Daucus carota
History:
First used as medicine, carrots are found wild in almost all major continents. According to historical records, it was the 10th century when carrots began to be cultivated in Europe. It’s culinary importance grew and was among the first food crops brought the the Americas by European settlers and explorers. Carrots selected for flavor, grown in mineral rich soil and harvested at their peak in cold weather will produce a flavor unlike anything available at the grocery store.
Seeding:
Carrot seeds germinate between 50-75 degrees. Germination occurs in 6-21 days. Plants need full sun but in really hot climates partial shade is needed for best results.
Seed carrots in March for a spring harvest and August for a fall/winter harvest. Cover lightly and keep soil moist until germination. Some people recommend covering seed beds with burlap and keeping the burlap wet to help hold in moisture until germination.
Spacing:
2” in the rows and 4-6” between rows.
Cultivation:
Carrots like loose and soft soil. Before seeding, use a garden fork to aerate their bed and loosen any deep compaction. Keep carrots weed free. They grow slowly and need the protection a gardener provides. Once the seedlings are 2 inches, mulch with chopped leaves.
Harvest:
Carrots like cooler weather and their flavor reflects that. Harvesting before the summer heat sets in for spring plantings and in the middle of a cold winter will be rewarded by flavors only found in carrots raised in a home garden. Harvest fall planted carrots by late January or they will lose their quality and flavor. An abundance of flowers will be produced mid-spring from overwintered carrots.
Use a garden fork to loosen the soil around the carrots and gently pull carrot tops by hand. Cut tops within an inch of the crown and place in a storage container. Keep in a cellar environment and they will store for months in excellent condition.
