{"id":1135,"date":"2019-09-01T03:03:12","date_gmt":"2019-09-01T03:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?page_id=1135"},"modified":"2019-10-07T02:19:03","modified_gmt":"2019-10-07T02:19:03","slug":"carrot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/01\/carrot\/","title":{"rendered":"Carrot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Daucus<\/em> <\/em>carota<\/em> <\/em>var<\/em> <\/em>sativus<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This cool\nseason biennial was probably first domesticated somewhere in the region of\nAfghanistan. It didn\u2019t get its familiar orange color until it arrived in\nHolland however. As you probably know the orange color is caused by carotene (a\nprecursor of vitamin A), so the redder the root the more nutritious it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop value<\/strong>: Carrots\nare a great crop for those seeking to be more food self-sufficient. They are\nvery nutritious, don\u2019t take up much space, are highly productive, relatively\nfast growing, store well and can be left in the ground for months. You may also\nbe surprised to find that your home grown carrots generally taste better than\nthose you can buy (or maybe you wouldn\u2019t.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>:\nCarrots are fairly easy to grow if you give them what they need. For best\nresults you want them to grow quickly, without any interruption in growth. Good\nsoil and prompt weeding and thinning are the keys to growing good carrots. Take\ncare of these and you should succeed, neglect them and you may well fail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>: Carrots are famous for their high content of beta carotene,\nwhich the body converts into vitamin A (this is not only an important vitamin,\nbut also a powerful antioxidant). They are also a good source of potassium and\ncontain calcium pectate, which can lower blood cholesterol. Eating 4 raw\ncarrots daily has been known to reduce blood cholesterol level by 10% in only 4\nweeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an\nenergy source carrots contain about 190 calories per pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate<\/strong>: Carrot is\na cool season crop, growing best at 60 – 75\u02daF\nand able to tolerate some frost. The sweetest carrots are produced when\ndays are warm and nights are cool, as this\nencourages the storage of sugar in the root. They will grow well enough in warmer\nweather, but on warm nights (above 70\u02daF) the plant simply uses up the\nsugar in growth and doesn\u2019t store it in the root (so it won\u2019t be as sweet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Carrot<\/strong>
Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 45 (60 – 70) 85\u02daF
Germ time: 7 – 21 days
50 days \/ 41\u02daF
17 days \/ 50\u02daF
10 days \/ 59\u02daF
7 days \/ 68\u02daF
6 days \/ 77\u02daF * Optimum
6 days \/ 86\u02daF
Seed viability: 2 – 5 years
Germination percentage: 50%+  

Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Hardy
Growing temp: 55 (60 – 70) 75\u02daF
Plants per person: 30
Plants per sq ft: 16
Days to harvest: 55 – 90 days
Height: 12\u02dd
Width: 12 – 18\u02dd  

Planting<\/strong>
Spring crop: 2 – 4 wks before last frost
Fall crop: 8 – 12 wks before first fall frost  

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Yield per plant: 2 – 6 oz
Yield per sq ft: 1 – 2 lb per sq ft   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 6.0 (6.5) 7.0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soil\nmakes a big difference in how well carrot will grow (how big it gets and how\nsweet and tender it is). The most critical factor is porosity; a loose soil can\nincrease the size of the roots by as much as 100%. The ideal soil is a light,\nhumus rich, well-aerated, well-drained sandy loam, that is free of stones and\nfairly neutral. They don\u2019t like acid soil, heavy clay or compacted soils of any\nkind.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: Prepare the soil by loosening it to a depth\nof 10\u02dd and removing any large stones and other debris (these may cause\nforking). Incorporate organic matter in the form of compost or aged manure. You\nshould also add wood ashes or greensand (for potassium), colloidal phosphate\n(for phosphorus) and kelp (for trace elements). Or to simplify things you could\njust use a complete fertilizer mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carrot\nisn\u2019t a very heavy feeder and too much nitrogen may be a problem by stimulating\ntop growth, at the expense of root growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though aged\nmanure is good for growing carrots, you should never use fresh manure, as it\nmay cause them to fork and grow hairy feeder roots. If you only have fresh\nmanure, then add it the previous fall so it can age over the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your\nsoil is heavy, or compacted, the best solution is to double dig and incorporate\nlots of organic matter and then make raised beds. If this is too much work, you\ncould grow your carrots in narrow trenches, filled with a special soil mix. If\neven this is too much, you could