Mid-season carrot variety Samson

Samson is one of the most popular varieties carrots. This is due to the taste and presentation of root crops, good keeping quality and abundant yield, regardless of weather conditions. The variety is resistant to diseases and pests, does not require special care.

Description of the variety

This table variety of carrots is characterized by large roots with a small core and juicy sweet pulp with a high carotene content.

Samson carrots were bred by Dutch breeders from the Bejo Zaden company.

Composition and useful properties

100 g of Samson carrots contains:

• 10.6% dry matter;
• 11.6 mg carotene (provitamin A);
• 7.6% sugar;
• vitamins C, K, E, PP, group B;
• potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, iron, iodine, zinc and fluorine.

Carrots help eliminate toxins, strengthen the immune system, improve the digestive tract and skin condition, and have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, kidneys and liver.

Application features

Root vegetables are consumed fresh, added to snacks and hot dishes, sauerkraut, conservation for winter. Carrots are suitable for processing, juicing and pureeing.

Ripening period

Samson is a mid-season variety. From the appearance of full shoots to the onset of the technical maturity of vegetables, 110–120 days pass.

Disease and pest resistance

Samson is resistant to most diseases characteristic of vegetable crops of the Umbrella family. In rare cases, planting is attacked by a carrot fly, especially if the rules of crop rotation are violated.

Characteristics and yield of the variety

It is a powerful plant with a semi-spreading leaf rosette. The leaves are long, deep green in color with medium dissection and slight pubescence.

Root crops are cylindrical with a slightly pointed end, large - each reaches 18-30 cm in length, 4-5 cm in diameter and weighs 120-150 g.

Ripe carrots are bright orange. The core is slightly lighter, makes up no more than 25% of the total diameter and fits snugly to the pulp. Taste juicy, sweetish.

The productivity of the variety depends on the composition of the soil, the climatic conditions of the region and compliance with agrotechnical requirements. On average, 5.5–8.5 kg of vegetables are harvested from 1 m2. Marketable yield - 528-762 kg / ha.

For which regions is it suitable

The variety is included in the State Register for the Central Region. At the same time, Samson is unpretentious to soil and climatic conditions and is successfully cultivated in all regions of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of the variety:

• high seed germination (up to 80%);
• frost resistance;
• attractive presentation of root crops;
• long shelf life;
• high productivity;
• immunity to most diseases;
• almost complete absence of damaged or deformed vegetables;
• unpretentious care.

The disadvantages are minimal - the high cost of seeds and the problem in their acquisition due to their popularity.

Differences from other varieties

The main differences between Samson and other popular carrot varieties are presented in the table:

Features of planting and growing

It doesn't take a lot of effort to grow this unpretentious crop. It is only important to follow the rules of crop rotation, site selection and seed preparation.

Preparing for landing

Types of Samson Seeds:

• calibrated - are distinguished by increased germination;
• in granules - covered with a nutritious membrane;
• treated with fungicides - protected from diseases and fungi.

Often gardeners soak the planting material, but it is important to first read the recommendations on the packaging: this procedure harms the seeds that are granulated and treated with fungicidal preparations.

They begin to prepare a site for planting carrots in the fall: they dig up the soil, clean it of weeds and feed it with organic fertilizers (5 kg of compost or humus per 1 m2). In this case, in the spring, they only re-dig the ground.

Ground requirements

Although Samson does not have special requirements for the soil composition, it is better to grow it in a fertile light soil with medium to neutral acidity and good moisture and air permeability. Loam and sandstone are suitable.

Reference. Heavy soil is supplemented with sand or sawdust and thoroughly loosened, and chalk, lime or dolomite flour are used to deoxidize the soil.

Predecessors

The best precursors to carrots are onions, potatoes, cabbage, squash, cucumbers, and pumpkin.

Do not plant Samson's seeds in the area where beets or other varieties of carrots used to grow. If this is not possible, the earth is carefully dug up.

Terms and rules of landing

Seeds planted in spring, in mid-April - early May, or in autumn, in October - November. For spring planting, the air temperature should be + 14 ... + 17 ° C, and the soil temperature - + 5 ... + 9 ° C. In autumn, the first frost on the soil is expected and the average daily temperature drops to + 5 ° C.

Landing scheme:

1. Prepare the beds at a distance of 20–25 cm from each other.
2. Make indentations in them every 2-3 cm.
3. Water the soil a few hours before sowing.
4. Place the seeds in the prepared holes, deepening by a maximum of 2 cm.
5. Sprinkle with earth and cover with non-woven material if cold snaps are expected.

In the fall, sowing is allowed in slightly frozen furrows, which are then sprinkled with a peat mixture or humus.

