Lumps and coarse matter will cause knots and forking. Add a good amount of sifted, aged compost to keep soil loose and aerated. Fine soil allows the tiny seed to put down its tap root. To grow smooth, straight carrots, soil must be finely tilled to a depth of 14”-16”. Mulch over-wintering carrots (if planted outside cloche) with dried grass, straw or hay.Ĭarrots are not picky about location, but do need deep, rich soil for their long tap-roots.īecause they can be sown so early, it is helpful to plant with a windbreak on the east side of the rows (or whichever side would shield from predominant winds in your particular micro-climate.) Even a 6” plank standing on edge along that side of the row will reflect enough heat and light to protect the seedlings and speed germination, which can otherwise take up to two weeks.In heavy soil, work in manure or compost to lighten loam for next year’s crop.Plant a fall sowing in cloches if desired.Continue successive sowing until early July.Direct sow as soon as soil can be worked.Prep soil by adding sifted compost and sand.In addition to all those amazing nutrients, carrots have a number of necessary minerals including phosphorous, potassium, calcium, and copper.Carrots also made this list of the World’s Healthiest Foods.Another study showed lower rates of glaucoma when carrots were eaten just twice a week. In one study people who ate just one-quarter cup of carrots a day had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease.Just one cup of raw carrots contains a whopping 113% of the Daily Value for vitamin A and 20% for biotin and vitamin K.Antioxidants found in the orange veggies include Beta carotene and falcarinol, both of which fight free-radicals.A nutritional gold mine, carrots are high in vitamins A and C, and the B-complex group including folic acid, B-6, thiamin, and pantothenic acid.Large, coarse varieties are grown as livestock feed.Ĭarrots vary in maturation time from 60-90 days. Specialty types range in color from deep purple to beet red, yellow, white and even spotted. Standard varieties include short, fat, long, and thin types varying in disease tolerance, crispness, sweetness, and tenderness. If allowed to continue its growth, the carrot will develop a seed stalk during its second year. The root of the carrot serves as a food storage unit during the plant’s first year. Carrots are also related to parsnips, fennel, parsley, cumin and dill.

In fact, domestic types will cross-breed with their wild cousins if grown in close proximity. This wildflower originated in Europe and southwest Asia but is now commonly found throughout the Pacific Northwest. Growing the Best Carrots in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.ĭomestic carrots (Daucus carota) were developed hundreds of years ago from the plant we know as Queen Anne’s Lace.

Overwinter carrot seedlings