use a short stubby variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An easy way\nto ensure a good soil for carrots is to precede them with potatoes. The soil\nwill have been heavily amended and deeply dug and any organic matter will have\naged nicely. They can also follow Brassicas, or any other crop that was heavily manured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: Carrots\nneed full sun for best production, though are a fairly adaptable crop and may\ndo okay in part shade. They also like a fairly warm soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop rotation<\/strong>:\nDon\u2019t plant them where any member of the Apiaceae<\/em> family (celery,\nparsnip, parsley) has grown in the last 3 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: It is\npossible to have carrots year round if you\nplan carefully. They prefer fairly cool growing conditions and the conventional\nwisdom says they get bitter or acrid in hot weather (above 80\u02daF). A lot depends\nupon the variety however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring<\/strong>: Plant\nyour first carrots as soon as the soil is ready to be worked in spring (it\nshould be at least 45\u02daF), which may be\n2 – 4 weeks before the last spring frost. You can start them a few weeks\nearlier, if you plant them under cloches. Just be careful they don\u2019t get so big\nthey are vernalized.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autumn<\/strong>: Fall\ncarrots should be sown from mid to late summer (a minimum of 8 – 10 weeks\nbefore the first frost) to give them plenty of time to mature before it gets\ntoo cold.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter<\/strong>: In mild\nclimates carrots will grow right through the winter. They must be started early\nthough, so they are almost mature by the time the first frost hits. They will\nthen continue growing slowly all winter. If they are too small when cold\nweather arrives, they will simply sit in the ground until spring and then bolt.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make one\nlarge planting for winter use, as you will be eating them for months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Succession sowing<\/strong>:\nCarrots are in demand for the kitchen at all times, so it\u2019s a good idea to\nsuccession sow them regularly, every 4 – 6 weeks. They stay in the ground in\nusable condition for a while, especially in cool weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: The right\nspacing for growing carrots depends upon the fertility of the soil, the type of\ncarrot and the size of the root you want (a wider spacing results in larger\nroots). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bed spacing<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5\u02dd (poor soil) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3\u02dd (good soil) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\u00bd\u02dd (excellent soil)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\u02dd (Baby carrots)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Row spacing<\/strong>: If you are planting in rows, you should sow the seeds about \u00bd\u02dd\napart, in rows 18 – 24\u02dd apart. These are then gradually thinned to a spacing of\n3\u02dd or so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indoors<\/strong>: Carrots\nare quite hardy and don\u2019t like transplanting, so starting indoors isn\u2019t even\nworth trying. If you insist on trying, then use cell packs or soil blocks to\nminimize root disturbance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outdoors<\/strong>: A seedbed\nfor carrots should have a fairly fine tilth and no large stones or other\ndebris. The seeds are pretty slow to germinate (1 – 3 weeks), which means you\nhave to keep the soil moist for quite a long period. To make things worse, by\nthe time the seeds germinate there is usually a healthy crop of weeds to deal\nwith. See below for ways to handle them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broadcasting<\/strong>: You can\nbroadcast the seeds \u00bd\u02dd apart and then cover them with a thin \u215b – \u00bc\u02dd layer\nof soil. If your topsoil has a tendency to crust, you may want to use a mix of\nsifted soil and compost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main\nthing to remember when broadcasting is to sow the seeds at the right density.\nBeginners usually plant too thickly, which wastes seed and necessitates some\ntedious hand thinning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sowing\ncarrot seed is somewhat tricky because it is so small and light. You might try\nmixing it with sand, to make it easier to distribute it evenly. Pelleted seed\nis supposed to make it easier to get the right spacing, but I have never used\nit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rows<\/strong>: I favor planting short rows of carrots across the bed. It wastes\nless seed, they are easier to thin and it is easier to deal with weeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scrape \u00bc –\n\u00bd\u02dd deep furrows with a hoe and sow the seed at roughly half the desired\nspacing. Then close up the furrows, preferably