Carrot Flakkee 2

Description

Winter carrot Flakkee 2 is the best-grown, most popular, and most well-known winter carrot variety available. Harvested after about 100 – 120 days. Very good, delicious, winter carrot that can be stored very well.

The carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot. The most commonly eaten part of the plant is the taproot, although the stems and leaves are also eaten. The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its enlarged, palatable, less woody-textured taproot.

The carrot is a biennial plant in the umbellifer family, Apiaceae. At first, it grows a rosette of leaves while building up the enlarged taproot. Fast-growing cultivars mature within three months (90 days) of sowing the seed, while slower-maturing cultivars need a month longer (120 days). The roots contain high quantities of alpha- and beta-carotene and are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin B6. In the first year, its rosette of leaves produces large amounts of sugars, which are stored in the taproot to provide energy for the plant to flower in the second year. Most of the taproot consists of a pulpy outer cortex (phloem) and an inner core (xylem). High-quality carrots have a large proportion of cortex compared to core. Although a completely xylem-free carrot is not possible, some cultivars have small and deeply pigmented cores; the taproot can appear to lack a core when the color of the cortex and core are similar in intensity. Taproots are typically long and conical, although cylindrical and nearly-spherical cultivars are available. The root diameter can range from 1 cm (3⁄8 in) to as much as 10 cm (4 in) at the widest part. The root length ranges from 5 to 50 cm (2 to 20 in), although most are between 10 and 25 cm (4 and 10 in). Seeds vary somewhat in size, ranging from less than 500 to more than 1000 seeds per gram. Carrots are grown from seed and can take up to four months (120 days) to mature, but most cultivars mature within 70 to 80 days under the right conditions. They grow best in full sun but tolerate some shade. The optimum temperature is 16 to 21 °C (61 to 70 °F). The ideal soil is deep, loose, and well-drained, sandy or loamy, with a Ph of 6.3 to 6.8.

Fertilizers should be applied according to soil type because the crop requires low levels of nitrogen, moderate phosphate, and high potash. Rich or rocky soils should be avoided, as these will cause the roots to become hairy and/or misshapen. Irrigation is applied when needed to keep the soil moist. After sprouting, the crop is eventually thinned to a spacing of 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) and weeded to prevent competition beneath the soil. Carrots can be stored for several months in the refrigerator or over winter in a moist, cool place. For long-term storage, unwashed carrots can be placed in a bucket between layers of sand, a 50/50 mix of sand and wood shavings, or in soil. A temperature range of 0 to 4 °C (32 to 40 °F) and 98% humidity is best.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot

Direct sow into light well-drained soil. Sow very thinly approx 10mm deep in drills 30cm apart. Water only to keep the soil moist, excessive water encourages leaf, not root growth. Germination takes 15- 23 days. The first thinning should be 1″ to 2″ apart. Later on, thin as desired depending on the variety. Carrots are at their sweetest when small, so harvest by gently pulling them out while holding the base of the greens.