Carrot
Daucus carota subsp. sativus
Belonging to the Daucus genus, Carrot has a botanical name of Daucus carota subsp. sativus.
Carrots are a great choice for the small garden as they don’t take up a lot of space. They are primarily a cool climate crop, so it is best to sow in early spring or autumn for best results.
Carrots are divided into categories based on the way they grow:
Imperator carrots
These are carrots that grow very thin and long (about 10 inches)
Danver carrots
These are much like Imperators, but grow slightly shorter (approx. 7 inches). The tops of danvers are usually thicker and are stronger in taste.
Chantenay carrots
Grow to around 5 – 6 inches in length, and are wider.
Amsterdam carrots
Grow no longer than 3 inches long and are small and thin.
Paris Market
This is the smallest carrot type and grow as a stubby, globe shape (around 1 1/2 inches in diameter). They are great for container growing.
The carrot plant is a actually a biennial, meaning it has a lifespan of two years and produces it’s seeds in the second year. However, carrots are normally harvested in the first year before they reach full “maturity”.
Carrot grows as a biennial and is an edible vegetable. Being a biennial plant, it tends to grow best over the course of two years. Carrot is known for its erect habit and growing to a height of approximately 15.0 cm (5.85 inches). This plant tends to be ready for harvesting by late spring. Popular varieties of Carrot with home gardeners are Scarlet Nantes, Danvers Half Long, Chantenay Red Cored, Nantes, and Little Finger.Carrot is said to originate in Afghanistan.
Being a fairly low maintenance plant, Carrot is normally quite easy to grow provided a minimum level of care is given throughout the year. It will be helpful to note the correct soil, sun and water needs of this plant to ensure that this plant thrives.
This plant info is provided by the myfolia gardener's wiki. All details about Carrot have been kindly provided by our members.
How to grow Carrot
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Full Sun
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High
Cultivate periodically or mulch to control weeds and try to keep the soil evenly moist. Ensure that the spacings are correct and thin where need be as growing carrots too closely together will result in small yields.
Plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water often. As a guideline, Carrot does best between USDA Hardiness Zones 3 and 11. Planting Carrot in loamy soil with a ph of between 6.0 and 6.5 is ideal for as it does best in weakly acidic soil. Keep in mind when planting that Carrot is thought of as very hardy, so this plant will tend to survive through freezing conditions.Growing Carrot from seed
Carrots can be grown from seed quite easily, and they tend to grow better when planted directly in the spot they are to grow. Prepare the soil well before planting, as carrots need deep, well drained soil that is free from rocks and other obstructions. Mix in some manure and compost and turn over to a roughly the depth of a spade.
Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 0.39 inches (1.0 cm) and sow at a depth of around 0.23 inches (0.6 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 16°C / 61°F to ensure good germination.By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Carrot about 14 days before your last frost date .
Transplanting Carrot
Ensure carrots are planted after danger of heavy frost. If transplanting into the garden, tip the seedlings out of their growing container extremely carefully and separate them into individual plants. Put them into well prepared soil and water in well.
As Carrot is very hardy, ensure temperatures are mild enough to plant out - wait until after your last frost date to be on the safe side.By our calculations*, you should look at planting out Carrot about 14 days before your last frost date.
Harvesting Carrot
Good to loosen the soil around the carrot then gently pull at base of greens.
Seed Saving Carrot
Must keep all Queen Anne’s Lace mowed to prevent cross-pollination. Dig roots before killing frost, and store in sand or sawdust in root cellar. Replant in Spring, keeping roots 2’ apart. 2
Companion plants for Carrot
These plants have been known to grow well alongside Carrot so consider planting:
Companion Plants for Carrots
Carrots do well with: chives, Rosemary and Sage (which help deter Carrot Fly). Also with Onions which deter most rabbits.
Plants to avoid planting carrots with
Dill and Coriander should not be planted near carrots as they tend to cross pollinate – which can be important if you are trying to save your own seed.
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Carrot likes Tomato
Carrots make tomatoes grow better, but it does sometimes stunt the carrot's growth.
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Carrot likes Bean
Can provide a good source of nitrogen in the soil.
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Carrot likes Flax
Flax produces an oil that can protect carrots from pests.
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Carrot loves Rosemary
Rosemary helps deter carrot fly.
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Carrot loves Sage
Sage helps deter carrot fly.
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Carrot likes Onion
Onions help deter rabbits.
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Carrot likes Allium
The aromatic nature of allium tends to repel carrot fly.
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Carrot loves French marigold
deters carrot fly, improves flavor
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Carrot loves Lettuce
Repellent plants for Carrot
These plants will not grow well with Carrot so avoid planting these within close proximity:
Dill, parsnip, radish 1
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Carrot dislikes Parsnip
Parsnip can also encourage carrot fly, so try to plant these a good distance from each other.
Common Carrot problems
These problems, diseases and pests are known to affect Carrot plants:
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Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) was first found in Cucumbers, hence its name - ho...
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Seed borne organism that attacks Tomato plants. Can survive for short periods...
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White powdery spot disease that affects a large variety of plants.
Carrot Etymology
Carrot Folklore & Trivia
- Carrots were not originally orange, it was the dutch horticulturalists in the 17th century that bred in this characteristic to honour the dutch royal family.
Other names for Carrot
Karotte, Carotte, Carota, Zanahoria, Wortel, Morot
Daucus carota var sativa, Daucus carota var. sativus, Daucus carota sativus
Misspellings: Carrots, Carot, Karots
Latest Carrot Reviews
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20 Feb 2013
KiriBean's Carrot 'Purple Haze' (X) was Reviewed day 312
Great dark purple colour. I found these hard to grow, but then none of my carrot varieties grew well this year.
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16 Jul 2012
CraftyGardener's Carrots, scarlet nantes was
Reviewed day 101
lack of rain, high temperatures, did not grow more than a cm. tall
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04 Jan 2012
jenniferworthen's Carrot 'Parisienne' was
Reviewed day 115
Loved these carrots! Super sweet and extremely tasty. Easy to grow as well. Will be growing again!
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17 Nov 2011
BeccaRose's Baby Carrot was
Reviewed day 183
Excellent carrots & excellent harvest. (Did not log most of harvest) Consider planting again, perhaps in deep pots to avoid all that Indiana hard clay :-)
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07 Aug 2011
anelson's carrot chantenay red core was Reviewed day 150
The only one of the three varieties of carrot I planted that grew, and they grew very well in my cold clay soil. Also they did not have any problems with pests and are sweet, unsplit, and crunchy.
Carrot care instructions
How long does Carrot take to grow?
When should I plant Carrot?
Our when to plant Carrot estimates are relative to your last frost date. Enter your frost dates and we'll calculate your sowing and planting dates for you!
Footnotes
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants
2 The New Seed-starters Handbook; Published 1988
Popular varieties of Carrot
- Scarlet Nantes
- Danvers Half Long
- Chantenay Red Cored
- Nantes
- Little Finger
- Danvers 126
- Cosmic Purple
- Purple Haze
- Purple Dragon
- Baby
View the complete variety list for Carrot »
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