Carrots and other root crops are known for being tricky customers. They have the tendency to fork in soils that are stony, shallow or uncultivated and they are constantly under attack from pests. In the case of carrots, they are particularly vulnerable to the ever mysterious and stealth-like Carrot fly.
Despite their flaws they are undoubtedly one of the best vegetables to grow at home or at the allotment. A fresh, crunchy carrot is a joy to eat and the home grown ones always taste infinitely more carroty and delicious. Kids love them, which makes it all the more worthwhile and they are versatile in the kitchen, used in soups, as boiled vegetables, grated in salads or even juiced or pureed.
For those of you that have poor or stony ground, may lack the space needed for conventional roots or lack a garden altogether then Carrot Paris Market Atlas may just be the right Carrot for you. As a globe type root this beautiful orange, golfball-like delight doesn’t require deep soil to grow. It can also be grown very well in containers, which being raised up will also help to prevent carrot fly problems.
To sow in rows simply create a drill in cultivated soil or compost about 1 cm deep, leaving 30-35cm between the rows. Cover rows with a light covering of soil and water well. Alternatively, you can broadcast sow seeds in to a particular area or container. This will allow you to harvest baby carrots when thinning and your main crop later on.
Thin out when seedlings are 10-15cm long, or when you can see that competition is getting too great, leaving 2-3cm between plants, depending on how large you want your root to be. By thinning at night you can reduce the effects of Carrot fly as they are not active at this time.
