Black carrots (scorzonera, goat, sweet root) - a popular type of carrot in many countries in Europe and Asia. In our country, it is quite rare, but with the provision of proper conditions, the scorcer can be successfully bred on his own plot. In this article we will look at what black carrots are, as well as the rules of planting and maintenance that are basic to growing scoroners.
Black carrot, or scorzonera: what is this "miracle"
Black carrot is an edible and medicinal plant. Scorzonera looks like an ordinary carrot with only a black root. The homeland of the Scorzoner is considered to be Southern Europe and Southwest Asia.
The stems of the plant are dark green in color, they can reach a height of 30 to 70 cm. It blooms in May with bright yellow inflorescences. Seeds ripen in June. Edible root has a rich black color, the flesh is juicy, white. In length, the fruit reaches about 15 cm, in width - up to 5 cm.
The weight of one fruit in weight reaches 150-200 g. The root crop can also be left in the ground for the winter, having previously covered the soil with dry foliage. Black carrots have good taste and are much more useful than regular orange carrots. Due to this, scorzonera has found wide application in cooking and medicine. 
At the sight of Scorzoner you wonder how to use it. Carrots can be eaten fresh, and you can cook soups, vinaigrettes, salads, main dishes. The taste of fresh Scorzonera bitter, resembles black radish. The root crop which has given in to culinary processing, on tastes is similar to an asparagus.
Important! Before eating fresh carrots, it is recommended to soak them in salted water for about an hour. This will help make it not so bitter.Black carrots are perfect for cooking fresh salads in combination with orange carrots, cabbage, beet. Sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice will be suitable as a dressing. Scorzonera can also be boiled, fried, stewed, used for canning and freezing. It will make an excellent sauce for meat or vegetable dish.
The composition of the plant includes many nutrients:
- pectins;
- copper;
- phosphorus;
- iron;
- potassium;
- zinc;
- vitamins A, C, B, PP, E;
- inulin;
- aspargin.
- improves metabolism;
- helps to reduce pressure;
- supports visual acuity;
- has anti-inflammatory, anti-cough effects;
- effective antioxidant.
Did you know? In the Middle Ages, Scorzonera was used to prepare antidotes for viper bites.Due to the high insulin content, black carrots are recommended to be included in the diet for people with diabetes. In addition, scorzonera contains more lutein and carotene than orange carrots, so it is much more useful for maintaining vision.
Preparatory work before landing
Scorzonera loves moist and well-treated soil. Before planting carrots, you must select a suitable site and prepare the ground. For growing plants suitable illuminated area, protected from strong winds. Kozelets does not tolerate shading.
The area where the seeds will be sown should be cleared of weeds, last year’s leaves and well dig. The soil should be loose, soft. Do not allow large breasts, otherwise the seeds may not germinate.
If the soil is too acidic, it should be skimped. To accelerate the growth of seeds and retain moisture, the top layer of soil, which will sprinkle the seeds, it is recommended to pre-mix with peat or sawdust. Before planting in the soil it is recommended to apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
Before sowing, seeds should be soaked for half a day. Floated grains are removed, they are empty and infertile. Then it is recommended to lay out the remaining material on a damp cloth and hold it for a couple of days, maintaining a stable level of humidity. After a couple of days, the seeds will turn and be ready for sowing. This procedure will contribute to the speedy germination of seeds planted in open ground.
The timing, pattern and depth of sowing seeds Scorzoner
Black carrot seeds can be sown in open ground in spring and summer. If you want to receive fruits in the first year, you need to sow at the end of April. If you plan to grow a scorcelonera as a biennial plant, seeds are sown from late April to early August.
Important! Seeds obtained from a plant in the first year of its growth are not suitable for sowing. They do not germinate well and form small thin root crops. Use only seeds obtained from a two-year plant.
Since the plant is characterized by a long growing season, seeds are sown early, as soon as the ground dries after winter. If sowing is done late, the fruits will be thin and tasteless. In areas with not very cold winters, seeds can also be sown before winter. Next year, the roots will grow earlier than during spring sowing.
The sowing depth of seeds should be about 3 cm. 15 g of planting material takes 10 square meters. There are four ways of sowing according to such schemes:
- narrow ranged - 20-30 x 15-20 cm;
- wide-row - 45 x 15 cm;
- double-row tape - (20 + 50) x 20 cm;
- four-row tape - (15 + 15 + 15 + 45) x 25 cm.
