Carrot Caracas - Daucus carota

The Caracas carrot is a medium-length variety. Its root is short and conical, making it ideal for heavier soils. It is also perfect for producing young carrots in a container garden. Its orange flesh has an exceptional flavour, whether consumed fresh or stored for later. Sow from March to July and harvest from June to November.

The carrot is a biennial herbaceous plant, grown as an annual, belonging to the Apiaceae family. It is cultivated for its edible, fleshy, and generally orange-colored taproots. It is a root rich in carotene. It can generally reach a height of 30 cm (12in). The carrot is not demanding in terms of soil type. Nevertheless, the best roots will be harvested in a rich, light, and deep soil. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare the soil by deeply digging in the autumn, incorporating 2 to 3 kg of well-decomposed manure or compost. All stones should be removed during this operation. Before sowing, the soil should be well crumbled and fertilized with a basal fertilizer, then left as it is for about fifteen days. The sowing can then take place.

Harvest: during the season, harvest carrots as needed. To extract the roots from the soil, use a fork-spade, taking care not to damage the root. Injuries to the roots can cause rotting of the carrot during storage.
Yields can be estimated based on the type of cultivation and carrot. As a guideline, plan for between 1 and 1.5 kg/m² for early cultivation; about 3 kg/m² for seasonal cultivation of a half-long variety, and up to 5 kg for late cultivation of long carrots.

Storage: it can be done in the ground, at the cultivation site, but this immobilizes a space in the vegetable garden. In winter, in this case, the roots will need to be protected from frost with a good layer of dead leaves. Indoor storage is an excellent long-term solution. In a frost-free and ventilated place, cut the foliage at the collar level and place the roots next to each other on a bed of moist sand. Cover them with a 2 cm (1in) layer of sand and place the next row.

Gardener's tips: 
Sowing radishes and carrots on the same row and at the same time naturally distances the carrot seeds. Once the radishes are harvested, it will leave space for the carrots to grow. It's a winning thinning! 
Sowing carrots near a row of leeks helps protect them both from carrot flies and leek moths.