The Urban Permaculture Farm Magazine

This 5000 year old root crop did not start out as the lovely orange we know today. There were many colors: white, yellow, red, green, purple, and black. Orange was nowhere in the picture. The Egyptians had purple carrots, and these were traded and sold across the Arabian trade routes. With the Asians, Arabians and Africans in possession of their newly acquired purple root, the carrot took on the multitude of hues. The Romans knew the carrot as purple or white. The Africans knew it as purple or yellow along with Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern Iran.

It was these carrots that the Moors brought to Europe during the 12th century. Another hundred years saw the carrot in France and Germany. The purple, white and yellow carrots were imported into the European countries and they grew a green, red and black. During the 15th century, the taproot made it to the shores of England.

It may surprise you to know that the carrot did not make it's orange debut until a mutated strain of the yellow carrot came to the Dutch who cross-bred it with red varieties to create an orange specimen in honor of the royal House of Orange. Thus creating the sweet and very orange variety that we know and munch down on today.

Growing carrots can be a snap with a couple of considerations. The first is to realize that they are from a sandy region of the planet and grow easily in sandy, rock free soil rather than regular soil. While carrots can grow in regular soil, sandy soil will yield better and straighter root crops. And the young seedlings are rather weak and will need an easy surface to break through. Traditionally, they are planted with radishes for this reason, but there are other methods to ensure that they are able to get through. My favorite is to trench the sandy soil and then place my seeds. I cover them with peat moss, and the seedlings have no problem sprouting without the aid of radishes.

There are many different types of carrots, but these have been broken down into groups based on how deep they will grow. Imperators are carrots that grow thin and up to 10 inches long. Danvers can grow up to 7 inches long, have thicker tops, strong flavor and are also thin. Nantes grow up to 6 inches long, are rounder and sweeter in flavor. Chantenay grow 5 to 6 inches long and are wider. Amsterdam grow to 3 inches and are small and thin. Paris Market carrots are the smallest, getting only to about 1 ½ inches in diameter.

Direct sow in full sun, they do not transplant well. They tolerate cold, so plant carrots a couple of weeks before the last frost. They can be planted again in the fall. Thin to 3 to 4 inches apart after the seedlings reach about 3 inches high. Carrots will mature, after an up to 2 week germination period, in 50 to 70 days, the longer harvest can be held off, the better they will taste, but wait too long and carrots can come out woody. Baby carrots can be harvested in as little as 10 weeks. Harvest when they are at their full color but still tender. A tip for harvesting, gently press the carrot down into the soil, then pull straight up so as to not break the root off. For stubborn roots, loosen the soil with a garden fork and then remove.

Carrots have their share of problems, too. Make sure to keep soil constantly moist as dry spells and then heavy rains tend to make the crop crack. Twisted and forked roots can be a problem if soil is rocky, clay or high in nitrogen. Flea beetles, vegetable weevil, carrot root fly, armyworms, parsley worms, yellow wooly bear, vegetable leaf miners, leaf-hoppers, thrips and other pest can be controlled with organic pesticides, beneficial nematodes and row covers. Mulch exposed shoulders to prevent greening and bitterness.

Store carrots in a plastic bag in the vegetable crisper in your refrigerator. Make sure to store away from apples and other ethylene gas emitters that can turn carrots bitter.