Altai gourmet carrots description reviews

Description of the Altai gourmet

The ground part of this carrot variety is characterized by long green leaves spreading in different directions. The root vegetables are medium in size - up to 25 cm long, and weigh about 150 g. They are elongated-conical in shape with a slightly rounded end. The color of the root vegetables is orange-red, the flesh is bright orange.

These carrots are great for eating raw. Its taste is sweetish, which is caused by the content of a large amount of carotene and sugars. It can also be used unripe during the summer harvest for preparing various dishes.

“Altai Gourmand” carrots store well in winter; they make tasty and healthy juices; they are often added when canning.

Description of the variety

Gardeners note that the name of the Lakomka variety corresponds to the characteristics of carrots. Its flesh is juicy and crispy. Experts have found that 100 g of product contains 16.8 mg of carotene and 7.6% sugar.

The color of the root vegetable is rich orange. The core is well defined, but it is small and runs along the entire fruit:

• carrots have a cylindrical, elongated shape with a rounded end. The core is separated from the pulp by a light shell;
• the fruit grows up to 30 cm in length, 3-5 cm in width. Average weight 160 g. The surface is smooth, the eyes are poorly developed. With intensive watering, sprouts do not appear from them;
• the tops grow up to 30 cm, the bush is spreading, with strongly dissected leaves;
• Gourmand carrots are not prone to bolting and flowering. It can be planted in winter. Gardeners prefer to sow immediately after the snow melts;
• The crop is grown in open ground and under film. Average yield 6 kg/m2. For the Siberian regions, this is a good result;
• the crop is grown on loams and sandstones;
• The variety is frost-resistant and tolerates daily fluctuations. Optimal development for root crops 18-20 C;
• The plant is not prone to diseases, but it is necessary to protect the root crop from fungal infection. In a humid climate, rot and mold can develop on the soil.

Characteristics of the variety

The variety “Altai Gourmand” is quite universal in its acclimatization conditions - on the territory of our country it can be cultivated at any latitude. The results of cultivation shown by this carrot are very successful, which makes the variety more and more popular in recent years.

The varietal features of “Altai Gourmand” include:

• Average ripeness time. The standard figure of 100 days of the growing season fits perfectly into the climatic characteristics of most regions of the country.
• High yield. From 1 sq. m of crops, the yield volume is about 5 kg.
• Versatility of use . Due to the variety’s resistance to a wide range of temperatures and other climate conditions, a good harvest can be obtained without careful care, which is convenient for many modern gardeners.

Due to its delicate taste and high carotene content, Altai Gourmand carrots are widely recommended for baby and dietary nutrition.

Harvesting and storage

In order for the Altai gourmet to be successfully preserved until the next harvest, it is important to collect it on time and correctly.

Carrots begin to gain maximum size during the period when the average daily temperature gradually begins to decrease, which leads to a “reverse” outflow of nutrients from the leaves to the roots.

Important! The harvest harvested after the average daily temperature drops below +7...+8°C can be 40–45% higher than that obtained during earlier harvesting.

Among other standard rules for properly harvesting carrots and preparing them for long-term storage are:

1. Choosing a dry day for harvesting (digging carrots in the rain is strictly forbidden).
2. Avoiding damage to the integrity of root crops (it is better to work with a shovel, since a pitchfork increases this risk), including when subsequently placing them in boxes.
3. Trimming the tops with a knife (you cannot tear off the leaves with your hands, and you also cannot leave them uncut, since intense evaporation of moisture occurs through the tops, and the roots quickly wither).
4. Sorting the crop immediately after harvesting.
5. Lightly (30–40 minutes) drying of the fruits after removal from the ground in a well-ventilated place and then keeping the crop for 5-6 days in a dark, cool place for complete cooling (most gardeners consider the advice to wash carrots before drying to be extremely unsuccessful, since in this case there is a high probability of damage to the integrity of the peel).
6. Preliminary disinfection of a cellar or other room used for storage (you can use iron or copper sulfate or slaked lime).

Optimal conditions for storing carrots are air temperature +2...+4°C, relative humidity 90–95% and absence of light.

Important! Admirers of astrology should take into account that for maximum shelf life, carrots and other root vegetables are best dug in the waning moon phase, and it is important that the Earth’s satellite is in the constellation Leo or Aries.

