CARROT
Common name: Carrot
Botanical name: Daucus carota
Family: Apiaceae (carrot family)
Aspect and soil: Sun; deep, well-drained soil
Best climate: All
Habit: Biennial, grown as an annual root vegetable
Propagation: Seed
Difficulty: Easy
Carrot growing has had a real shot in the arm in recent years, with the availability of carrots in many colours. While there’s nothing wrong with traditional orange carrots — indeed, there’s lots of good in a carrot — adding yellow, white and tones of red and purple to the carrot colour palette has turned them from ho-hum to very exciting and fashionable.
SOIL PREPARATION, CLIMATE
The best-shaped and most flavoursome carrots are harvested from deep friable soil that’s free of stones, clods and added organic matter. A deep, sandy loam produces long, straight carrots, whatever colour you plant. When preparing soil, dig it over to at least a spade’s depth as that’s the depth the roots penetrate. In very acid soils (below 5.5), dig in a little lime.
Take care, however, not to incorporate lots of organic matter such as compost or fresh manure where carrots are to grow. There is a link between excess organic matter and forking of carrots. A good option is to sow seeds in soil that was fertilised for a previous crop, such as a leafy vegetable. Alternatively, dig in an organic fertiliser other than manure several weeks before sowing seed.
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Esta historia es de la edición Backyard & Outdoor Living #48 de Outdoor Living.
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