Carrot Supreme - Vilmorin seeds - Daucus carota

The Supreme Carrot is a productive variety, well suited for storage. It produces large, long carrots with red flesh. This variety is resistant to cold and diseases. Sow from May to July and harvest from September to December. The carrot is appreciated for its sweet and sugary flavor as well as its multiple uses: grated, in soups, or as an accompaniment to meats and fish.

The Carrot is a biennial herbaceous plant, cultivated as an annual, belonging to the Apiaceae family (formerly Umbelliferae). This vegetable with highly divided leaves is grown for its fleshy roots. Depending on the varieties, they can be long, medium-long, or sometimes round. Carrots are generally orange in color but can also be yellow, white, or purple. Carrots, rich in carotene, can be consumed both raw and cooked. Their leaves are delicious in soups.

In the vegetable garden, sow it in a sunny or semi-shaded spot. Carrots are not demanding when it comes to soil type. However, the best roots will be harvested in a rich, light, and sandy soil. It is advisable to prepare the soil by deep digging (30 cm (12in)) in autumn, during which 2 to 3 kg of well-rotted manure or compost will be incorporated. All stones should be removed during this operation. Sowing takes place from February (under shelter) to July.

Harvest: Depending on the variety, carrots are harvested 3 to 6 months after sowing. 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 trigger carrot rot during storage. Let the roots dry on the ground and in the sun for half a day.

Storage: In regions with mild winters, carrots can be stored in the ground, in the growing area, but this ties up space in the vegetable garden. In this case, protect the roots from frost with a good layer of dead leaves. The simplest method is indoor storage. After harvesting, cut the foliage at the collar level. In a frost-free and well-ventilated place, place the roots next to each other on a bed of sand. Cover them with a 2 cm (1in) layer of sand and place the next row.

The gardener's tip: 
Two tricks to limit weed growth:

- do a false sowing: about 2 to 3 weeks before sowing, prepare the soil finely. Wait for the weed seeds present in the soil to start germinating. As soon as they appear, rake the surface in a cross pattern to eliminate these seedlings. You can then start sowing.

- sow radishes and carrots on the same row and at the same time. Once the radishes are harvested, it will leave space for the carrots to grow.