Did you know? The best time for sowing seeds is spring, with summer and podzimny planting there is a big risk that carrots will grow in the stems, and not in the root. However, in regions with late autumn frosts, it is better to plant crops in the summer or spring in the greenhouse.
Cultivation and care tips
Scorzonera is a winter-resistant plant, and growing it from seed does not present any particular difficulties. The most important rules for obtaining a successful result are:
- timely watering;
- regular loosening of the soil;
- mulching;
- weed cleaning;
- top dressing.
Important! When planting is thickened in the first year of growth, flowering stems are formed on the plants, which must be plucked.
Under favorable conditions, shoots will appear in 10 days. When 2-3 leaflets form on them, the shoots break through, leaving 15 cm between them. If you follow these rules, you can get a good harvest of large, juicy and very healthy fruits.
Soil care
Scorzonera loves moisture, so with prolonged heat the plant needs to be watered three times a week. Young sprouts should not be watered plentifully. As the seedlings grow, the amount of water needs to be added. In the middle of the growing season, carrots are watered once a week.
In addition, it is important to regularly loosen the soil, it contributes to a better penetration of moisture and oxygen to the root system of carrots. When sprouts reach 5 cm, it is recommended to mulch the soil with sawdust or peat, this will help retain moisture around the plant. Mulch land is watered less often, but more abundant. Before laying mulch soil necessarily cleaned from weeds, loosened and watered.
An important element in the care of a plant is the timely cleaning of weeds. They clog the soil, take up space for the growth of carrots, absorb nutrients from the soil and contribute to the appearance of pests.
Fertilization
For better growth is carried out twice feeding carrots. The first time fertilizers are applied one month after the seedlings emerge, the second time - even a month later.
Important! Fertilizers are best applied in liquid form.As a feed you can use such mixtures:
- a solution of a tablespoon of nitrophoska in 7 liters of water;
- a solution of two glasses of wood ash in 7 liters of water;
- in 7 l of water mix 15 g of superphosphate and urea, 20 g of potassium nitrate.
It is very useful from the middle of the growing season to add wood ash to the infusion (one liter per ten liters of water) when watering into the water. This is one of the best potash fertilizers, which contributes to the growth of carrots and, moreover, repels pests.Be careful with nitrogen fertilizers. In large quantities, they contribute to the development of fungal diseases. Top dressing is carried out in the morning or evening, so as not to burn the roots of the plant.
Possible problems with growing
In the process of growing carrots, you may encounter such problems:
- excessive moisture or lack of it;
- landing thickening;
- defeat fungal diseases;
- pests.
- rottenness;
- cracking fruit;
- hairiness of root crops.
The most common diseases that can ruin your crop include:
- rot (white, dry, gray, black);
- bacteriosis;
- chalcosporosis.
With the defeat of the plant with black rot, the tops of the tops twist, with time on the leaves form yellow spots.As a fight against the disease, the plant is sprayed with "Rovral".
The appearance of light yellow spots, which eventually turn brown or turn black, indicates brown spotting, against which spraying with a decoction of nettle or horsetail copes well. Cercosporosis is manifested by gray indented spots on the leaves; the treatment of plants with Bordeaux liquid will help fight it.
The plant in the process of growth can also be damaged by pests, the most common among which are:
- leaflet;
- mole;
- nematodes;
- Medvedka;
- slugs
Did you know? Elderwood growing near, chives or woody ash sprinkled on the soil scare away most pests.
Harvesting and storage of the crop
Harvesting is carried out in late September. A day before harvesting, it is recommended that the soil be slightly moistened so that it is easier to pull out the fruit. After the carrot has been removed from the ground, it is necessary to shake off the ground with it, cut off the tops to the head. Then a couple of days, the fruit is dried under a canopy.
Before storing, be sure to revise the fruit for damage. For the winter should postpone the most healthy and intact roots. It is best to store carrots in boxes in the basement. Fruits are laid in layers, sprinkling them with wet sand or moss. In order to prevent the fruit from rotting, it is recommended to pre-treat the place of storage with Bordeaux liquor or wood ash extract.
Important! Do not store fruit in areas where the temperature reaches more than 10 degrees, carrots will limp over time and begin to rot.Scorzonera, according to the description, is very similar to the carrot we are accustomed to and is mainly distinguished by the black color of the root crop. Do not be afraid of scorcera and in the question of how to grow it. The process of planting and care is almost identical to the cultivation of orange carrots.