Growing features

The main subtleties of Samson's cultivation:

• a well-lit place on a hill is chosen for planting, since carrots do not develop well in the shade and lowlands;
• onions are planted nearby, which scares off the carrot fly.

The nuances of care

The variety does not require specific care. To obtain a high-quality and bountiful harvest, it is enough to follow the standard rules and norms of agricultural technology.

Watering mode

Plants need regular and abundant watering: drying out of the soil negatively affects the taste and presentation of root crops.

Within 3 weeks after sowing and during dry periods, carrots are watered daily, under favorable weather conditions - once every 2-3 days. About 2-3 weeks before harvesting, irrigation is stopped, otherwise the vegetables will be poorly stored and begin to crack.

To retain moisture in the soil, the beds are mulched with straw, plant residues or sawdust. To eliminate the appearance of a crust on the surface of the soil, it is loosened after each watering.

Important! Water for irrigation is used settled and warm.

Thinning and weed control

The beds are weeded in a timely manner, since fast-growing weeds slow down the development of carrots, depriving them of nutrients, and are able to displace the crop from the site.

Thinning is carried out at least twice:

• 3 weeks after the appearance of the first shoots;
• when vegetables reach a diameter of 2 cm.

The distance between the plants is 5–7 cm so that the roots do not deform or stretch.

Important! Thinning is not carried out when planting carrots in strips.

Top dressing

Fertilize plantings 3-4 times during the growing season with mineral fertilizers aimed at the development of root crops. Organic dressings stimulate the growth of green mass, provoke branching and deformation of vegetables.

In June, nitrogen-containing compounds are introduced, then only potash fertilizers are used. The last time the crop is fertilized 4 weeks before harvest.

Attention! An excess of nitrogen leads to the development of phomosis.

Disease and pest control

Despite the high immunity of the variety, prevention is observed. To minimize the risk of pest attacks, traditional methods are used:

• spraying with a mixture of wormwood with wood ash;
• dusting with tobacco, hot pepper or mustard.

To prevent the development of black rot, plants are treated with Bordeaux liquid or the preparations "Falcon" and "Prozaro".

Growing difficulties

When cultivating Samson, the following problems arise:

• the development of phomosis with excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers;
• deformation of root crops due to dense planting of seeds;
• decay of vegetables with abundant watering and waterlogging of the soil.

Harvesting and storage

It is important to correctly determine the time of harvest: carrots dug out too early will not have time to gain sweetness and juiciness, and late harvesting of root crops will lead to their cracking and spoilage.

How and when to collect

The first harvest is dug up in July; carrots reach full maturity in August. The timing depends on the time of planting and climatic conditions.

By the way! Vegetables, even after fully ripening, do not protrude above the ground, so the head does not turn green.

Cleaning is carried out in dry and sunny weather. Harvest with a shovel or pitchfork: the plants are carefully dug in and pulled from the soil by the tops.

Storage features and keeping quality of the variety

The tops are cut from the dug carrots, the roots are dried and carefully examined, removing damaged or rotten specimens.

For storage, carrots are placed in open plastic bags or boxes with slightly moistened sand, taken out into a dry, dark room with an air humidity of 85% and a temperature of 0 ... + 3 ° C.

Under optimal conditions, carrots can be stored for 8-9 months. The variety has good keeping quality: after half a year, 86.7% of root crops do not lose their taste and marketability.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Farmers recommendations for cultivating Samson:

1. When planting, the seeds are not buried too much, so as not to delay the emergence of seedlings and not to reduce their number.
2. They use mainly mineral fertilizers, the use of organic matter is permissible only in the fall, when preparing the site for spring planting.
3. Seedlings are thinned regularly, otherwise the roots are deformed.

Reviews

Most gardeners love the Samson variety, which is confirmed by positive reviews. However, there are those who did not like carrots.

Sergey, Samara: “We have been growing Samson carrots for a long time, we are satisfied with its characteristics. The harvest is plentiful, ripens early, almost all root crops are even and beautiful. We store the harvest in wooden boxes, sprinkled with sand. "

Marina, Tula region: “The neighbor praised this variety very much, and it looks gorgeous in the photo - I decided to keep up and also planted it. And I was disappointed. The seeds are expensive, but I did not like the taste of vegetables: there is little sweetness, the core is tough, and even dry. The harvest is rich, of course, but this is not the main thing for me. "

Conclusion

Samson is a mid-season table carrot variety that is successfully cultivated in all regions of Russia. It has a high resistance to disease, does not require specific care, and if simple agrotechnical rules are followed, it pleases with a plentiful harvest of tasty and juicy root crops.