Nantes Carrot (Heirloom, 72 Days)

French 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

Daucus carota

Germination: 6-14 days

Germination Temperature: Optimum soil temperatures 60-85ºF. The cooler the soil the longer it takes for germination, up to 3 weeks.

Seed Sowing Depth: 1/4” deep

Sowing Outdoors: Start 3 weeks before last frost into mid-summer. Sow lightly, thin to 1-3” apart. The larger the carrot variety the more space needed between them. The soil moisture should be maintained regularly until germination, letting soil dry out during this period may result in lower germination.

How much does a packet plant: 10-12 foot row

Harvest: Start when carrots reach finger size for baby carrots. Carrots planted for summer harvest will hold in the ground for a few weeks but tend to split if they stay in the ground too long. Late season carrots hold longer and become sweeter in the cooler weather.

Tips: Using a row cover helps to maintain moisture for germination. Carrots prefer a loose soil, free of rubble. Use the shorter varieties for heavy soils. Keep well weeded and cover any exposed carrot with soil or mulch to prevent greening. An excess of nitrogen in the soil cause the roots to become hairy.