Carrots are one of the last vegetables to come out of the garden in fall, although they can be harvested much earlier if desired.
There are five types of carrots categorized according to shape. The types are danvers, nantes, chantenay, imperator and ball. Each type has many varieties. There are early and late varieties, disease and crack resistant varieties, and colors that range from white to yellow to traditional orange to red to deep purple.
Imperator carrots are the long, tapered ones you see in the grocery store. Nantes grow 5-7 inches long and are crisp and sweet, but don’t store as long as other types. Danvers have a thick, cylindrical shape, often with a yellowish core. They are especially good for juicing and are used for baby food. Chantenays have conical roots with broad shoulders and rounded tips. They have a rich, sweet flavor and store well. Ball carrots have round, cylindrical or tapered roots less than 5 inches long. They have a crisp texture and are sweet. They have limited storage potential.
Carrots can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked in spring. Several plantings spaced three weeks apart until mid-July will ensure a long harvest.
There are three important things to know about planting carrots: they need a deep, loose soil, the seeds should be spaced according to the directions on the seed packet, and no nitrogen should be added to the soil. If a carrot root hits a stone or clod of clay, it will branch, twist, or simply stop growing. Raised beds are especially good for growing carrots. Seeds planted too closely will impede each other’s growth. Nitrogen causes excessive feeder roots, or “hairy carrots.”
Two important things for after planting: the soil should be kept moist until germination, which may be up to three weeks, and the bed should be kept weed free.
Finally, two things to remember after germination: continue to keep the area weed free, and if the carrots start to lift out of the ground, mound a little soil or mulch around the crowns because exposure to light will cause them to turn green and bitter.
To harvest carrots, water thoroughly to soften the ground and try to pull them up by gripping their tops firmly at soil level. If they don’t come up, use a spading fork to lift them. Be careful – nothing is worse than having your prize carrot gored by the spading fork!
Cut or twist the tops off and store carrots in plastic bags in the crisper drawer, either washed or unwashed.
Carrots get sweeter the longer they are left in the ground, as long as the ground does not freeze. You can leave them underground covered by a thick mulch well into the fall and harvest them as needed if you don’t have room for storage inside.
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