Growing Non-GMO Atomic Red Carrot Vegetable Seeds
How to Grow Red Carrot from Seed
Carrot is a cool weather crop best sown directly in early spring or late fall. Like many root vegetables, carrot does not transplant well and should be directly sown. Plant 2-3 seeds ¼" deep and 1-2" apart in very loose, well-tilled, and well-drained soil in full sun. Seeds germinate in 14-21 days, thinning back to 1 plant every 2" as true leaves establish. Avoid using nitrogen-rich fertilizers which are known to cause growth abnormalities.
Red carrot seeds require care no different than other classic carrot types. Make sure that the soil is sandy and loose with few rocks in it, so that the roots can easily grow long. The soil will be best for growth if it has a pH level between 6.0-7.0. Seeds should be sown directly outside in the spring in an area with full sun.
Red Carrot in the Vegetable Garden
Carrot is a sugary sweet root vegetable second only to the beet in overall sugar content. Carrot is one of the easiest, quickest, and most satisfying garden crops and lends itself to as many savory dishes as it does sweet. Although considered a predominantly orange vegetable, the carrot is available in a wide selection of exquisite heirloom colors such as red, purple, yellow, and white. Carrots can be sown every couple weeks for successive season-long harvesting.
Its shape is like that of a classic carrot, growing six inches long with a tapered end. However, this variety is a striking deep red-orange. Each carrot is sweet and tender, and can spice up any salad or dish with its unique appearance.
Harvesting Red Carrots
Most varieties of carrot are ready for harvest about 70-80 days from sowing, while smaller varieties such as Parisian are ready a few weeks sooner. Regardless of color, carrots are usually ripe for harvest when the root begins to show above soil.
A sandy and well-tilled garden will help in harvesting, providing a loose soil to safely uproot the carrot crop without the need for tools. For more hardened soils, use a specialized hand cultivator or garden hori-hori knife.
About Red Carrot Garden Seeds
Daucus carota subsp. sativus (65-80 days) AKA: Atomic Red Carrot, Red Sky Carrot.
Red carrot color madness! This carrot is just so much fun and brings out the kid in everyone. It is red! Yep, not orange, but RED! Add the Atomic Red carrot to our Cosmic Purple carrot in a salad and the kids will think they are eating a bowl of Fruits Loops! It gets better though: the Atomic Red carrot gets its great color from healthful Lycopene.
Prior to the Dutch influence of the 16th century, the world's carrot crop had once been entirely purple, whereas orange was the mutant variable that Dutch growers sought to isolate as a separate cultivar. Orange has since become the commercial standard while many purple heirlooms are resigned to home gardens, specialty stores, and farmers" markets.
