It’s getting to be that time when we will find ourselves standing in front of the seed racks trying to figure out what type of carrot seeds do we get. I am by no means an expert, but have learned from gardening experience and a lot of reading and I do mean A LOT of reading and figured I’d share some tips so hopefully it will help the decision.
All carrots are best grown from seed, thrive in full sun & do well if seeded in the cool weather of spring (some say fall also - but I haven’t attempted this yet, but have over wintered my late plantings, yum!). They also do not do well with transplanting. Most types are ready to harvest between 60-80 days.
Carrots are categorized into types based on their shape and sizes and in these categories there are many different varieties. For our purposes we’ll stick with these 5 - Nantes, Chantenay, Imperator, Danvers, Ball or Minis:
Danvers – This is the carrot most people visualize when thinking about carrots. They are long & skinny and taper to a point. They are also the most tolerant of poor soils (clay & heavy soil) than other types. Very tender and sweet when young, but if left past maturity will become woody. Typically reaching 6-7” long.
Nantes – They are almost perfectly cylindrical being both round at the tip and the top, (typically reaching 6-7”)has sparse foliage & near red/dark orange flesh that has a sweet flavour & nice crunch with little to no core. They are a very quick growing carrot & matures faster and tend to be normally the easiest for most backyard gardeners. They do well in heavy soils
Chantenay – Before the Nantes were developed these were the only choice for growing carrots in heavy or rocky soil due to its size (typically reaching 6-7”long) making them very short & broad. Great choice for container gardens or heavier soils. Side note on this variety is that they must be harvested when they reach 6-7” otherwise become woody and tasteless.
Imperator – This is what most commercial growers produce. Similar looking to Danvers, but are thicker in width and often a higher sugar content than the other varieties. They prefer a light sandy loam soil and at least a foot deep. They typically reach 10-12” in size.
Ball or Minis – This group are shaped like a radishes or little miniature chantenay. Great for container gardening due to the short taproot & the area for growing as they normally reach 3-4”. They also perform well in heavier soils.
Hope this little bit of information has helped! Happy gardening.
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