies: tincture from ash, soap solution, decoction of tomato tops, mulching with needles. |
Bear | Pour acetic liquid into the wells (for 10 liters of water 200-250 ml of vinegar, respectively 9% or 6%). |
Possible errors and difficulties
Sometimes gardeners ignore some recommendations, as a result of which they make the following mistakes:
- Buy substandard seed material. Today, different companies produce seeds of white carrots, but you need to trust only producers proven over the years. If you do not know about the reputation, read the reviews of real customers on any specialized site.
- They are used to fertilize sawdust or manure (fresh, not rotted). This categorically cannot be done, as the quality of the root crop worsens, growth slows down, and productivity decreases.
- Tamped layer of mulch. This is a gross violation of agricultural technology, as carrot culture prefers loose and moist soil.
- Depth of landing exceeds the norm. It is difficult for sprouts to break through a too large layer of soil.
- Hilling is not performed. This leads to the greening of the upper part of the fruit, which is characteristic of an exclusively white Belgian variety.
- The distance between the plants is not respected, thinning is not carried out. Due to these factors, root crops do not grow.
Harvesting and storage
Harvested in a period that corresponds to the planting date (July, August, September). Follow the collection rules:
- the day before do a slight moisturizing;
- dig up the ground near the bush with a shovel / pitchfork;
- Pull the tops.
How to store:
- Sort defective items
- dry the fruits;
- clean from dirt;
- cut the tops;
- put for storage in a room that has been disinfected (with lime);
- temperature should not be below 0 degrees and above +4;
- humidity level - 90%.
To keep the carrots for about a year, you can make a weak solution of manganese, in which the fruits are placed for 15 minutes, then dried for 10-15 days at a temperature of 12-15 degrees. You can store such a crop in boxes of dry sand, in sawdust, onion husks.
There are other storage methods:
- In a fur coat made of clay. Mix water and clay in equal proportions, resulting in a creamy mass. Each fetus is dipped into it, dried under natural conditions. Stacked in a wooden container.
- The use of lime and sand. To extinguish lime, combine with fine dry sand in a proportion of 1:50. At the bottom of the box put the mixture in a layer of 8-10 cm, carrots on top. So lay to the top. With this method, the temperature in the room should not be higher than 2-3 degrees.
- Prepare a suspension of chalk, pollinate root crops from a sprayer, and dry.
- Moisten coniferous leaves, spread vegetables between them.
- Put sawdust and carrots in layers in plastic bags or bags. Put in an upright position, make several holes.
- The way of the collar. It is mainly used in the south. In the garden, dig a hole, lay the fruits, pouring fine sand. Cover with soil and canvas.
Reviews
Catherine, 30 years old. Once I bought carrot seeds White satin. Planted quite a bit, for trial. But when I was harvesting, I was surprised that all the seeds sprouted well, and the fruits themselves were large and juicy. I liked the unusual sweetness, so I used the vegetable most of all for fresh salads. And once I tried to make juice. Children really liked him. Now this variety has become a favorite of our family.
Valery, 66 years old. I like to grow unusual varieties of vegetables in the garden, so I often take hybrids. From white carrots grown lunar and Belgian varieties. The first is tastier and juicier, but the second look is suitable only for cooking, so I chose moon carrots.
Marina, 41 years old. I have been growing white carrots for many years, I have tried different varieties, but I like White Satin most of all. It, like a middle ground, does not require strong care, and the root crops are excellent. When growing, I always mulch, as there is no way to travel to the country too often. And so the humidity is preserved, and pest protection. In a word, I recommend it.
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White carrot is a unique selection vegetable, which is increasingly gaining fans in our country. It is characterized by high productivity, excellent taste, ease of cultivation. The main thing is to strictly follow the simple rules of agricultural technology.
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Russia. City: Zheleznogorsk
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