Collection: Carrot Seeds (Heirloom)

Growing the best heirloom carrots

Heirloom carrots are a typical garden staple, primarily linked with springtime meals. Sweet and delicate home-grown heirloom carrots that cannot be obtained in supermarkets are among the best culinary pleasures for a home gardener. Heirloom carrots are high in beta carotene, fiber, potassium, and antioxidants, in addition to their wonderful flavor. They were grown as medicine thousands of years ago for a variety of diseases and are thought to promote eye health, digestive health, and cardiovascular health.

How to plant heirloom carrot seeds

Because the shape of the root determines so much of the visual appeal of this vegetable, use well-draining, loose soil to help your heirloom carrots grow tall and straight. Deep, loose soil is ideal for slender heirloom carrot cultivars like Eden Brothers' Scarlet Nantes Carrot Seeds and Imperator 58 Carrot Seeds. Heirloom Danvers 126 Carrot Seeds and Heirloom Chantenay Red Cored Carrot Seeds are two blocky varieties that can endure heavy or shallow soil.

Sow your heirloom carrot seeds outside three to five weeks before the last spring frost for summer harvesting. Sow seeds in mid- to late-summer, about ten weeks before your first fall frost, for fall harvesting. Rather than starting seeds indoors and transplanting them, it is advisable to sow seeds directly into the soil. Heirloom carrots enjoy full sun, but will grow in partial shade if necessary.

Plant the seeds 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep and two inches apart. Apply a layer of fine compost on the top of the soil. Water the soil frequently but shallowly to keep it hydrated. Heirloom carrots need at least one inch of water to get started, and two inches as the roots grow. Mulch around the plant's base to keep moisture in, speed up germination, and keep sunlight from hitting the roots directly.

How to harvest heirloom carrots

It takes two to three weeks for heirloom carrots to show signs of growth. Heirloom carrots are ready to harvest when they are about 1/2 inch in diameter. Pull gently from the leafy top and enjoy! If you don't pick your heirloom carrots and leave them in the ground, the tops will flower the next year and develop seeds.

For more information about planting, growing, and caring for heirloom carrot seed, see the Carrot Seeds Planting Guide.