Organic Carrot Seeds

Carrots Nantes 200 Organic Carrot Seeds £0.60 123

• Medium length carrot with smooth skin and blunt ends.
• Great colour, flavour and texture.
• Long harvest period.
  

Sowing Instructions

Sow: Very thinly (1 or 2 seeds every 2.5cm if you can) around 2cm deep from March to August directly into fine, light soil where any organic matter added previously is well rotted, to avoid roots forking.  Carrots don’t mind a bit of shade, especially in mid-Summer.  Use a cloche to protect early sowings, otherwise defer first sowing until mid-April.  Sow successionally. Carrots can also be grown successfully in a pot on the patio.  Select a container at least 30cm deep, with good drainage.

Aftercare: Carrots are traditionally thinned when seedlings are 2-3cm tall, to leave 5-8cm between plants (please refer to carrot fly tips below).   Don’t bother to feed as this will encourage more greenery above ground at the expense of the roots.  Water when dry, but not excessively.  Variations in the moisture content of the soil can cause the roots to crack.  If the tops of the carrots start to turn green due to being exposed to the sun, earth them up to avoid the roots turning bitter.

Harvest: June to October.  Carrots are deliciously tasty and tender when picked young, and Nantes ideal mature size is around 2.5cm diameter.  Watering your carrots first can make them earlier to pull, using a tug and twist technique.

Carrot Fly: is the main pesky pest to affect carrots.  They are attracted by the smell and lay their eggs close by.  The resulting little grubs then tunnel their way into delicious tender carrot roots.  Fear not, however, we’ve collected some hints to help minimise their attack!  

• Put off sowing carrots until June as carrot flies peak around mid-May.
• Try companion planting with chives, rosemary and sage which are said to deter carrot fly.
• Build barriers!  Carrot flies only operate very close to the ground so a 50-60cm fine mesh or fleece barrier should block out the scent (carrot flies are approximately 0.8-1.0 cm long).
• Thin out carrots in the evenings when a carrot fly attack is less likely!
• If you’ve managed to sow your seeds very sparsely, try to wait until your seedlings have matured into baby carrots before thinning.
• Push back the soil disturbed by thinning or harvesting carrots as this is a favourite spot for carrot flies to lay their eggs.
• Don’t leave discarded carrot foliage lying around.  

Cooking Tips

Carrots are the second most popular vegetable eaten in the UK.  They are delicious eaten raw, grated into salads and sandwiches or cut into sticks for scooping up dips.  They can be cooked in numerous ways: steamed, boiled, roasted, sautéed or added to soups, casseroles, stews and, of course, cakes.  If not using immediately, store in airtight bags in the fridge to retain moisture.