In the fields of Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan, this vegetable, unusual for our country, grows - scorzonera or black carrot. This vegetable is a close relative of orange radish, but at the same time it has many differences, both in taste and color. In addition, she is not inferior to her relative in the composition of nutrients and vitamins.
What is scorzonera
What is black carrot? We will try to answer this question in this article. First of all, do not think that this is a new variety of carrots. This opinion is wrong. The scorzonera plant is widespread in eastern countries. This vegetable is used not only in cooking, but also in medicine, since scorzonera is a medicinal vegetable.
Scorzonera is practically not found in Russia and no one knows what it is. The reason for this may be the lack of information about this vegetable and the rules for its cultivation.
The stems of the plant grow up to seventy centimeters in height. The leaves are rich green, oval in shape. The plant blooms in May and has yellow inflorescences. They give off a vanilla aroma. The root crop is black and cylindrical. The inside is white and delicate. Roots grow fifteen centimeters in length. Moreover, their diameter does not exceed 5 centimeters. Weighs up to two hundred grams. Root crops are formed already in the first year of sowing. Can winter directly in the ground. To do this, it is covered with dry grass. Sawdust will do as well.
Black carrot
The composition of the root vegetable includes such elements as:
- vitamins B and C;
- iron;
- calcium.
It also includes insulin, which helps control cholesterol levels. It is especially valuable for diabetics. The plant has a beneficial effect on the work of the heart, stomach, intestines and kidneys. For this reason, it is included in many medicines.
Scorzonera cutaway
Although black carrots do not cause any side effects, they should be taken in moderation as they can cause intolerances in the body and can even cause intestinal upset.
Planting black carrots
Who is interested in scorzonera growing from seeds is the main method of reproduction. Black carrots are sown in the garden, as well as ordinary ones. Seeds are sown in the soil, which must be prepared in advance. It can be both a greenhouse and open soil. The seeds can be planted in early spring, summer and even late fall. This is facilitated by the ability of black carrots to tolerate cold. To do this, it is enough to cover the bed with dry straw or fallen leaves.
Root crops of scorzonera medicinal cultivation from seeds is possible as an annual plant, and as a two-year one. If the vegetable is sown in early spring, then by the fall it will be possible to harvest a good harvest of large root crops. The last sowing date in spring is April. In order for the plant to grow faster, the bed is covered with a film. Sown scorzonera in a later period will give poorly formed thin root crops with a low content of nutrients.
In order to grow a biennial plant, sowing must be done no earlier than July or August.For this, you can use the seeds harvested in the same year. In this case, the plant will have time to take root before the onset of frost. As early as next year, it will be possible to collect both large root crops and ripe seeds, which are harvested at the end of August.
Sowing seeds in the autumn promotes the development of the vegetable in the spring. In addition, root crops begin to form much earlier than when sown in spring.
Sowing seeds
Sowing seeds can be done in several ways:
- With the narrow-row method, the seeds are sown in rows, the distance between which is 20 or 30 centimeters, while the distance between the seeds should be at least 15, or even 20 centimeters;
- For wide-row sowing, the distance between the rows will be 45 centimeters, and between the plants - 15 centimeters;
- For sowing seeds of scorzonera with two-row or four-row belt methods, the following formulas are used: (15 + 15 + 15 + 45) x 25 cm or (20 + + 50) x 20 cm.
Plant care
Two weeks after sowing, the first shoots appear. When the seeds were sown at a later date, the seedlings appear within a week. After the carrot sprouts have risen ten centimeters, the soil must be mulched. The best material for mulching is peat. But before that, the topsoil must be watered and loosened.
When the plant grows, before several true leaves appear, the rows need to be thinned so that there is a distance of 15 or 25 centimeters between the stems. If peduncles appear on the plant, they must be removed immediately.
In the future, the care of black carrots includes watering and periodic loosening of the soil.
This is how the scorzonera grows
Collection and storage of vegetables
Harvested in the fall or 120 days after germination. If you plan to lay vegetables for storage, then you need to collect them as late as possible. But at the same time, one should not delay and expect the first frost.
Scorzonera, the black root of which they are going to be stored, is dug out of the ground, but this is done carefully so as not to damage it. After that, you need to do the following:
- Root crops should be cleaned of soil residues;
- Each of the root crops is sorted out and the damaged ones are removed;
- Remove leaves;
- Vegetables are collected in bunches of several root crops.
Storage preparation
After that, the vegetables are placed in a cellar or basement in order to stock up on them for future use.
In order to grow an oriental beauty black carrot in your garden with a good harvest, you must adhere to all the rules of sowing and care. Thanks to this, there will always be this storehouse of vitamins and other useful substances on the table.
