all-season carrot, great flavor and sweetness earlier than others, good as for fresh eating and storage, strong tops, good for high tunnel and over-wintering
excellent flavor and texture, uniform, tops are short but hold up well for bunching, does well in many planting densities, main season choice for commercial growers, good for bunching/storage/soup
Nantes–
Blunt tips; straight, cylindrical roots 5 to 7 inches long;
sweeter than most other types; good raw eating. Prefers loose soil.
Chantenay –Shorter than other types, stocky,taper
to a rounded tip; rich, sweet flavor and good storage
potential.Coarser texture than
others.
Imperator –Long,
tapered roots with stocky shoulders and strong tops; slightly
fibrous texture. Stores well.Most common type found
in groceries.Prefers deep, sandy soil.
Danvers
–
Shorter than Imperator varieties,thick-rooted
cylindrical shape, widely used in processing, good for juicing.
Stores well.Performs
well in heavy, clayey soil.
Soil
Requirements
Do best in
fertile sandy loam, but will perform well under most conditions
if appropriate varieties are chosen. For compact soils choose
tapered carrots that can wedge their way into soils like
Chantenays or Danvers types. Optimal soil temperature for
germination is 55-75°F.
Bed
Preparation
Best quality
arises from raised beds, free of stones and debris. Imperator
types should only be grown on raised beds that have 10-12” tilled
zones.
Position
Full
sun
Nutrient
Requirements
Fertilize with
the ratio of 1-2-2 (N-P-K) at the time of seeding and again when
tops are 4-8". Potassium promotes solid, sweet carrots.
Seeding
Depth
1/4-1/2”
Seeding
Rate
For
early small bunching: ~45 seeds/ft; For full size ~30 seeds/ft;
For soup size or storage ~15 seeds/ft
Plant
Spacing
Thin to
1-2" depending on desired size
Row
Spacing
18-24"
When to
Sow
Direct
seed as soon as soil can be worked in the spring through
mid-summer
Other
Info
Weeding shortly after germination
allows slow-growing carrots to get a head start against
fast-growing weeds.
Frost
Tolerant
Yes
Drought
Tolerant
No
Heat
Tolerant
Prolonged hot
weather in later stages of development may stunt growth, and can
cause strong flavor and coarseness in the roots.
Some of
the hybrid carrot varieties we carry receive an organic film
coating applied to the seed, which make the seed easier to see
during planting.
Harvest
Harvest
when carrots have appropriate coloring and flavor has developed.
Carrots hold well in the field for up to 3 weeks in the summer
and longer in cool conditions. Some varieties, like Napoli, may
be over wintered outdoors or in the high tunnel for an early
spring harvest. For storage carrots dig roots after frost but
before ground freezes.
Storage
Store
topped carrots in near freezing temperatures with high humidity.
Unwashed carrots store just as well as washed but may stain
during storage.
PestInfo
Carrot
Weevil and carrot rust fly are common pests. Floating row cover can be an effective control for
the Carrot Weevil and Carrot Rust Fly. Other tips include delay
sowing seeds until June to avoid the first wave of flies, as well
as sowing carrots seeds thinly, as the carrot rust flies are
attracted to the smell of bruised carrot foliage.
Disease
Info
Fungal
leaf blights caused by either Alternaria dauci or Cercospora
carotae can cause severe defoliation and greatly reduce
yields. White mold (Sclerotinia
sclerotiorum) manifests as a cottony white mycelium around roots
and lower plant parts, usually late in the season. See
Cornell University’s Vegetable MD Online for more
information.
Other Known
Issues
Misshapen
Roots– In general, carrots do
not grow well in heavy soils. Long-rooted varieties such as the
Imperator types may end up twisted, stunted or forked in such
soils when they hit clumps or rocks. If
you have heavy soil, add humus to loosen up the soil or grow
shorter varieties, such as Danvers types.
Greenish
Shoulders– When exposed to
sunlight, the tops of carrots will often turn green. To prevent
this from happening, hill up dirt around the tops of the
carrots.
Copyright 2013 High Mowing Organic Seeds. All Rights Reserved.
76 Quarry Road :: Wolcott, VT 05680 :: phone: 802-472-6174 :: fax: 802-472-3201