with the same soil and compost\nmix used to cover the broadcast seeds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people\nmix a little radish seed in with the carrot seed, to mark the rows and break up\nany soil crust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care\nof seed beds: <\/strong>It is important to take good\ncare of the seed beds and young seedlings, because (as with humans) the early\ndays can have a big impact on the ultimate harvest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering<\/strong>: It is crucial that the seedbed be watered regularly until all of the\nseeds have germinated. A general rule is to allow 50% of the surface of the bed\nto dry out before watering it again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sprinkle or spray the bed lightly, if you\nflood it with water you may slosh the light seeds around. This will result in\nan uneven stand, with bare patches and very dense patches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In hot weather you can reduce the frequency\nof watering (and save water) by temporarily covering the soil with burlap or\ncardboard. This keeps the soil cool and slows evaporation. Of course it must be\nremoved as soon as the seedlings begin to emerge (ideally just before). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pre\u2011emergence weeding<\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because\ncarrot seedlings take so long to emerge, you usually have a problem with weed\nseedlings. There are a few ways to avoid a lot of tedious hand weeding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few days before you estimate the seedlings\nwill start to emerge, you can lightly scrape a spring rake across the bed to\nkill any plants that have already emerged. This will give your soon-to-emerge\nseedlings a slight head start on the weeds. You can get a precise idea of the\nbest time to do this by planting a sample patch of seed a few days before the\nmain patch. As soon as the sample patch starts to germinate you should act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another useful pre\u2011emergence weeding technique is flame weeding.\nThe only problem with this is that you need a special flame-weeding torch (and\nfuel). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process is simple enough, a couple of days before the\nseedlings emerge, you quickly (you don\u2019t want to burn the soil surface) move a\nflame across the bed, heating and killing all of the newly emerged weed\nseedlings. A significant benefit of this method is that the soil isn\u2019t\ndisturbed, so no new weed seeds are brought to the surface, where they would\ngerminate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also sow seeds under paper tape. The seed is sown in rows\nin the usual way. The rows are then covered with a strip of opaque paper, such\nas cash register or drywall tape. This is weighted down with handfuls of soil\nto keep it in place. A day or so before you expect the seedlings to emerge, you\nremove the paper, which exposes any weed seedlings that have already\ngerminated. These will be elongated and chlorotic from the darkness and will\ndie when exposed to strong sunlight. This leaves a weed free strip of soil for\nyour seedlings to emerge into. The areas between the strips are hoed in the\nusual way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinning<\/strong>: After all\nthe seedlings have germinated and are growing well, you will have to thin them.\nIf they are packed too closely together they simply won\u2019t produce swollen\nroots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The earlier\nyou thin (and weed) the easier it will be. The initial thinning is done when\nthe seedlings are about 2\u02dd tall and should leave the plants about an inch\napart. If you have a large area to thin, this can be done with a wire rake\n(carefully!) Simply rake out excess plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A second\nthinning (and weeding) should be done 2 – 4 weeks later. This time you thin to\nthe desired spacing by hand. Some gardeners leave this last thinning until the\ncarrots have begun to size up and then eat them. However this may damage the\nremaining plants, or attract the dreaded carrot rust fly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important\nto remove all of the uprooted plants from the area after thinning, as the smell\nof damaged foliage can attract the carrot rust fly. Ideally you thin on cool\ncloudy days, or in late evening and water afterward to reduce the smell of\ncarrot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeding<\/strong>: If weeds\nare not removed promptly they will quickly smother the sparsely leafed\nseedlings. Your first priority must be to weed (and thin) the newly emerged\nplants. Weeds will have to be removed by hand from broadcast beds. Row\nplantings can be hoed if widely spaced, though some hand weeding is usually\nneeded also.