Growing carrots from seed is amazingly easy and fun. With no need for transplanting or starting the seeds indoors, it really takes the burden out of planting them.

Nut free option: Omit almonds in the recipe for a nut free option. You can substitute with pepitas. Growing a kaleidoscope of carrots is also a great way to engage children in the garden. Kids love to plant the seeds, water the seedlings, and harvest the roots. Who knows, they may even eat their vegetables! Purple Haze (73 days)– Purple Haze is an All-America Selections winning carrot popular for its very sweet roots. The roots are long and slender, reaching lengths up to 10” and the skin is vibrant purple with hints of the orange interior. When sliced into carrot ‘coins’, the eye-catching dual color of Purple Haze is revealed.

I also recommend amending your soil with compost or worm castings, and then mixing in an organic fertilizer. Carrot seeds are easy to plant, so there’s no need to get anxious. But if you want everything to go smoothly, it is best to have all of your supplies ready first. Wild carrot and its relatives were repeatedly mentioned throughout history by many different names. Throughout the Dark and Medieval Ages, carrots and parsnips ( Pastinaca sativa; a similar-looking root crop that looks like a white carrot) were important starchy staples for the European diet. The Cultivation of Carrots Carrots were not originally orange, but many colors such as purple and yellow.

Suttons strives to ensure that all its plants are delivered to you in the perfect condition for planting. While the majority of our nursery plants cope well with slight delays in intransit, sadly, the time it takes to deliver to certain locations in the UK means that we can't guarantee this for some of our smaller plug products and tender bedding and vegetable lines, which do not respond well to the extra journey time. So regretfully while we offer the majority of our live plant offering nationwide, we are unable to ship plugs, begging plants and tender vegetable plants to the following areas: HS, IV41-IV49, IV51, IV55-56, KW15-KW17, PA34, PA41-48, PA60-PA78, PA80, PH40-PH44, TR21-TR24, ZE1-ZE3. Combining roasted heirloom carrots and pearl couscous, this is a lighter roast carrot side dish compared to roast potatoes or pumpkin for roast lamb. Purple Elite (75 days)– Unlike other purple carrot varieties which have purple or orange interiors, the inside color of Purple Elite is bright golden yellow. It’s a great variety to plant in spring as the bolt-resistant roots can persist in the garden longer than other varieties. The roots grow up to 9” long. To grow long, straight roots, prepare the soil to a fine tilth, removing stones and breaking up clumps. Water before sowing, and do so directly and thinly by mixing with sharp sand gently sprinkled into a trench 1.5cms deep. Spread your sowing over six weeks or so for a long and bountiful harvest without the glut.The first evidence of carrot cultivation was on the Iranian plateau in Persia in the 10th century. Carrots that were domesticated in central Asia were actually purple, yellow, and white – not orange. The wild carrot itself has a white, forked taproot. These rainbow carrots will be show stoppers at your table! Suttons have put together a fascinating blend of carrot colours to brighten up meal times and get the kids to eat their veg! 90 days from sowing to harvest (taken from our own trials and may vary in different areas). Carrots germinate slowly and need a consistent moist soil to sprout. The top of the soil should not be allowed to get dry, it is true with most veg not just carrots, until the carrot seeds have germinated. Carrots can be slow to come up, but don't be afraid it should be about 3 weeks the most until you see the seedlings. The rule of thumb with watering carrots when they are young is to use less water yet water frequently. Ideally, the soil around them should be watered lightly twice a day, morning and evening. Malbec (70 days)– Malbec is a beautiful, early maturing red carrot with blush-colored roots that are often purply towards the tops. This is a vigorous variety with roots that grow up to 10” long and strong, tall tops. The flavor is crisp and sweet.

A delightful blend of five different colored carrots all suitable for growth as gourmet baby veggies or full-sized mature roots, our Rainbow Carrot Blend is a treat for every garden. Plant a nice big patch of these beauties and have fun at harvest time discovering the colors you have grown. White or cream coloured carrots – have a milder flavour and are less earthy than the others. They are also considered to be sweeter. Before I share my favorite rainbow carrot varieties, I want to point out that there is actually a carrot called Rainbow. It’s not a mixture of colored varieties but is a hybrid that produces different colored roots. The roots of Rainbow vary in color from orange to gold to pale yellow to white. The benefit of growing this variety is that you get a color range, but you also have the roots mature uniformly at the same time. The downside is that you don’t get red or purple roots from this hybrid. Planting in a place where the carrots will get at least 8 hours sun is best, however because they are a root vegetable, they can also do well in slightly shady spots too.Flavour/Texture: I love the texture of roasted rainbow carrots as they are super tender but still retain a slight crunchy/chewy bite. It’s not mushy like boiled carrots! Together with the fluffy pearl couscous, it’s a great combination. If you’re thinking you can chop up a carrot and produce several carrot plants, you’re going to be disappointed as well. You can, however, grow a new carrot plant if the carrot you’ve bought still has it’s top! If given the right conditions, a carrot root top may actually grow and produce leafy topgrowth and flowers. The flowers will potentially set seed and you could technically harvest the seed and plant them in your own garden to produce multiple carrots. You will need to thin the seedlings so that the plants are 2 to 3 inches apart in the row after germination. Germination can take up to 3 weeks. Some growers will plant rows closer together in a bed system, and there are many special seeders for the home or market gardener sold today specifically for carrot production. When to Plant Carrots As carrots prefer cooler weather, they can be planted in either spring or fall. Purple Sun (78 days)– If you’re looking for a purple carrot with dark purple color all the way through, plant Purple Sun. The roots are 8 to 10” long, smooth, and tapered. The plants have strong, vigorous tops and this variety is bolt tolerant, holding its quality for a long period in the garden. Now place the roasted rainbow carrots into the mixing bowl and dress with remaining honey Dijon dressing. Mix and then tumble on top of the pearl couscous and red onion mixture.