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CULTURE:
For best results carrots need a loose sandy loam free of rocks. Clay soils
require loosening and lightening to a depth of 9" with organic matter
such as leaf mold or peat moss to provide good drainage, loose structure,
and adequate moisture-holding capacity. Do not add fresh manure before
planting. Too much nitrogen favors top growth and causes roots to become
rough and highly branched. Keep soil slightly acid, in the range of pH
5.5 to 7.0. Maintain high levels of phosphorus and potassium. Plant seed
1/4" deep, 3 seeds per inch, and thin to 3" apart in rows 12" apart. Cover
seeds with a fine light soil, and keep soil moist. For planting in blocks,
mix seed with dry sand or fine soil, and add some radish seeds to prevent
soil crusting and broadcast seeds over a prepared bed. Seeds take 2 to
3 weeks to germinate. After foliage is several inches high, add mulch
to conserve moisture. Extreme fluctuations of soil moisture between dry
and wet conditions may cause cracking of the roots.
DISEASES:
Follow a 2- to 3-year rotation to help prevent disease.
PESTS: Avoid
planting in previously sodded ground and sprinkle wood ash along the row
to prevent wireworm damage. Carrot rust flies can be controlled by skipping
the spring planting for a year to break the life cycle by starving the
spring generation of rust fly. Interplanting carrots with onions in a
ratio of 1 to 2 reduces carrot fly damage by 70%.
HARVEST:
Best quality roots are no larger than 1" in diameter.
STORAGE:
Cut off tops and do not wash the roots. Store in the refrigerator or overwinter
the roots in the garden by covering with a thick, loose mulch such as
straw.
SEED SAVERS:
Isolate from other carrot varieties and Queen Anne's lace by a distance
of 330' for home use. For pure seed isolate by 1/8 to 1/4 mile.
PACKET: Packet
size noted in variety description. 1 g (about 500 to 650 seeds, depending
on variety) sows 28 to 37'.
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Carrots
85 days. [Introduced 1620 by Dutch breeders, brought to N. America by early settlers. This improved version continues a tradition of nearly 400 years.] A long tapering carrot with small neck. Uniform roots measure 12” x 2” when fully mature. Plant in loose soil and harvest before roots reach mature size. Good flavor, excellent storage. Pkt.
70 days. [Introduced 1870.] A favorite garden variety appreciated for its fine texture, mild flavor, and very small core. Carrots average 6-1/2" long, 1 to 1-1/2" at the shoulder. Cylindrical rather than tapered. Can be grown for winter storage but best flavor is from spring-grown carrots. Pkt.