McKenzie's This Month

Each month we feature a fruit or vegetable and explain how to grow it, harvest it and give you a couple of our favorite recipes to use. Be sure and come back each month to see what's new in the garden!

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Carrots

How To Grow

Direct seed into the garden as soon as the soil can be prepared in the spring. Carrots require plenty of steady moisture to germinate and grow well and are not tolerant of drought. However, avoid too much moisture towards the end of the season as this will cause the core to grow rapidly and roots to crack. After plants are established, apply mulch to conserve moisture and prevent sunlight from turning tops green. Make successive plantings every 2-3 weeks.

Varieties

Red-Cored Chantenay and Short and Sweet are better suited for heavy soils.
Nantes Half-long and Danvers Half Long average 6-1/2 to 7-inches long, heavy yields and good storage capabilities.
Thumbelina is a round, sweet carrot also good for heavy soils.

Location

Full sun is best but can tolerate some shade. Soil should be deep, loose, well-drained with a pH range of 6.0 to 6.8 Stoney or rough soil will cause misshapen or stumpy roots. Cover the seed with vermiculite, fine compost or fine soil. After the seedlings have emerged, thin them to one inch apart. When the tops of the carrots grow thicker, thin them to about two to three inches apart.

Fertilizer

Carrots are generally light feeders but do require large amounts of plant nutrient elements, particularly potassium. The addition of lime and kelp to the soil will make sweeter carrots. Excessive nitrogen may cause forked roots.

Pests and Disease

The carrot rust fly maggots will feed on the root of carrots causing them to be dwarfed or drooping, discolored foliage. Control includes applying parasitic nematodes, covering plants with row covers, harvesting early, rotation of crops, and destruction of wild hosts (Queen Anne's Lace, wild parsnips, etc.).
Leafhoppers will such sap from leaves causing wilting. Again control with row covers, or spray with insecticidal soap or pyrethrin.
Wireworms will chew on roots causing wilting. Control by applying parasitic nematodes, keeping soil well watered, and cultivating soil deeply especially in the fall to prevent overwintering.
Weevils are white, legless larva with a brown head that feed at night on plants. they can defoliate, chew plant off at soil level or tunnel into root. Tunnels will be larger than what is seen with the carrot rust fly. control by using row covers, applying parasitic nematodes to soil and rotation of crops.

Harvest

Harvesting when carrots are still small will provide a sweeter crop. Store carrots in the dark at about 35 degrees F and 95 percent relative humidity. Light will cause the top part of the carrot to turn green. Higher temperatures will hasten deterioration of the roots, and lower relative humidity will cause them to shrivel. If you only have a few, remove the tops and keep them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. If you have many, remove the tops and bury the roots in sand in the basement. Keep the sand moist with periodic sprinkling. You can leave them in the ground all winter. When the soil freezes, mulch around the carrots. Harvest the roots as soon as the ground thaws.

Favorite Recipes

Creamy Dilled Carrots

4 cups carrots thinly sliced	3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter or margarine	1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar	Pinch of white pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour	1/2 cup light cream
2 teaspoons dried or fresh dill

Combine carrots, water, butter, salt, sugar, and pepper in a saucepan. Cover and simmer until carrots are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain liquid into a smallsaucepan; set carrots aside and keep warm.
Bring liquid to a boil. In a small bowl, combine flour and cream until smooth; slowly add to liquid, stirring constantly. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over carrots and stir in dill. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Carrot Soup

5 or 6 white potatoes sliced	7 large carrots sliced
1 large onion sliced	1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup ham cut in pieces	1 tablespoon salt
Pinch of pepper	1 quart cream or 2% milk
Chopped chives for garnish

Cook potatoes, carrots, onion, and ham in chicken stock until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add milk. Garnish with chopped chives.

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Month of August Feature=Spinach

Monthly Feature Archives

Basil	Beets
Bell peppers	Broccoli
Cabbage	Corn
Cucumbers	Eggplant
Garlic	Lettuce
Garden Peas	Pumpkins
Radishes	Strawberries
Tomatoes

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