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Carrots
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Author: Staff Writer
 Common
Name: Carrot
Botanical Name: Daucus carota
Carrots are a terrific North Country vegetable
for many reasons.
Firstly they are a terrific source of Vitamin A. They also produce a lot
of food in a small space. A 20 ft row feeds 4 people!
Perhaps the quality which most endears me to carrots is that they actually
prefer cooler temperatures. For this reason they are also good early or
late crop.
They prefer night temperatures in the 50 -60 range, and day temperatures
in the 70's. Carrots don't like temperatures above 85 deg. F High temperatures
cause poorly colored, low quality carrots.
Soil preparation:
Carrots like loose, sandy loam that is well drained. Rocky soils result
in low quality, weird lookin' roots. Clay soils mean the carrots have
to work harder - so you get slower growth and smaller roots.
Prepare the soil in the usual way - turn over to 8-12 inches deep, add
compost and/or 10-20-10 fertilizer. Follow the fertilizer directions so
you don't over do it.
Rake earth up into ridges about 1.5 feet apart (Wider if you'd like more
room to maneuver between the rows J ) Lightly run the rake over the top
of the ridge to create a small flat area.
Planting
Carrots are shade tolerant. Begin planting carrots as soon as the
soil can be worked in the spring.
Use a hoe handle or stick, 1/2-inch line on top of each ridge.
Scatter 18-20 seeds per foot in the row. Cover the seeds very lightly.
As with most plantings you should water often.
Continue at 3-week intervals so you can harvest several crops.
In shallow soil, use half-long types like 'Nantes.' For containers, try
miniature varieties such as 'Amstel' or 'Short and Sweet.'
Maintenance
Some people choose to thin their carrot plants at 2 inches, 2 inches apart,
and again at 4 inches. This allows the roots to grow larger, longer and
straighter.
However, if you are looking for smaller carrots, you only need the first
thinning.
Add nutrients (compost or fertilizer) if the tops become pale. Don't
fertilizer with manure though.
Keep moist as drying out repeatedly causes carrots to split.
Pests & Disease
Cutworm: distinguishing feature is that
this insect curls up when touched. It cuts off seedlings near soil level.
Up to 1 ¼ inches long. Black or dark grey
Nematodes: a fungus that causes root deformity
Wireworm: responsible for damage to the
roots. Fine boring J holes. Lighter body with darker ends. Up to 1 ½
inch long.
Harvesting
Depending on the variety, carrots are ready for harvest 40 -80 days after
planting. I prefer to harvest them when they are quite small. Generally
I think they are ready when the top of the root is around ¾ of
an inch in diameter. You may prefer to leave them a bit longer - maybe
1 inch. If you wait too long they will get tough and woody. It's a trade
off as smaller roots are most tender, while more mature roots have a more
developed flavor.
To check size, dig a little soil away at the base, but recover tops of
carrot with soil to keep them from turning green.
Loosen the soil around the carrot to avoid breaking the carrot while pulling.
They have lovely flowers if you let them go to seed. Very similar to Queen
Anne's lace - in fact, they are distant cousins.
Storage:
Remove tops. They will suck moisture out of the root if you don't.
Root vegetables store quite nicely in cool cellars. As a rule, you store
them unwashed.
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