Carrots
 An easily grown vegetable and important source of vitamin A, carrots should occupy a prominent place in every home garden.Soil requirementsCarrots require a sandy loam free from lumps and stones. Obstacles such as these found in garden soil force roots into deformities and cause them to split. If manure is going to be used in the soil, it should be dug in during the fall before planting.Nutrient requirementsFresh manure should never be used, for it makes the carrots rough-skinned and soft by stimulating root branching. Organic fertilizers work best. A mixture of one part dried blood, one part phosphate rock and four parts wood ashes can be dug into the bed at the rate of seven pounds per 100 square feet. A two-inch layer of well-rotted humus may also be spread over the bed after it has been dug.
Beneficial companion plantsPlants that are benificial to carrots for both growth and insect control are peas, lettuce, chives, onions, leeks, rosemary, sage and tomatoes. For information on other vegetable companion plants see the companion planting chart.Planting CarrotsOne ounce of carrot seed will sow 100 feet. The seed planting should be relatively thick, about a half-a-dozen seeds to the inch. Later the plants should be thinned to stand about two inches apart in the row. Rows should be spaced 12 to 16 inches apart.Pregerminate seedsSeed for late sowings will come up sooner if pregerminated. If seed is spread in a thin layer between two sheets of wet blotting paper and stored in the refrigerator, white root tips will break out when seeds are ready to be planted. The damp seed may be mixed with a little dry sand to make sowing fine seeds easier.Sow new seed every three weeksTo insure a constant supply of carrots throughout the summer and for winter storage, seed should be sown every three weeks, during a waning moon, from early spring until 21/2 months before the first fall frost.Storing carrots Harvesting and Preservation: Properly stored fresh carrots keep well, retain their flavor and have a higher food value than canned ones. Carrots can be stored in cool, moist surroundings in baskets or barrels. Plug the mouth of the storage receptacle with straw.If indoor storage is not practical, bury the box in the ground and line the trench with straw, covering with a thin layer of earth.
Moon Phase PlantingIf you are gardening by moon phases Carrots should be planted when the moon is in the 3rd Quarter (i.e. waning) and in one of the following Zodiac Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Libra
Varieties of CarrotsSeveral varieties of carrot are available to growers. Early Chantenay is excellent for canning, Imperator for fresh market, and Gold Pak for processing. The Chantenay varieties are best suited to heavy clay or rocky soils because they do not grow deep. Imperator or Gold Pak will grow well in good, light, loamy soils.Burpee's Goldinheart is a popular, all-purpose carrot perfect for home gardeners. Both it and the Nantes Half Long mature in 70 days and have a delicious flavor. Oxheart (75 days) and Little Finger (65 days) are small, sweet carrots and are especially tender. The Tiny Sweet Carrot (65 days) is a miniature variety reaching a length of only three inches.
|
