Carrots are a hardy cool-season biennial

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru

The carrot is a hardy, cool-season biennial. Because we grow it for the thickened root it produces in its first growing season we never see it for the flower is produces in the second season. The flower is similar to Queen’s Anne Lace, an umbrella-shaped collection of small white flowers producing a lacy effect. Flowers asides we all enjoy carrots for the orange tap root the plant produces because of its sweet and tender flavour. Carrots are eaten both raw and cooked and they can be stored for winter use. They are rich in carotene (the source of vitamin A) and high in fibre and sugar content.
Although carrots can endure summer heat in many areas, they grow best when planted in early spring. Midsummer plantings that mature quickly in cool fall weather produce tender, sweet “baby” carrots that are much prized. Carrots are usually planted with other frost tolerant vegetables as soon as the soil starts to warm in the spring. They may be planted earlier in gardens with sandy soil. The soil should be plowed and prepared to a depth of 8 to 9 inches to allow full development of the carrot roots and the seedbed should be worked uniformly to break up clumps and clods that prevent penetration of the roots. Varieties with extremely long roots (i.e. Tendersweet) usually are recommended only for home gardens with deep, sandy soil. Excess organic debris worked into the soil just before planting also may affect root penetration, causing forked and twisted roots. Plant seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep (no more than two or three seeds per inch) as soon as the soil is ready. Later sowings may be planted 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep when the soil is dryer and warmer. Space rows 12 to 18 inches apart. TIP: A single radish seed planted every 6 to 12 inches can mark the row. Germination period for carrots is an agonizing wait. Just when you have given up hope and think that the seeds have not germinated, they finally pop through the ground. This can be as long as two weeks from time of sowing and the seedlings may not emerge uniformly. If heavy rains occur after sowing, packing the soil surface, no seedlings may emerge. Thin the seedlings when they are about one inch tall to no more than three seedlings per inch for finger carrots; one or two seedlings per inch for carrots that will be harvested young; and one seedling per 1 to 2 inches for larger varieties like Danvers and Chantenay that will be allowed to develop to full size and be harvested mature. For the first round of thinning I usually take the garden rake and gently rake over the bed. The tines of the rake do all of the thinning. A few weeks later you may have to thin again if the bed or rows are too dense. At this time you may have only tops and no edible roots yet. This is okay so just add the tops to the composter. Once you have edible roots, thin by harvesting plants randomly throughout the row or bed allowing more room for the remaining carrots. Follow this method each time you harvest until all the carrots are fully mature. This way you will have a few meals of tender immature carrots and then have nicely spaced mature carrots at the end of the season.

Recommended Varieties:
Small, Round
These are great tasting ball-shaped carrots to try for something different or to grow with children. Who knew carrots could be round balls? Something to serve at your next dinner party.
Orbit – (58 days to harvest, good colour, best harvested at the size of a Loonie)
Thumbelina – (60 days; round roots; good for planting in containers and in heavy, shallow or rocky soil)
Baby
These varieties are tender and sweet and grown about the size of you pinkie finger.
Baby Spike (52 days; 3 to 4 inch roots, 1/2 inch thick; excellent internal color; tender; holds small size well)
Little Finger (65 days; tiny tender roots; 5 inch roots, 1/2 inch thick; golden orange, sweet and crisp)
Minicor (55 days; slender fingerling carrots; colors early; uniform, cylindrical, blunt tip; good flavour)
Short ‘n Sweet (68 days; rich, sweet flavour; 4 inch roots, broad at shoulder, tapered to a point; good for heavy or poor soil)
Chantenay
These are for larger varieties of carrots that produce a large tap root that should be allowed to develop to full size and be harvested mature. These varieties were some of the original hybrid for eating carrots.
Red-Cored Chantenay (70 days; heavy yield; good flavour; short, thick roots, broad at the shoulder, tapered to blunt tip)
Royal Chantenay (70 days; broad-shouldered, tapered roots; bright orange; good for heavy or shallow soils)
Danvers
A similar variety to the Chantenays, often the most widely available and although these are great carrots you may not have the right soil type for deep rooting carrots. Also note the longer days to maturity needed for these varieties.
Danvers Half-Long (75 days; uniform, 7 to 8 inch roots tapered to very blunt end; sweet, tender)
Danvers 126 (75 days; heavier yield than regular Danver hybrids; smooth roots; tops withstand heat).
Nantes
Excellent type of carrot to look for and are readily available on most seed racks in the stores. This type of carrot has a blunt end versus a tapered pointed end. It tends to look like large fingers. A great choice as they usually do not develop woody cores like other varieties.
Bolero (hybrid-70 days; 7 to 8 inch roots, uniformly thick, tapered slightly to blunt tip; superior resistance to foliage disease)
Ingot (hybrid-70 days; 8 inch roots, 1-1/2 inches thick; indistinct core; deep orange color; strong tops; extremely sweet)
Nantes Coreless (68 days; orange-red; small core, medium top)
Scarlet Nantes (70 days; bright orange, slightly tapered, 6 inch roots; crisp, tender and flavourful; standard for high quality carrots)
Sweetness (hybrid-63 days; sweet and crunchy; cylindrical, 6 inch roots, 1 inch thick)
Touchon (70 days; interior, exterior bright orange; 7 inch roots, nearly coreless)

Frequently Asked Questions:
What causes my carrots to turn green on the crown (top) of the root? This condition is called “sun burning.” It causes an off flavour and dark green pieces in the cooked product. Cut away the green portion and use the rest of the root. When the tops are healthy, sun burning can be avoided by pulling a small amount of loose soil up to the row when the roots are swelling (about 40 to 50 days after planting).
Why are my carrots misshapen, with forked and twisted roots? Forking may result from attacks of root-knot nematodes, from stones, dense clay-like soils, from deep and close cultivation or (more frequently) from planting in a soil that was poorly prepared. Twisting and intertwining result from seeding too thickly and inadequate thinning of seedlings.
What causes my carrots to have fine hairy roots, poor color and a bitter taste? These conditions are caused by a viral disease known as “aster yellows.” There is no way of controlling this virus. Remove all carrots from the garden and throw in the garbage no the composter. Next year make sure you rotate your crops so you do not plant carrots in the same place as the diseased ones for a few years.
If you do not plant carrots regularly I hope you will give them a try. I have had many adults and children tell me that they do not like carrots. Everyone of them that has had a fresh carrot out of the garden has changed their mind. I love eating fresh raw vegetables right out of the garden and have since I was a child and a fresh carrot pulled fright of the garden is still one of my favourite finds.