The carrot is a nutritious root vegetable popular in Western diets for centuries.
Beta-carotene gives the carrot its bright orange color. Carotene can be converted into Vitamin A in the human body, but only in the presence of bile salts, thus requiring a diet that contains significant amounts of fat.
Only about 3% of the carotene is released when carrots are eaten raw in their whole state. Pulping and cooking the carrots (such as in a soup) along with oil or butter can make up to 39% of the carotene available.
Rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants and minerals, carrots make up a staple of any health-oriented diet.
Grow carrots in full sun. In Florida, carrots are best suited for the cooler fall/winter growing season.
Carrots need a loose sandy loam free of rocks. Do not add fresh manure before planting. Too much nitrogen favors top growth and causes roots to become rough and highly branched. Maintain high levels of phosphorus and potassium. Plant seed 1/4” deep, 3 seeds per inch, and thin to 1-2” apart in rows 12” apart. Cover seeds with a fine, light soil, and keep soil moist.
For planting in blocks, mix seed with dry sand or fine soil, and add some radish seeds to prevent soil crusting and broadcast seeds over a prepared bed. Seeds take 5 days to germinate – longer in cool weather. After foliage is several inches high, add mulch to conserve moisture. Extreme fluctuations of soil moisture between dry and wet conditions may cause cracking of the roots. Follow a 2- to 3-year rotation to help prevent disease. Harvest: Best quality roots are no larger than 1” in diameter.
Storage: Cut off tops and do not wash the roots. Store in the refrigerator or overwinter the roots in the garden by covering with a thick, loose mulch such as straw.
Harvest in 65 days. (Introduced from France in the late 1800s.) Blocky, broad-shouldered variety with blunt tip, about 5-1/2” long and 2-1/2” at the shoulder. Deep-orange interior. Adaptable to a wide range of soils.
We offer the Chantenay Red-Core Carrot.