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/strong>: Carrots\nneed a steady and even supply of moisture for good growth. Don\u2019t let the soil\ndry out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too little\nwater may result in excessively hairy roots (produced to search for water), or\nwoody roots with marked rings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too much\nwater can encourage excessive top growth and result in poorly flavored roots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might\nwant to give the plants extra water when the roots start to size up, as this\ncan boost yields considerably. Be careful however, as too much water after a\ndry spell can initiate a sudden spurt in growth, which may cause the roots to\nsplit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeding<\/strong>: If the\nsoil is poor you may want to give them a liquid feed of kelp or compost tea\nafter all the plants have emerged, and then again a month later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: If you are growing in rows a mulch is beneficial to conserve\nmoisture and keep down weeds. It also covers the shoulders of the root,\npreventing them turning green and inedible from exposure to light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In cold weather a thick mulch may also help to prevent them being\nheaved by frost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Root fail to size up<\/strong>: You may have tried to grow carrots and ended up with lush\nfoliage, but only small spindly roots. This happens when the plant is growing\nin less than ideal conditions. It produces enough food to survive, but doesn\u2019t\nmake enough of a surplus to store in the root. This may be caused by\ncompetition from weeds or other carrots (you neglected to thin sufficiently),\ninsufficient light or water, or from an inadequate supply of nutrients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Splitting: <\/strong>This is\nusually caused by irregular watering, too wet, too dry, too wet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forking<\/strong>: If you have grown carrots for any length of\ntime,\nyou have probably harvested plants that look vaguely like a human pair of legs\n(sometimes with other humorously shaped appendages attached). This is known as forking (for obvious reasons)\nand occurs when the tip of the primary root is damaged in some way (often by\ncontact with fresh manure, insects or stones in the soil). This forces the\nplant to replace it with two (or more) new growing points and so it forks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green shoulders: <\/strong>If the top of the\ncarrot sticks out of the ground and is exposed to sunlight it will turn green\nand inedible. You can keep this to a minimum by pulling soil up on to the crown\nof the plant. You can also use mulch to cover the shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolting: <\/strong>Carrots are\nbiennials and don\u2019t naturally flower until their second year. However they may\nbolt if they get vernalized. This happens when a root is sufficiently large\n(more than \u00bc\u02dd diameter) and is exposed to temperatures below 50\u02daF for a period\nof two weeks or more. When warm days arrive it thinks winter is over and\nflowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carrot Rust Fly<\/strong> (Psila\nrosae<\/em>): This is the worst pest of carrots. The larvae (small maggots)\ntunnel into the root, causing rust colored lesions and rendering the root\ninedible. In some areas they make it almost impossible to grow carrots without\nprotection. In others it isn\u2019t a problem at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first\nline of defense against this pest is hygiene. The flies are said to be able to\ndetect the smell of damaged foliage from more than a mile away. Keep thinning\nand weeding (which bruises the foliage) to a minimum and never leave the\nfoliage lying on the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this\npest is really bad in your area it\u2019s not a good idea to leave the remains of a\ncarrot crop in the ground right through the winter. It can mean a big increase\nin the incidence of carrot rust fly. In such situations you should dig and\ncompost (or eat) old carrots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the fly is severe some kind of barrier is probably the best way to go. Row covers are the commonest\nsolution to this problem, but it\u2019s said that a simple plastic screen, 30 – 36\u02dd\nhigh, around the plants will work just as well. Apparently the flies always\nstay close to the ground and will try to go around the screen, but they won\u2019t\ngo over it (so long as the bed is no more than 36\u02dd wide).