Altai gourmet can rightfully be called a real find for residents of regions with harsh climates, where carrots traditionally ripen very poorly. Not only is this variety distinguished by its amazing unpretentiousness and very convincing yield indicators, it is also considered perhaps the sweetest of those presented on the Russian market. That is why, despite the fact that initially the Altai gourmet was intended primarily for cultivation on an industrial scale, in the short period of its existence it managed to securely gain a foothold in the beds of owners of personal plots.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Altai Gourmand variety is the result of the work of domestic breeders. Initially, it was bred for use in the Siberian climate, which is unfriendly to many crops, but later, due to its excellent quality characteristics, it was zoned for other regions of the country.

Among the advantages of this variety it is worth highlighting:

• excellent taste characteristics;
• possibility of long-term storage without loss of beneficial and taste qualities;
• unpretentiousness in growing conditions;
• visually attractive appearance of root vegetables.

No deficiencies have been identified in this variety at the moment .

Characteristics

• The variety belongs to the mid-early variety - from the period of full germination to technical ripeness, 90 - 100 days pass;
• marketable yield is very good - 260 - 505 c/ha. This is 60 - 173 c/ha higher than the Napoli F1 and Nantes 4 standards. The maximum yield was shown in the Kirov region and amounted to 855 c/ha;
• the yield of marketable products is 74 – 95%;
• the variety is flexible, adapts well to climate changes, so can be grown in many regions;
• applicants indicate good shelf life and ability to be stored without loss of taste;
• Gourmet contains a high content of sugars and carotene, therefore it is very good for health;
• For use in cooking it is considered universal. You can eat it in its natural form, in vitamin salads. These carrots are considered the best for the production of baby food and juice.

Read also: When winter garlic is harvested in the Urals

Landing in the ground

Before planting carrots, you need to prepare the area where it will grow. For this, it is good to use loose sandy soil; there should be no weeds on it. If the soil is heavy, the carrots will grow small; if it is too wet or dry, the root crop will rot or become too tough.

Also, when choosing land, it is worth considering what plants previously grew in this area. The most suitable soil for carrots is left after potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, onions, cabbage and various greens except lettuce and parsley, because after them pests that are harmful to carrots may remain in the soil.

The best option would be to fertilize the selected soil; it is better to do this in advance - in the autumn. You can fertilize in the spring, but in this case you will have to wait a little while planting the seeds due to the negative influence of mineral fertilizers that have not been sufficiently absorbed into the soil.

Before planting, the seeds must be prepared - this will make it easier to obtain optimal yields. To do this you need:

• soak the seeds for 2 hours in water at room temperature;
• then put them on a damp cloth and cover with the same cloth;
• store at room temperature, stirring the seeds periodically and wetting the cloth as it dries;
• After pecking, put the seeds in the refrigerator for 10 days.

After 10 days, the seeds can be planted in previously prepared soil.

Procedure for planting carrots:

• prepare grooves up to 3 cm deep at a distance of 20 cm from each other, moisten them;
• plant seeds at a frequency of no more than 5 cm;
• the bed should be mulched; for this, hay or sawdust is usually used.

Further care for carrots will not be difficult even for a novice gardener.

Features of care

If the carrots are sown correctly and a suitable site is chosen, further care of the seedlings does not present any particular difficulties. But a good harvest can only be obtained if the gardener knows well some of the secrets of growing crops and strictly follows these rules.

Watering

The first law of getting good carrots is proper watering. Like other varieties of this crop, Altai gourmet needs soil moisture, but this need changes significantly during the growing season.

Important! In
8 cases out of 10, a carrot seed does not germinate simply because the soil in which it is located is too dry.
It is also interesting that it is most critical to regularly and abundantly water carrot plantings at the stage of seed germination, precisely in cold regions where Altai gourmet is usually grown. Sharp winds greatly dry out the soil, so watering the beds in such conditions sometimes needs to be done not just every day, but even 2-3 times.

Two other fundamental mistakes when watering crops are irregularity and scarcity.

Soil moisture at the depth of root growth (30–35 cm) should correspond to the following parameters:

• 75% - before seed germination and during the period of root crop formation;
• 65–70% - during breaks between the above periods;
• 50–60% - two weeks before harvest.

For the northern regions, where Altai gourmet is usually cultivated, after the emergence of seedlings and before the formation of root crops, the bed can be watered only in very dry weather, and during the entire growing season it is enough to carry out only 2-3 waterings with the following water consumption per 1 m² of bed:

• at the beginning of the growing season - 12–15 l;
• during the formation of root crops - 20–25 liters per 1 m² of bed.

