Carrots

Botanical Name of Carrots

Daucus carrota is the botanical name for the common carrot.

Growing Carrots

The tiny seeds of carrots can be sown near the surface of the soil.
You can loosen the soil up with a fork, so that the carrots can easily push down into the soil, before you plant.
It is often better to have dampened the soil before you put the seeds in. If the soil is very dry, the water will tend to move the soil, and the seeds will come to the surface.
You need to make little drills no deeper that 2cm if you plant carrots on their own. Once you have added the seed, pat down well and give a light sprinkle of water.
Carrot seeds can be mixed with radish seeds and soil, then planted together. Radish is quick growing and when the radish is ready to be picked, the carrots seedlings will be standing up strong and ready, having enjoyed protection of the radish, to really push into the soil.
Generally the seedlings will come up in bunches and be very close to each other. You need to thin the Carrot seedlings out by removing a few of them, so that they are not too close to each other. This happens in stages every few weeks. After 6- 8 weeks, you will be getting baby carrots, which are a treat to eat. If you neglect to do the thinning, the carrot roots will twist around each other, and not produce well. You will have a lot of top growth and minimal root development.

Carrot’s Companions and Antagonists

The best companions for carrots are numerous and include chives, dill, flax, lettuce, leek and onion. It is best to plant your carrots away from cabbage, fennel, kohlrabi and potato.

Carrots nutritional value

Carrots contain Vitamin A and C and give skin a healthy glow.

Cooking with Carrots

Carrots are versatile cooking ingredients. They can be used in soups, stew, and cakes. Juiced or raw, their bright orange bodies, crispy and sweet are a pleasure to eat. Carrots provide a healthy fresh in-between snack. The leaves of daucus can also be used in small amount as a soup green or in a stew.

Carrot salad
1 bunch of carrots
1 large mango or the juice of 2-3 oranges
Cumin or fennel seeds
Grate up the whole bunch of carrots. If using mango, peel and grate and add. If using orange, squeeze the juice out of them and add to the carrots. Crush a few cumin or fennel seeds and add. This makes a delicious salad with any meal.

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