<p>75 days. Sometimes Nantes carrots have tops that come off when they are pulled from the ground, but this one holds on! Now market growers can bunch them, kids can pull them out and all can enjoy the great flavour after peeling. The 18-20cm (7-8 in.) roots are deep orange. Very uniform and high yielding.</p><p>CULTURE: Dig or till the carrot bed deeply when the soil is on the dry side to avoid making lumps. Work the soil to a fine texture 15-25cm (6-10 in.) deep to allow the carrot roots to grow long and shapely. Avoid freshly-manured soil, which may produce hairy, rough roots and will cause forks and splits; don’t step on or near the rows; raised beds are perfect for carrots; the softer and more humus-y the soil, the better, especially for the blunt bottomed Nantes-type carrots. Sow seed thinly in rows, 1cm (1/2 in.) deep, 30-40cm (12-16 in.) between the rows as soon as the danger of hard frost has passed. Try to get about 4 seeds per 2cm (1 in.). Mixing 1g (1/4 tsp.) of seeds in 4 litres of sand or fine compost will give a medium which will sow about 10-15m (30-50 row ft.) uniformly. It is vital that the top of the soil is kept evenly moist while the seeds are sprouting; this can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks, depending on the weather. A daily light sprinkling, without allowing water to pool on the surface, and providing shade over the seed bed in sunny weather--anything to give the tiny seedlings moist, loose soil to sprout in. We used floating row covers (page 76) to keep the moisture in. Then they have to be thinned to 16-20 carrots per 30 cm (1ft.) for fresh eating and 6-10 carrots per 30 cm (1ft.) for processing or juicing, depending on the root size you want, and kept weeded and watered. As they grow, push soil up over any exposed roots to prevent a green shoulder. <br>DISEASE: Carrots are subject to various blights, but most problems can be prevented by practicing a 3-4 year rotation. Like other root crops, they follow the cole crops in the cycle. <br>INSECTS: CARROT RUST FLY is small, shiny and black. It is not a strong flier, and is most active in the garden between 4-9 pm. In southern BC, the first flies usually come out of overwintering pupae between the end of April and early May, and are present until late May; then again from early to late June. Yellow sticky traps just above the carrot tops and at each corner of the bed will tell you when they are about (more than 1 fly per trap per week). The fly lays her eggs at the base of the emerging carrot and the maggot makes unsightly tunnels through the root as it grows. Careful planning, crop rotation (after coles, before beans) and sowing, and eating frequently (so the roots are not exposed for too long), help avoid damage. Covering the bed with a floating row cover is the surest method of protection. <br><HARVEST: Best harvested when the bright orange colour shows that the flavour and texture are best. Sowing at 3-week intervals gives a continuous harvest of carrots at their prime. <br>SEEDSPEC: Minimum germination: 60%. Days to emergence: 6-21. Optimum soil temperature for germination: 7-30 deg. C (45-85 deg. F). Days to maturity: from date of direct seeding. Approx. 500 seeds/g. Usual seed life: 3 years.</p><p>The carrot is a biennial plant, producing its edible root in the first year, and if left in the ground, flowering and setting seed the next summer. Wild carrots usually have white roots but cultivated ones come in shades of orange, red, yellow, white or crimson (this one contains the pigment Lycopene which is found in tomatoes). Carrot roots contain significant amounts of sugar and carotene, the orange pigment which is converted to Vitamin A when ingested. <br>Wild carrot is found throughout Europe and the British Isles, through Asia to China. They were probably first cultivated in the Mediterranean regions, and were definately grown by the Romans. Recent breeding developments are trying to introduce resistance to the Carrot Root Fly pest.</p>
