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Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

(Daucus Carota)

WHAT ARE CARROTS?

Carrots are a taproot, a type of root which grows downwards into the soil and swells. Carrots come in many sizes and shapes: round, cylindrical, fat, very small, long or thin.

Native to Afghanistan, carrots were known to both the Greeks and Romans. In fact, the Greeks called the carrot "Philtron" and used it as a love medicine--making men more ardent and women more yielding. The Roman emperor Caligula, believing these stories, forced the whole Roman Senate to eat carrots so he could see them "in rut like wild beasts."

India, China, and Japan had established carrots as a food crop by the 13th century. In Europe, however, they were not well known until well into the Middle Ages. At that time, doctors prescribed them for everything from sexual maladies to snakebite--which some would argue, are biblically connected. In Holland, the original red, purple, black, yellow, and white varietals were hybridized to today's bright orange, with its potent dose of beta carotene.

From thence, carrots moved to England, during Elizabethan times. Some Elizabethans ate the roots as food; others used their feathery stalks to decorate their hair, their hats, their dresses, and their coats.

Carrots arrived in the New World with the early colonists, but they were allowed to escape cultivation and subsequently turned into the omnipresent and delicate wild flower Queen Anne's Lace. If you doubt it, pull up a plant by the roots and surprise your nose with its carroty smell.

The folk belief that carrots enable one to see in the dark--or at least improve vision--enabled the British Royal Air Force to disguise its use of radar from the Germans during World War II. The story goes that the Air Force bragged that the great accuracy of British fighter pilots at night was a result of them being fed enormous quantities of carrots--and the Germans bought it because their folk wisdom included the same myth.

Carrots have been grown for thousands of years around the world. The purple carrot is the most common in Afghanistan, the pink in India and white and yellow carrots were the most common in Europe until just a few centuries ago.

How to Plant: Using a trowel, dig out narrow drills 2cm (3/4inch) deep and 12cm (8inches) apart. Organic carrot seed is fine - the easiest way to sow is to empty some seed from the packet into the palm of your left hand and and take small pinches of seed with your right hand fingers, dropping a couple of seeds every 2.5cm (1 inch) along the narrow drills. Sow the seed thinly to avoid too much thinning out later. Cover the seeds with fine soil very gently firming it down. Water with a fine spray if the conditions are dry. The seedlings should start to appear 15 to 20 days later.

The normal cultivation rules apply to carrots - water when the weather is dry, weed as required. Thinning out (removing some seedlings to avoid over-crowding) should begin when the seedlings are about 2.5cm (1inch) high. Thin the maincrop carrot seedlings to 20cm (8in) apart, early variety carrots to 13cm (5in) apart.

Don't feed carrots, this will only encourage the greenery at the expense of the carrot growth. If your soil is sandy it needs improvement with well-rotted compost or other humus material. The reason is that carrots like water and sandy soil does not hold water. Early carrots do better on sandy soil compared to maincrop varieties. The reason is that they have to tolerate less of the dry weather.

Thinning out the seedlings will release the scent of carrots, and attract the attentions of carrot fly. To avoid this, perform this activity in the evening when the carrot fly is not about. Ensure that any soil disturbed by the thinning process is firmed back down with your hand - carrot fly lay their eggs in loose soil around the carrot seedlings.

Harvesting Carrots:

When the foliage begins to wilt and shrivel up, the carrots have reached maturity. Use a fork to get the roots up, driving it in a few inches to one side of the row, using it as lever to loosen the roots' grip on the soil. The carrots can then be removed by hand. If the weather is particularly dry, water the previous evening to avoid damage to the carrots.

Carrots harvested before maturity will be tender and more tasty than those left in the ground longer - pull a few up and experiment to see what suits you.

Heirloom carrots can be used in all of your carrot recipes. Roast carrots with meat, sauté, or enjoy raw in a salad or a juice. Decorate your meal with a bouquet of edible colour! The foliage of early-harvest carrots can be eaten too!

The truth about heirloom carrots

While all heirloom carrots are tasty, their flavours and nutrients vary. Purple carrots contain antioxidants much like blueberries. Carrots contain Vitamin A, trace nutrients and fiber. If you are having a hard time getting your children to eat their vegetables, a purple or white carrot just might do the trick.

How to plant and grow heirloom carrots

Growing organic carrots is very simple and is an excellent project for the beginning gardener. Because carrots are a root, and are grown underground, they are very sturdy and need little attention. You can choose to plant from seed or seed pellet, both available at your local nursery.

The most important element of a bountiful carrot crop is healthy soil. Carrots require a light soil. Add very well processed compost to your soil and dig it in deep. Add bone meal to loosen soil. Check the soil for consistency in texture. Un-decomposed matter or rocks will alter the shape of your carrots. The soil should be loose and rich.

Carrots can be planted throughout the year. Check your gardening zone for local carrot planting times for your particular climate. However, if planted throughout the year, carrots can also be harvested throughout the year, and can be stored for up to three months. If you time it right, you can have carrots year-round!

Choose the right carrot variety before you plant

There are two main varieties of carrots: early harvest and main crop. Early harvest carrots can be harvested before reaching full maturity. They are tastier and sweeter and more expensive in the market. These carrots are usually harvested in May. Early harvest carrots prefer full sun while main crop carrots need light shade in the summer.

When planting your carrot seeds dig a long trench, about one inch deep. Plant the seeds about one inch apart. Even though the seeds are tiny, avoid planting too many as you will have more thinning work to do later.

How to keep your carrots healthy

A common enemy of the carrot is the Carrot Rust Fly. This fly lays its eggs in carrot plants and the larvae eat through the carrots themselves, causing them to rot. The carrot fly also attacks similar plants like parsnips and beets. You may be able to tell that your plants are under attack if the foliage reddens or wilts. There are not always obvious signs that Carrot Flies have infested.

There are several ways to prevent the Carrot Fly from ruining your plot. If you avoid planting your carrots during the period when the fly lays its eggs, you may have nothing to worry about.

Carrot flies are attracted to the smell of carrots. When harvesting or thinning your carrots, do so on a still evening. The flies are dormant in the evening and the lack of wind will prevent the smell of carrots from spreading. A thin net spread over your carrot rows will prevent the female flies from laying eggs in your carrots and a high wind area is unappealing to the flies as they are not strong fliers.

Carrots and Winter

To prevent fungus from infecting your carrot crops, be sure to remove old carrots every year. Pull all carrots by late October, carrots left in the ground through the winter are likely to attract disease which will remain in the soil through next season. If your soil is infected, try solarizing it. This is a process in which a plastic sheet (though, be selective as to what type of plastic you use. Any PVC plastics should be avoided as plasticizers are added which leak into the soil.) is placed over bare soil for several weeks effectively burning off diseases and pests.

If your crops appear to be affected by rust, remove affected foliage (those leafs spotted with orange). You may have to remove some plants in order to increase air circulation. Also, avoid adding nitrogen to your garden in any form, as these encourage rust growth.

Carrots are a staple around the world. Cuddled by the soil, they are cared for by the earth and encouraged by their organic gardener. Heirloom carrots provide a fun variation on old traditions and organic heirloom carrots are just that much tastier, easier and healthier for you and everybody.