NANTES CARROT (72 days heirloom)

Germ 6-14 days
FRENCH CARROT / Heirloom 1850’s
Roots are 1 1/2” x 6”. Color is reddish. A blunt ended, crisp carrot with a delectable flavor. Introduced into the US by the French company Vilmorin in the 1870’s. Names like Carentan and Touchon represent slightly different strains of Nantes favored in the area of these French towns. 300 seeds

PLANTING:

Outdoors- Early spring, a few weeks before last frost until mid summer. Sow lightly, 1/4” deep, with soil temperature 50-80 degrees. The cooler the soil the longer it takes for germination, up to 3 weeks. The soil moisture should be maintained regularly until germination. Thin to 1-3” apart.

Harvest– Start when carrots reach finger size for baby carrots or when they turn to a bright orange. Late season carrots hold longer and become sweeter in the cooler weather.

Tips- Use a row cover helps to maintain moisture for germination. Carrots prefer a loose soil, free of rubble. If your soil is heavy with clay, use the shorter varieties. Keep well weeded and cover any exposed carrot with soil to prevent greening.