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Organic Carrot Seeds::Organic Specialty Carrots::Yellowstone Carrot
Organic Specialty Carrots - Comparison Chart
| Item Code |
Variety Name |
Heirloom |
Type |
DTM |
Color |
Full Root Size |
Root Shape |
Standout Characteristics |
| 2326 |
White Satin F1 |
|
specialty |
68 |
white |
8" |
Nantes |
fast-growing, tender and juicy, crunchy, sweet and mild flavor, straight with a small core |
| 2323 |
Atomic Red |
|
main season |
70 |
red-orange |
8-10" |
Imperator |
color retained when cooked, sweetens when cooked, great performance all seasons but best for fall plantings |
| 2335 |
Cosmic Purple |
|
specialty |
70 |
purple |
7" |
Danvers |
striking color: purple skin and orange flesh, crunchy, sweet with a hint of spice |
| 2337 |
Yellowstone |
|
specialty |
70 |
yellow |
9" |
Nantes |
long and slender, extremely productive, widely adapted, pick early for a mild and tender carrot, strong tops |
| 2325 |
Dragon |
|
specialty |
85 |
purple |
7-8" |
Danvers |
long, improved variety, very hardy, purple skin with orange flesh, wide shoulders, tapered tip, high lypcopene content |
Organic Carrots - Growing and Seed Saving Info
Printable version of this page
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Types of
Carrots
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Carrots are
often classified by their root shape:
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Nantes
Blunt tips; straight, cylindrical roots 5 to 7 inches long;
sweeter than most other types; good raw eating. Prefers loose soil.
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Chantenay
Shorter than other types, stocky, taper
to a rounded tip; rich, sweet flavor and good storage
potential. Coarser texture than
others.
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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.
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Danvers
Shorter than Imperator varieties, thick-rooted
cylindrical shape, widely used in processing, good for juicing.
Stores well. Performs
well in heavy, clayey soil.
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Soil
Requirements
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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.
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Bed
Preparation
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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.
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Position
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Full
sun
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Nutrient
Requirements
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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.
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Seeding
Depth
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1/4-1/2
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Seeding
Rate
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For
early small bunching: ~45 seeds/ft; For full size ~30 seeds/ft;
For soup size or storage ~15 seeds/ft
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Plant
Spacing
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Thin to
1-2" depending on desired size
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Row
Spacing
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18-24"
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When to
Sow
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Direct
seed as soon as soil can be worked in the spring through
mid-summer
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Other
Info
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Weeding shortly after germination
allows slow-growing carrots to get a head start against
fast-growing weeds.
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Frost
Tolerant
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Yes
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Drought
Tolerant
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No
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Heat
Tolerant
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Prolonged hot
weather in later stages of development may stunt growth, and can
cause strong flavor and coarseness in the roots.
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Seed
Specs
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11,000-37,500 seeds/oz (24,250 avg), 175-600M seeds/lb (288M
avg) M=1,000
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Seeding
Rate
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Early
bunching carrot plant approximately 45 seeds/ft,
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Full
sized carrots plant approximately 30 seeds/ft, and for
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Storage varieties plant 15 seeds/ft.
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Early
small bunching 45M seeds/1000(~ 1.9 oz), 1.4MM seeds/acre,(~
5 lb), using ~45 seeds/ft, 18 row spacing;
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Full
size 30M seeds/1000,(~ 1.3 oz), 1MM seeds/acre,(~ 3.3 lb),
using ~30 seeds/ft, 18 row spacing;
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Storage 15M seeds/1000, (0.65 oz), 500M seeds/acre,(~ 1.7
lb), using ~15 seeds/ft, 18 row spacing. M=1,000,
MM=1,000,000.
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Seed
Coating / Pelleting Info
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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.
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Harvest
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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.
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Storage
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Store
topped carrots in near freezing temperatures with high humidity.
Unwashed carrots store just as well as washed but may stain
during storage.
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Pest
Info
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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.
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Disease
Info
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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 Universitys Vegetable MD Online for more
information.
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Other Known
Issues
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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.
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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.
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