Did you know? The record length carrot is grown by the mayor of the city of Kleyat (Lebanon), Ahmed Ibrahim. In his garden grow root crops more than 60 cm long, and the largest specimen is 130 cm, and the mer himself not only swears that he does not use any growth stimulants, but also complains about the difficulties with selling his anomalous harvest.

In more southern latitudes, carrots are watered once every 8–10 days, spending 25–35 and 40–50 liters of water per 1 m² of bed, respectively, depending on the phase of the growing season.

However, in all cases, at least 15, and preferably 20 days before harvesting, watering should be stopped completely; this will increase the dry matter content in root crops, and, accordingly, increase their taste characteristics and shelf life.

Fertilizer application

The main part of the fertilizers necessary for the normal growth of the Altai gourmet is applied to the soil in advance, simultaneously with the autumn preparation of the bed. In the future, the feeding scheme directly depends on the initial state of the soil and climatic conditions.

Usually 2-3 such procedures are performed, for example:

Important! In order for the Altai gourmet to be stored longer, the proportion of potassium in the soil should exceed nitrogen by 20–30%.

Thinning

It is precisely ignoring such a procedure as thinning out seedlings that leads to the fact that inexperienced gardeners’ carrots do not grow as they should according to the description of the variety.

In order for root crops to form, they need space, so you need to thin out the bed twice:

• after the first true leaves form at the seedlings - leaving approximately 25 mm between neighbors;
• 3 weeks after the first procedure - this time the distance between individual specimens needs to be increased to 50 mm.

To ensure that the seedlings left in the bed are not damaged as a result of thinning, the soil should be watered before carrying out the manipulation, and excess plants should be removed by moving them not vertically upward, but to the side.
Immediately after thinning, it is useful to mulch the bed . For this purpose, you can use compost, peat or sawdust (pre-soaked in urea for 15–20 days for disinfection purposes).

However, in any case, such vegetation should never be left in the garden bed, since its smell is a bait for various pests, of which carrots already have plenty.

Did you know? Carrot tops removed from the ground during the thinning process can be used in a variety of ways. For example, it makes an excellent spice for preserving tomatoes and even a decoction for rinsing hair.

Protection from diseases and pests

The greatest danger to carrots is the carrot fly, wireworms and other insects, the larvae of which feed on the sweet pulp of root vegetables, making them completely unfit for consumption. Aphids and other “above-ground” pests can cause no less damage to crops.

Traditional methods of combating such parasites are insecticides, but it is much safer to preventively treat the garden bed several times during the season with biological products, such as “Bitoxibacillin” or “Lepidocide”.

Folk methods for getting rid of carrot flies include:

• spraying rosettes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (0.2 g per 1 liter of water) or ammonia (5–8 g per 1 liter of water);
• plant seeds as early as possible (before the first ten days of April) or, on the contrary, later (at the end of June), when the insect has already laid eggs on the neighbors’ carrot beds;
• during the period of preparation of adults for laying eggs (from mid-April to mid-May, depending on the region), cover the crops with lutrasil or other translucent material in order to block the pest’s access to the root collar, where oviposition usually occurs;
• plant plants with a pungent odor next to carrots that repel flies (for example, these include onions, marigolds, marigolds, nasturtium, by the way, they also partly help avoid aphid attacks).

We advise you to read who is nibbling carrots in the garden.

Sometimes the Altai gourmet is also affected by fungal infections . The best way to protect against them is preventive disinfection of seeds (for example, in a solution of the already mentioned potassium permanganate), although the causative agent of the disease can also be hidden in the soil.

To prevent the disease, in addition to following the rules of crop rotation, proper watering and fertilizing aimed at generally strengthening the crop’s immunity, you can use biofungicides, such as “Trichodermin”, “Mikosan”, “Phytotsid”, etc. in combination with special “ adhesives" such as "Liposam".

Growing

Caring for planted carrots includes standard agricultural procedures:

• watering;
• weeding;
• loosening.

You should water regularly as the soil dries, loosen and weed once a week.

Treatment against pests and diseases is also an important step in the process of growing carrots. Its main pest is considered to be the carrot fly, the appearance of which can be seen by the leaves beginning to curl. Actellik, Intavir and similar drugs are suitable to combat it. These carrots rarely get sick, so to treat them against common diseases, they usually use the Bordeaux mixture, known to many gardeners.

