The Carrot Tops Allotment Blog!

Sowing carrots (Early Nantes 5) is easy, although, that’s not to say that I haven’t had my seasons of heartbreak when I dig up misshapen and stumpy carrots.

I’m sowing Early Nantes 5 – a very reliable, good ‘finger’ variety of carrot and I’m hoping to see some progress within 14 to 20 days – providing the frost doesn’t kill off any seedlings that poke through.

History of Early Nantes 5

Believe it or not, Nantes carrots date back as far as the 18th century and we have the French to thank for the modern variety of carrot that we see today. Specifically, Louis de Vilmorin, who published “The Vegetable Garden” in 1858, pioneered the breeding of different varieties and first came up with the Early Half-long Scarlet Nantes Carrot. Since then, various hybrids have been produced to suit different conditions and climates.  As a result, there are around 40 different carrot types that fall under the Nantes name.

I first dug over and weeded the bed where I wanted to sow the carrots and tried my best to throw aside any large stones or anything that could get in the way of growth.

I then set out a string line and created drills that were around 1.5cm deep. I made sure that the rows were 30cm apart.

I then covered the seedlings and gave them a water. I created five drills, so that I can use for carrots and two for some spring onions. Sowing onions in with the carrots will reduce the risk of pests and carrot fly.  Because there is a risk of frost, I’ll probably have to purchase some cloche to keep the seedlings protected from the cold conditions.