Carrots - Main Crop

Type: Vegetable

Rotation Group: 2, Roots and Onions


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FLYAWAY

The one to grow if carrot fly is a problem in your garden, for it has some resistance to this pest. Early, sweet, blunt-ended carrots of excellent colour and flavour.
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NORWICH

This 'second early' Nantes-type hybrid is simply delicious! The smooth, cylindrical roots, up to 8in in length, have an excellent colour and very little core. Strong top growth makes lifting the roots easy, and the plants are remarkable for their health and vigour.
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SWEET CANDLE

This superb carrot is rapidly building up quite a reputation with exhibitors! Roots are very uniform, smooth-skinned and blunt-ended. Both internal and external colour are superb and the delicious, cylindrical roots are topped with strong, vigorous foliage.
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ST VALERY

The exhibitor's carrot par excellence, it was introduced in the 1880s, but still takes some beating. A high yielding maincrop, the uniform roots have a splendid colour and very good flavour.

Site, Soil and Preparation

Carrots grow best in full sun and light, fertile, well-drained soil. If your soil is stony, shallow or heavy clay, you may end up with stunted or forked roots, so try short-rooted types.

Indoor Sowing

Carrots are best sown outdoors in their final growing position.

Outdoor Sowing

The main crop outdoor sowing season is from April to early June. Sow the seeds as thinly as possible, 10mm (1/2in) deep, in rows 150-300mm (6-12in) apart. Seeds can be slow to germinate, so be patient.

Thinning

Thin out the seedlings if necessary, aiming for plants 50-75mm (2-3in) apart.

Transplanting

Carrots are best sown outdoors in their final growing position and do not need transplanting.

Care

Carrots are drought resistant so seldom need watering. However, in long dry spells they will benefit from a soaking. Fast-growing weeds can crowd out carrots, so hand weed regularly between rows. Be careful when weeding or thinning that you don't crush the foliage, as the smell attracts carrot fly.

Harvest

Carrots are ready about 12-16 weeks after sowing. For the best flavour harvest carrots as soon as they are large enough to use.