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are usually two generations of flies each\nyear, the first in late spring and another in late summer. It is possible to\navoid them both by carefully timing the planting and harvesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four rows of onions, to one row of carrots, is\nsaid to disguise their smell, as is a mulch of fresh grass, or fresh sawdust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are now some carrot fly resistant\nvarieties available. Apparently these work best if some non-resistant carrots\nare sown next to them, to act as a trap crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other pests<\/strong>: Aphids, blister beetles,\nnematodes, carrot weevils, wireworms. We all know that cartoon rabbits love\ncarrots; well gophers, groundhogs and deer do too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diseases<\/strong>: A number of diseases are occasionally a\nproblem, including: leaf blight, downy mildew, aster yellows, rust and scab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutrient deficiency<\/strong>: A deficiency of boron or manganese may cause the center of the carrot to turn\nblack. You could treat both of these with a foliar feed of compost tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: You can\nstart pulling the roots as soon as they are large enough to be worthwhile. The\nlarger rooted plants tend to give themselves away by having darker foliage. You\ncan also look at the size of the orange shoulders in the ground. The main crop\nwill be ready in anywhere from 60 days onward, depending on the variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case of carrots, small isn\u2019t necessarily beautiful. Small\ncarrots may be tender, but larger ones are\nsweeter, better flavored and have a deep orange color, which indicates that\nthey are rich in carotene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best time to harvest carrots for maximum\ntenderness is when their early rapid growth starts to slow down. As the roots\nget much over an inch in diameter they may start to get woody (though this\ndepends on the variety). This is why they are\ncommonly succession sown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immature\ncarrots generally have little flavor because they haven\u2019t had the chance to\nstore much sugar. They can also be quite acrid because the aromatic terpenes\n(which give carrots much of their flavor) develop before the sugars. Commercial\nbaby carrots are really just varieties with naturally small roots, planted\nclosely together. They are still harvested when mature (unless they are the\ncommercial fake baby carrots that are carved from larger cull carrots).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: If you\nplan on harvesting a large quantity of roots, you should water them beforehand\nto loosen the soil and making pulling easier. In light soil you can simply pull\nup the roots by gently tugging on the tops. If you do this in heavy soil the tops will often break off, in\nwhich case you should loosen them with a fork before pulling. If you want to\nstore the roots it is important to treat them gently, as any damage will\nencourage rot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The usual way to harvest carrots is to start at one end of the bed and work your way down (you might also\nkeep the bed protected with row covers). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any carrot\ndebris remaining after the harvest should be removed and composted. Don\u2019t leave\nit on the ground near the plants, as the smell of the damaged foliage may\nattract the carrot rust fly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After harvest you should remove all but 1\u02dd of the tops; they may look\npicturesque but they drain moisture from the roots, causing them to go flabby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are going to store the roots for any length of time, you should\nleave them in the sun for several hours to kill the root hairs (not too long\nthough). Select only perfect roots for storage and don\u2019t wash them. Damaged\nroots don\u2019t store well and should be used promptly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: Carrots\nusually deteriorate in one of three ways, they either dry out, sprout or rot.\nIf you store your carrots in a cold (below 40\u02daF), humid place the first two\nwon\u2019t be a problem. Rot most often occurs when the skin is damaged, which\nallows decay causing organisms to enter. The living carrot has the ability to\nheal minor wounds and prevent rot, though this declines with age. The rot\nfactor is the reason it is so important to separate out damaged roots and not\ntry to store them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best place to store carrots is in the ground. They keep better and\nit is a lot less work. In mild climates they will continue to grow through the\nwinter and slowly get bigger. You just harvest them as needed. In colder\nclimates the tops will die back when cold weather hits. When this happens cover\nthem with 6 – 12\u02dd of mulch (this needs to be deep to prevent the ground from\nfreezing). