Scarlett Nantes

Cultivation Break

Season Overview

Description

The carrot (Daucus carota) is a plant species in the umbellifer family (Apiaceae). There are several different subspecies. The carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus), also known as garden carrot, yellow beet, root, Swiss Rüebli, and Vorarlberg Rübli, is a cultivated form of the wild carrot (Daucus carota subsp. carota), which was probably crossed with the southern European giant carrot (Daucus carota subsp. maximus) and possibly the Oriental black carrot (Daucus carota subsp. afghanicus). The species is native to Europe, West to Central Asia, Pakistan, Macaronesia, and North Africa. It has also been introduced almost worldwide. It likes to grow in ruderal pioneer communities along paths, embankments, and quarries. In the Alps, wild carrot occurs at altitudes of up to 2500 meters. Carrots grow as biennial herbaceous plants and reach heights of 50 to 80 (rarely 150) centimeters. A thick taproot is formed. It roots up to 80 centimeters deep. The stems are simple or branched, furrowed and, like the leaves, bristly hairy and rarely bare. The elongated leaves are two to three times pinnate. The uppermost segments are linear to lanceolate. The lower leaves are stalked, while the upper ones are sessile on the leaf sheaths. The flowering period is from May to July. The inflorescence stems are 10 to 55 cm long. In the second year, a double umbel is formed. The numerous leaf-like bracts of the umbel are pinnate or, rarely, simple. The petals are white, sometimes yellow or pink. In the center of the double umbel there is often a radiantly symmetrical, black-purple flower, the "Moorish flower." The spiny, egg-shaped, dry, two-part schizocarp, a double achene, is 3-4 mm × 2 mm in size. The flowers are partly hermaphroditic and partly male. At night, the umbels hang over. Sometimes completely sexless flowers are also formed in autumn. The black color of the Moorish flower is caused by anthocyanin; it is so dark because not only the epidermis but also the inner tissues of the petal contain anthocyanin. It has also been observed that as the altitude increases, the number of umbels that develop a Moorish flower increases. Numerous butterfly caterpillars feed on the leaves, including the swallowtail, the death's-head hawk moth, and the flea beetle moth. Caution: Contact dermatitis may occur when handling the turnip. The skin irritations are a phytotoxic reaction caused by the main allergen falcarinol.

Growing tips

🌾 Sowing - Timing: ◦ Early varieties: from March ◦ Late varieties / storage carrots: April-June - Row spacing: 25-30 cm - Sowing depth: approx. 1 cm - Tip: Seeds germinate slowly. A marker seed (e.g. radish) helps to recognize the rows. 🌱 Location & soil - Sunny to semi-shady - Light, loose, deep soil - preferably sandy and humusy - No fresh manure - leads to "legginess" (branched, crooked roots) - Poor in stones 💧 Care - Keep evenly moist, but not waterlogged - Remove weeds regularly, as carrots grow weakly at first - Separate after emergence: 3-5 cm distance between the plants - Mulch with fine material 🌾 Harvest - Early carrots: from June - Storage carrots: from September/October - For storage: twist off the leaves, store in a dry and cool place (e.g. in sandboxes) 🌿 Good neighbors - Onions, leeks, garlic, chives - Lettuce, spinach - Peas, beans - Tomatoes, peppers, chili, okra, eggplant - Kohlrabi, radishes, radishes, turnips/beets, chard - Rosemary, sage, thyme, borage, basil, oregano, hyssop, lavender - Marigold, nasturtium, phacelia, cosmeas, marigolds, cornflowers - Sunflower, zinnias, mallow, columbine 🚫 Bad neighbors - Dill, fennel, parsnip, parsley, celery, coriander, chervil, caraway, aniseed - Mint, tarragon, comfrey, goldenrod - Potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke - Cabbages, turnips, rapeseed - Pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, melon 🔄 Crop rotation advice At least 3 years break between carrots and other umbellifers (dill, parsley, parsnip, celery, fennel). 🐛 Common pests - Carrot fly - Nematodes (root aphids) - Aphids - Carrot leaf flea - Slugs and snails - voles 🍂 Typical diseases - Powdery mildew - Alternaria leaf spot disease - Cercospora leaf spot disease - Bacterial soft rot - Root rot - Virus diseases (red leaf virus)

Details

Plant distance

5 cm

Row spacing

25 cm

Seeding depth

0.5 cm