You can learn about proper growing of carrots in the video below:

Agricultural technology

The best soils for growing are loams and sandstones. Before sowing, they are dug up and nutrients are added. Depending on the climate of the region, sowing is carried out either at the end of April or in May, after waiting until the frosts have finally passed. Seeds from the manufacturer have already been processed, as indicated by the colored shell covering them. The dragees are embedded to a depth of 1.5 cm at a distance of 4 - 6 cm from each other. The width between rows is no more than 20 cm. The seed is laid out in pre-moistened soil, in which the protective shell dissolves. Before emergence of seedlings, it is recommended to cover the plantings with film. The rest of the crop care is carried out as standard.

Gourmand is also used for pre-winter sowing. Seeds are planted when the temperature is within 5°C; in terms of timing, this is approximately the second half of October - early November. The top of the bed can be mulched with peat.

The main advantage of carrots of this variety is its taste and benefits. That is why the pulp is used in the production of baby food. The harvested crop can be stored for some time, but it is better to process it. Unfortunately, the variety’s resistance to disease is not very high, so when cultivating it, you should strictly adhere to the basic rules of care.

Comparison with other varieties

The modern horticultural market offers a wide variety of carrot varieties. They can differ in several ways, the main ones among which are considered to be the ripening time of the vegetable, the length and weight of its root crops. To compare the “Altai Gourmand” according to these characteristics with the most common varieties of carrots today, the table below is given.

Table 1. Comparative characteristics of carrot varieties

Carrot variety Gourmand

This carrot variety truly has a taste that lives up to its name. Gourmand has held the championship in terms of taste for many years. The variety belonging to the Nantes variety was bred by Russian breeders from the Aelita agricultural company. This is a relatively new product on the vegetable market, as it was registered in 2005 and entered into the State Register in 2008. The recommended growing region is Volga-Vyatka, but this species is cultivated in almost all climatic zones.

The leaf rosette is semi-spreading. The leaf is medium to long in size, medium dissected, green in color. The root crop is large and strong, 17 - 20 cm long, but sometimes grows up to 30 cm. Diameter - 3 - 4 cm. Weight 90 - 160 grams. The shape is cylindrical, with a slight slope downwards. The tip is blunt or slightly pointed. The skin is smooth, rich bright orange. The flesh is the same color. It is distinguished by its delicate consistency, juiciness and aroma. The core is small, thin, orange. Gourmet has excellent taste. According to many fans of the taste, this is the sweetest carrot of all. Substance content per 100 g of raw product: dry matter - 12 - 15%, total sugar - 5.3 - 7.6%, carotene - up to 16.8 mg.

Reviews

Among the reviews from gardeners about the Altai Gourmand carrots, positive ones predominate. This is easily explained by the excellent characteristics of the variety and the absence of specific disadvantages.

Negative reviews about the variety are based on poor yield indicators, which in reality is quite difficult to achieve - only gross errors in garden maintenance and a complete lack of plant care can lead to such results.

Here are just a few of the many opinions about the variety:

★★★★★
Anna, 31 years old, summer resident, Krasnodar. Altai gourmet is a very tasty carrot, I fell in love with it as soon as I tried it.
There is no hassle with it, it is easy to care for, next year I will plant more. ★★★★★
Nikolay, 54 years old, professional gardener, Chelyabinsk. I quite liked the variety, there are a lot of positive qualities, especially the taste - pleasant, soft, balanced.
My wife and I tried to plant this variety for the first time, now we will only grow it. ★★★★★
Valentina, 66 years old, amateur gardener, Moscow. Everyone at home liked the carrots, especially the grandchildren - they were very pleased.
I used to plant Alenka, but next year I want to occupy another bed with Lakomka - she is too good. Hide

Add your review

The Altai Gourmand carrot variety will be an excellent choice for those gardeners who want to get a good harvest without having the opportunity to care for the plantings every day. The taste of carrots, like other indicators, is excellent. You can fully feel it immediately after picking the ripe vegetable.

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An unpretentious and productive carrot variety “Altai Gourmand” is the best choice for summer residents

According to reviews from gardeners, “Altai Gourmand” carrots have established themselves as a high-yielding variety with excellent commercial qualities of root crops. The description and reviews presented in this article will allow those who are just looking at this variety to get acquainted with the characteristics of “Altai Gourmet”.

