Carrot Cosmic Purple 700 Vegetable Seeds

Packet Content (approx.): 700 (0.9g)

 Cosmic Purple carrots have been around for a long time. As far as researchers can document, they originated in the Middle East sometime in the 900s. Now that is an heirloom carrot!

 Cosmic Purple is a Danvers type carrot that reaches about 6-7" in length. It's buttery yellow flesh is sweet and crisp.

This yellow carrot is a real stand out at farmers markets or your salad bowl.

Don't forget the Xanthophylls that give these carrots their yellow colour is reported to be associated with good eye health.

Sowing: 

Sow successionally March-July
Carrot seeds are small, but it’s wise to plant them as thinly as possible. This reduces the amount of thinning necessary and potential risk from pests. Mix the seeds with a handful of sharp sand and sow the seeds and sand together. Sand will also aid drainage. Sow seed 1.8cm (¾") deep in drills 23-30cm (9-12") apart. Thin seedlings when the first rough leaves appear, repeating as necessary until plants are 5-7.5cm (2-3") apart. Row 6m (20') or more. Sow thinly to minimise thinning (which can attract Carrot Root Fly). Avoid crushing the leaves as the scent attracts carrot root fly.
 

·         Start outdoor sowings from early March choosing a warm and well-drained position. For maincrop, sow April-July.

Aftercare: 
Carrot seeds hate drying out and germinate slowly (14 to 21 days) so if you’re sowing seed in summer, a good way to keep them moist is to lay wet newspaper on top of the damp soil. Once the seedlings are showing their first rough leaves, thin out to 10cm apart which minimises competition and enables the carrots to grow quickly to harvest size. The plants need little other attention during their growth period, although the plants should be kept well watered – too little water results in coarse, woody roots.

Surround the carrot bed with a barrier of fleece at least 60cm high to keep low flying carrot root fly from your crop.

Harvesting: June-October.

Start pulling up your carrots as soon as they are big enough to eat. It’s best to harvest them in the evening to avoid attracting carrot fly. Late-sown carrots must be lifted by October to be stored over the winter. Remember that winter carrots take a little longer to mature than summer carrots.

Suitable for the vegetable garden, allotments and containers.

Be prepared to water well and supplement feed with high-potash feed during season. Regular feeding is recommended.