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roots actually get sweeter in cold weather as some of their starch is\nconverted into sugar. You must dig them before growth starts again in spring,\nas this will make them woody and inedible. If you can\u2019t store them, then at\nleast use them for juice, rather than wasting them<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mice can\nsometimes be a problem with in-ground storage (especially under mulch). If this\nis a problem you might try covering the bed with a wire mesh screen, before\nlaying down the mulch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\nalso store carrots for up to 6 months in a root cellar, at 32 to 40\u02daF and 90%\nhumidity (their vitamin A content actually increases in storage for several\nmonths). Put the roots in a garbage can, or a wooden box, making alternate\nlayers of damp sand and carrots (if you don\u2019t have sand you could also use damp\nsawdust or peat moss) Make sure the roots don\u2019t touch each other, or they may\nrot. Also keep them away from apples, which emit ethylene gas and can spoil\ntheir flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\nstore carrots in a plastic bag in the fridge for several weeks. They can be\ncanned or dried for longer term storage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter carrots<\/strong>:\nFrench market gardeners used to grow carrots right through the winter in the\nharsh climate around Paris. They did it by planting them on hotbeds of warm\nmanure, covered with cold frames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giant carrots<\/strong>: If you want to grow a giant carrot (why?) do\nit in a section of 4\u02dd drainpipe, filled with a specially prepared mix of\ncompost, soil and sand. Water it frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Containers<\/strong>: Carrots can do well in a container, so long as it is deep enough\n(twice the depth of the root), you use the right (short) variety and you keep\nthe soil moist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: Carrot is\na biennial, so stores food in its first year and flowers and produces seed the\nfollowing year. In harsh climates you will have to protect the roots over the\nwinter, either in the ground or indoors. Replant them in the spring and wait\nfor them to flower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have to\nbe careful which roots you use for seed production and what pollinates them.\nChoose your very best roots and make sure they pollinate each other. The\nflowers are cross-pollinated by insects and will cross with any other carrots\n(or the very common wild carrot or Queen Annes Lace) within a half mile. This\nis important, when I neglected to do it I ended up with a whole range of root\ncolors from orange to yellow to white!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t\ngather seed from early flowering plants, uproot and get rid of them before they\nhave a chance to pollinate the rest. You don\u2019t want to create an early bolting\nstrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best\nseed is produced on the primary umbel, which is the first to ripen. The second\numbel is pretty good too, so take it from these two. When the seed heads are\nripe, cut them and leave in a paper grocery bag to dry thoroughly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size and shape are the most obvious differences between carrot varieties,\nwith some producing 2\u02dd spheres and others growing into huge tapered cylinders\n10\u02dd or more in length. There are other differences too, some red varieties are\nextremely rich in vitamin A, while others may be purple, yellow or even white.\nThere are now quite a few hybrid carrot varieties, bred for uniformity, high\ncarotene content, resistance to carrot rust fly, or for extra sweetness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The variety\nyou choose will depend upon the soil, climate and the time of year you are\nplanting. Generally the larger types need looser and deeper soil, while the\nshorter ones can do well in more compact soils. Shorter ones also mature more\nquickly. Some varieties do much better in cold, others do better in heat, some\nstore better in the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important factor in growing sweet\ncarrots is genetic; some varieties are naturally much sweeter than others. If\nyou want to grow sweet and tasty carrots, you are much more likely to be\nsuccessful if you start with a sweet and tasty variety. A high quality\ncultivar, can also help you to overcome some of the other problems associated\nwith growing carrots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of carrot<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nantes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These long cylindrical varieties with blunt ends are some of the\nbest flavored and textured carrots. They are low in terpenes, high in sugar and\ndon\u2019t develop a woody core. They are the best carrots for eating raw, but\ngenerally don\u2019t keep very well. They are easy to grow and quite fast maturing,\nthough they do need a fertile soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Touchon<\/strong> – My favorite variety,\nsweet, tender, very finely flavored and doesn\u2019t get woody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolero F1<\/strong> – A good hybrid\ncarrot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merida<\/strong> – A bolt resistant\noverwintering carrot that can be planted in fall, for harvesting the following\nsummer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scarlet Nantes<\/strong>.