CULTIVATE CARROTS IN OUR GARDEN TO KNOW THEIR DISEASES AND THE BENEFITS THAT GIVE US TO HEALTH.

Hello friends of the farm today we will see what are the main properties, their benefits, how to cultivate diseases and how we can easily identify them. The carrot is an edible root full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

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Originated in Central Asia, the leaves and seeds were consumed mainly, since the root had a woody texture. At first (in 3000 BC) the carrots were purple and yellow inside. Later new varieties of other colors were emerging. However, the first orange carrot was produced in the Netherlands in the sixteenth century on the basis of genetic crosses in order to obtain a carrot of the same color as the Dutch royal house. After many years of domestication, edible varieties were reached We have today. Grow the carrot at home, its care, benefits and some recipes.

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THE PROPERTIES OF THE CARROT
Carrots are rich in several nutrients. Especially, in vitamin A and carotenoids. However, they are also a source of minerals such as: potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iodine and calcium; and, on the other hand, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamins E and K and folates.

BENEFITS
Carrots are known worldwide for their large amount of carotenes that are transformed into vitamin A and its contribution to vision. But there are more benefits in carrots, they are antioxidants, rich in potassium and phosphorus, have a high water content (diuretic), strengthen nails and hair, among other characteristics.

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CROPS OF CARROTS
This vegetable is winter, prefers cold or fresh climates to develop properly. Sow between September and October. It requires a soil rich in organic matter, loose, with good drainage and full sun. It can be sown in beds of culture or in boxes, containers or crates with a minimum depth of 30cm. If the soil compacts easily, it can affect the growth of our plants.

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Perform direct seeding. To grow carrots, plant them directly in the previously prepared soil, they are very small seeds that you can sow both directly and soak them in water before to facilitate their germination. The sowing is almost always broadcast, if many germinate we can always make a thinning but if you want to be more select.

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Another way to plant carrots, very useful both for home and the garden is to plant them in a box of fruit, this idea has caused a sensation among the gardeners since it allows to grow carrots easily, without too much effort and without having a plot of land, with a couple of boxes of fruit is enough.

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Basically to grow carrots in boxes, you must place one box on top of the other, cover the first one with a sackcloth or other material that allows the passage of water and facilitate the drainage of the drawer to avoid possible rot problems. Then add a good substrate, loose, rich in organic matter and plant our carrots.

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HARVEST
Carrots take between 3 and 4 months to fully develop, we can check their growth by seeing the base of the plants. For harvest, we must pull the leaves without separating them from the root or dig with a hand shovel if the soil is compacted.

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STORAGE
Cut the leaves to prevent the carrots from losing their moisture, rinse and let dry. They can be stored in the refrigerator or in a cold cellar. Many varieties can be stored for several months, another option is to prepare them in pickles, preserves, dehydrate or freeze them.

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The carrot is a biennial plant, that is, it has a life of 2 years. In the first year it stores the necessary energy to be able to give flower and seeds in the second year. It is in the first year that one must consume it and if one wants to take seeds out of the plant one must wait for the second year. During the first year one can consume them at any time, when they are still very small or very large, in all its stages it is very rich.
When harvesting the carrots, we must take special care not to damage them, if one is damaged it is not necessary to keep it with the others. This is why it is recommended to remove the carrots from the ground with your hand and not with another element, if the earth becomes too tight you can take a shovel to release the soil around the plant.

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CARROTS DISEASES

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BROWN SPOTS IN THE CARROT
On occasion we can see that our carrots have brown spots on the skin. In this case, we are talking about a fungus called Stemphylium radicinum and it occurs mainly in intensive crops.

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CARROT CARROTS
There is a type of disease caused by a fungus known as Phytophthora megasperma that appears on winter carrots left in the ground. The parasite remains in the soil for several years and develops mostly in moist soils.

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LEAVES WITH YELLOW SPOTS
The presence of leaves or yellow spots may be due to the carrot fly or a virus that transmits a species of aphid known as Cavariella aegopodii.

