Carrot Nantes 2 Frubund - Daucus carota

The Nantes 2 - Frubund carrot is the ideal variety for autumn sowing that produce spring harvests. It has good cold resistance. The root is orange, with a sweet and crunchy flavour. Sow from February to October and harvest from April to November.

The carrot is a biennial herbaceous plant, grown as an annual, from the Apiaceae family. It is cultivated as a vegetable for its typically orange, fleshy, edible, taproot. It is a root rich in carotene. It can generally reach a height of 30 cm (12 inches).

The Carrot is not demanding on the type of soil. However, the best roots will be harvested in a rich, light, and deep soil. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare the soil well by deep digging in autumn, during which 2 to 3 kg of well-decomposed manure or compost will be incorporated. All stones will be removed during this operation. Before sowing, the soil will be well crumbled and fertilized with a basal fertilizer, then left as it is for about fifteen days. Sowing can then take place.

Harvest: during the harvesting season, harvest the carrots as needed. To extract the roots from the soil, use a garden fork, taking care not to damage the root. Injuries to the roots can trigger rotting of the carrot during storage. Yield estimates can be made based on the type of cultivation and carrot. As an indication, plan for between 1 and 1.5 kg/m² for early cultivation; around 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 takes up gardening space. In winter, in this case, protect the roots from frost with a good layer of dead leaves. Indoor storage is an excellent long-term solution. In a frost-free and well-ventilated place, cut the foliage at the collar 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.

Gardening tips:
Sowing radishes and carrots on the same row and at the same time naturally distances the carrot seeds. Once the radish harvest is done, it leaves space for the carrots to grow. It's a win-win thinning technique!
Sowing carrots near a row of leeks helps protect them both from carrot flies and leek moths.