- The classic Nantes\nvariety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Danvers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These carrots have a\ntapering conical shape. They are quite sweet, but have a fibrous core which\nmakes them better for cooking than eating raw. They do well in shallow, heavy\nor poor soils. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Danvers Half Long <\/strong>– Fairly short, it does well in shallow\nsoil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chantenay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are short and conical with a broad shoulder. They can be\nquite sweet and tasty, but they are best used when young as they may develop a\nwoody core with age. They are generally better cooked, rather than eaten raw. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These types aren\u2019t as fussy about soil as the Nantes and Imperator types\nand do better in heavy, stony and cold soil. They over\u2011winter well in the\nground and store well out of the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kuroda <\/strong>–\nSweet, crisp and quite heat tolerant (73 days)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Cored Chantenay <\/strong>– A French classic with deep orange\nroots<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imperator<\/strong>: These\nlong tapered carrots are bred for commercial use and are the carrots most often\nfound in supermarkets. They store well and can be very tasty, but tend to be\ntougher than some other types. They do best in a deep, sandy soil and can get\nquite big. You need to cultivate the soil deeply when growing these types. They\nare not a good choice for heavy or rocky soils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gold Pak<\/strong> – Sweet and tender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby<\/strong>: Most baby\ncarrots aren\u2019t really young carrots, they are simply varieties that don\u2019t grow\nvery big. They may be elongated or round in shape. Their flavor is quite\nvariable, some are good, some not so good. They don\u2019t need a very good soil, so\nare often used where the soil is shallow, heavy or not very fertile (they are\nalso the best types for container growing). They don\u2019t store well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thumbelina<\/strong> – Sweet and tender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High vitamin A<\/strong>:\nThere are now quite a few of these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juwarot <\/strong>– Sweet, crisp and tasty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A-Plus F1<\/strong> – Imperator type, sweet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healthmaster\nF1 <\/strong>– Deep red color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beta III –<\/strong>\nDeep red and sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carrot Fly resistant<\/strong>: These are a fairly new innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flyaway F1 <\/strong>–\nNantes Type, sweet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resistafly F1 <\/strong>–\nNantes type, sweet, stores well<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my house\nno one wants to eat cooked carrots, so they are almost always eaten raw. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemicals\ncalled terpenes give the carrot its characteristic flavor, but they need to be\nbalanced with sugars to make carrots that are good for eating raw. Too many\nterpenes and too little sugar makes for unpleasantly aromatic and acrid roots.\nTerpenes are broken down during cooking though, which is why cooked carrots are\nsweeter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the top of the carrot is green from exposure to light, just cut\nit off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roasted roots<\/strong>  

A simple peasant dish  
\u00bd lb carrots
4 potatoes
1 celeriac (peeled)
1 rutabaga (peeled)
1 parsnip
1 large onion
1 turnip
\u00bd cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp. paprika
\u00bc tsp. dill   

Wash the vegetables and chop the potatoes and carrots into 1\u02dd pieces. Chop the rest of the vegetables into smaller \u00bd\u02dd pieces. Put the olive oil in a roasting pan and pre-heat in a 450\u00b0F oven. Then add the chopped vegetables and seasonings and stir to coat vegetables evenly. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat the pieces with oil and prevent them drying out and burning.   This is just a basic recipe and you can add lots of other stuff (garlic, green onions, tomato, mushrooms for the last 15 minutes, to cook and add flavor.   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Daucus carota var sativus This cool season biennial was probably first domesticated somewhere in the region of Afghanistan. It didn\u2019t get its familiar orange color until it arrived in Holland … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1663,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-root-veg","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/carrot-mix.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1135"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1677,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1135\/revisions\/1677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}