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COTTONY WHITE SPOTS
At other times we can see a type of cottony spots on our carrots. In this case the culprit is another fungus called Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.
Diseases during the storage of the carrot
The control of pests and diseases is one of the main problems of agri-food product warehouses. We may have a good harvest but if we do not control the storage well then we can spoil it completely.

THE CARROT THE MOST COMMON STORAGE DISEASES ARE:

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VIOLET SPOTS
This type of stains are characteristic in warehouses. It is a disease caused by a fungus known as Rhizoctonia violacea. It can also affect other crops such as sugar beet. As soon as we see some carrot with these symptoms we must eliminate it to avoid it infecting the rest.

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WHITE STAINS COTTON OR WHITE RUBBER
During storage we can also find the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which we talked about earlier.

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PREVENTION OF DISEASES OF THE CARROT

For each of the diseases there are specific control methods. However, there are always small tricks that we can use to prevent the appearance and spread of carrot diseases. Some of these tips are:
Perform a rotation If the disease is found in the soil, it will be necessary to carry out a rotation, where we will place other crops in the place where our carrots were. In this way we will weaken the pathogen and after a few years we will be able to re-grow the carrots in the same place.

Avoid excess nitrogen in the soil.

Use healthy seeds free of pathogens. This third advice is very important because if we use polluted seeds from the beginning, our plants will develop the disease more easily.

Do not sow the carrots next to a sick crop. Diseases can be passed from one crop to another, so it is very important to carry out a good surveillance.

Disinfect the tools of the garden or garden if we have treated diseased crops to prevent their spread.
Treatment against carrot diseases at the time of making a treatment in the crops of our garden should try to be as respectful as possible with the environment and avoid the use of polluting chemicals
We must be aware that most plant diseases are difficult to control once they have been installed. That's why we always say that prevention is better than cure. It is also very important to look at the surrounding plants as these diseases can be passed from one plant to another.

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USE IN THE KITCHEN
The carrot has a flavor that allows it to be used raw, cooked, in soups, stews, juices, desserts and more.

QUINOA AND ZANAHORIA CROQUETTES

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INGREDIENTS:
• 100g of quinoa
•1 clove garlic
• ½ white onion
•1 egg
• 1 carrot
•Olive oil
•Salt and pepper

PREPARATION:
Boil water in a pot, add the clove of garlic and quinoa for 15 minutes, until well cooked. Drain the quinoa and remove the excess water with a paper towel.
Finely chop the onion and grate the carrot. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes in a pan with the olive oil until golden brown.
Add salt and pepper.
Mix the quinoa, onion, carrot and egg, add salt and pepper if necessary. Keep the mixture for 20 minutes in the freezer so that it takes consistency.
Heat a pan with olive oil, add 2 tablespoons of the mixture and crush a little so that it is shaped like a pancake. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until golden brown.
Place the croquettes on an absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
Croquettes can be a main course and be accompanied by salad or be the garnish of some stew or meat.

CARROT CAKE WITH NUT

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INGREDIENTS:
• 2 cups of wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups of refined sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups of vegetable oil
• 4 cups of grated carrots
• 3/4 cup minced castilla walnut

PREPARATION:
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Grease and flour a mold of 23 × 33 centimeters. Close the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Reservation.
Beat the sugar and eggs in a large bowl, until it has a thick, pale yellow consistency. Add the oil and, while stirring gently, slowly add the sifted powders. Turn off the blender and wrap the carrots and nuts with a spatula. Pour the dough into the prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Wait until it is completely cool before putting the bitumen.

SOURCE.
https://www.agrohuerto.com/como-cultivar-zanahorias-huerto-y-casa/
https://www.agrohuerto.com/enfermedades-de-la-zanahoria-manchas-podridas/

I hope you liked the article and that it helps you to have healthy and delicious strong carrots.