Description of carrots “Altai gourmet”

Having appeared on the market, thanks to the successful work of Russian breeders, the Altai Gourmet carrot belongs to the Nantes variety and is recommended primarily for cultivation in Siberia.

At the same time, the results that it showed when cultivated in other regions made it possible to zone it almost throughout the country.

The following varietal features contributed to this success:

1. Mid-ripening – the growing season for the development of root crops is 90-110 days.
2. Unpretentious and able to grow in almost extreme weather conditions.
3. The yield per 1 m2 is 4-5 kg.
4. Versatility of use.

Carrots "Altai gourmet"

The root vegetables of “Altai Lakomka” are painted in a bright red-orange color, have an elongated conical shape and a sharp rounded tip. The core is thin and orange in color. dry matter is about 15%, sugar – up to 8%

Technically ripe carrots weigh 100-200 g and are 20-25 cm long.

Attention! Due to its delicate taste and high carotene content - about 1 mg per 100 g, Altaiskaya Lakomka is recommended for children's, adult and dietary food, consumed raw and processed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS3k56Uq4qk

The semi-spreading rosette decorating the above-ground part of the carrot is formed from medium-long dissected leaves.

Carrot weight - up to 200 grams

From the experience of growing carrots

As many years of experience of vegetable growers show, following several recommendations for growing carrots will allow you to achieve better yields.

1. Pre-sowing treatment with any growth stimulant will improve the germination of carrot seeds.
2. The area allocated for carrots must be cleared of weeds and fertilized in the fall. The soil is not heavy: sandy loam or loamy, well drained.
3. The optimal sowing time is the end of April.
4. The seed depth is 3 cm, the row spacing is 20 cm.
5. Caring for "Gourmet Altai" consists mainly of watering and weeding, thinning the plantings, which are carried out as needed.
6. Mulching carrot plantings will preserve moisture in the soil, protect against return frosts, speed up the emergence of seedlings, and reduce the number of weedings.
7. A reliable protection against carrot flies is the joint planting of carrots and onions, marigolds, and marigolds.

Attention! Particularly important is the recommendation about timely harvesting of carrots; root crops that remain unharvested for a long time lose their taste and nutritional qualities.

It is recommended to treat carrot seeds with a growth stimulator before planting.

Reviews from gardeners about the variety

Among the advantages of “Altai Gourmet”, gardeners who have tried this variety on their plots highlight:

• ability to produce good returns with a minimum of agrotechnical efforts;
• delicate and sweet taste of root vegetables, which remains stable regardless of the duration of storage;
• attractive external characteristics: large size and neat shape;
• transportability and good keeping quality;
• consistency of taste.

Attention! Due to its unpretentiousness, the Altai Lakomka variety is excellent for growing in summer cottages, the owners of which cannot devote much time to care, coming only on weekends.

Svetlana Vasilievna, Yaroslavl: “This is one of my favorite varieties. My carrots always turn out sweet, medium-sized and large. The harvest lasts until next spring.”

Carrots "Altai Gourmand" are easy to care for, so they can be grown in summer cottages

Tamara Anatolyevna, Kemerovo: “When buying seeds, the saleswoman recommended this variety to me as very unpretentious, tasty and productive. Indeed, this is what happened, although this summer I rarely went to the dacha due to family circumstances and did not even hope for any result. The carrots have grown 15-18 cm in length, juicy and sweet. Next year I will plant more.”

As can be seen from the description and growing experience shared by vegetable growers in this article, “Altai Lakomka” carrots are an excellent choice, making it possible to harvest a good harvest of high-quality root crops.

Thinning carrots - video

Source: https://eteplica.ru/ovoshhi-v-teplicax/morkov-altajskaya-lakomka.html

Landing rules

When planting and caring for Altai gourmet carrots, take into account that the plant does not develop well in dense and rocky soil. It is difficult for long root crops to make a path for growth, which leads to their deformation.

It prefers slightly acidic (pH within 6) loams or sandy loams with a deep fertile layer. To reduce soil acidity, liming is not recommended. An important requirement is good lighting, level and open space. When planted in shaded areas, the Altai gourmet does not reach the stated size.

Carrot seeds are sown from mid-April to May. At temperatures from +15 degrees, the first shoots appear after 10 days.