A distinction is made between late and early carrot varieties. We give you an overview of the best varieties and give tips on colorful carrot varieties.

Carrots do not necessarily have to be orange, there is a large variety of shapes and colors

Carrots, or the shorter carrots (Daucus carota), are a must in any vegetable garden. The huge selection of varieties sometimes makes it not so easy to decide on the right one.

Types of carrots: how do you tell them apart?

The numerous carrot varieties differ in shape, taste, color and storage life. For the hobby gardener it is often particularly interesting which varieties are sown and harvested when and which carrot varieties are easy to store. In general, the growing season of carrots is classified as follows:

  • Early carrots: 70 - 90 days from seed to harvest
  • Summer carrots: 110 - 135 days from seed to harvest
  • Late carrots/carrots for storage: 170 - 220 days from seed to harvest

We also present carrot varieties that are ideal for growing in small spaces due to their growth and shape.

Tip: The terms carrot and carrot are often used synonymously, although that is not quite correct: carrots are the very short, almost radish-shaped growth forms such as the variety ' Paris Market'.

The ′Pariser Markt′ variety is a classic carrot

Best Carrot Varieties to Grow

Carrot varieties for balcony or terrace

  • 'Adelaide (F1)': Early, compact carrot plant with small roots; ideal for growing on the balcony or terrace.
  • 'Caracas': Chantenay-type variety; tiny, conical roots with a delicate flavor.
  • 'Kuroda': Early variety with intensely colored orange roots; excellent flavor and delicate in texture; recommended variety for raw vegetable salads.
  • ′Nandor F1′: Compact carrot variety with good characteristics; suitable for growing in flower pots, on the balcony and on the terrace.
  • ′Pariser Markt′: Traditional, proven carrot with spherical, red-orange roots; particularly suitable for hobby cultivationwith outstanding flavor and delicate texture.

Early ripe carrot varieties

  • ′Chantenay′: Early variety with a cylindrical shape and an intense orange colour; as the name suggests, also a variety of the Chantenay type.
  • ′Laguna F1′: quite early variety with convincingly high yields; cylindrical to slightly blunt root ends.
  • ′Nantaise 2′: Very well-known variety with cylindrical roots and excellent aroma; early ripening, but also suitable for autumn cultivation for storage.
  • ′Sugarsnax 54 F1′: Early carrot variety with high carotene content; very tender and can be eaten raw.
  • ′Totem′: Well-established, early variety with high yields; aromatic taste; strong coloring and high carotene content.
Nantaise-type carrots are cylindrical and therefore easy to process

Medium ripe carrot varieties

  • ′Atomic Red′: Long, thin carrot with pink to deep red roots; contains the tomato dye lycopene and tastes strong and crisp.
  • ′Chantenay 2′: medium-ripe variety, cylindrical-conical shaped roots with high-quality pulp; Chantenay type.
  • ′Ingot F1′: Newer variety with high yield, good quality and tolerance to carrot fly; the end of the carrot is slightly blunt and rounded.
  • ′Lunar White′: White, elongated roots with a mild flavor; probably descended directly from wild carrots.
  • ′Purple Haze F1′: Flamboyant, storable strain with a deep purple skin and orange heart; can be eaten raw with a good aroma and a very high carotene content.

You can grow your own 'Purple Haze' carrot with our Plantura vegetable growing set. In addition to the seeds of four other colorful vegetables, a mini greenhouse, substrate, growing pots and plant labels are also included. This makes cultivation child’s play!

Tip: Carrots need loose, rather sandy soil without stones and compaction. A sufficient supply of potassium increases the yield and the storage life of carrots and improves the taste. If you don't have perfect carrot soil in your garden, you can easily grow them in pots using a potting soil that is high in potassium. One such example is our Plantura Organic Tomato & Vegetable Soil.

Late ripening carrot varieties

  • ′Jaune Du Doubs/ Da Forragio′: Late, yellow variety from Italy with very good yields and strikingly large roots; the firm texture of the carrot is more for cooking thansuitable for raw consumption; also used as animal feed.
  • ′Flakker F1′: Late variety with good taste and excellent storage properties.
  • ′Long red blunt without heart 2/ Vollenda′: Popular variety with good properties; high yields and aromatic taste; very good shelf life.
  • ′Red Giants 2′: Variety with high-quality orange-red flesh; high yields; very good storage carrot.
The variety 'Purple Haze' is a special eye-catcher in the salad

Chantenay-type varieties have shorter, tapered carrots. The taste is very aromatic and the carrots do not need to be peeled due to their delicate texture and extremely thin skin.

The desired varieties have been selected and the garden prepared? Carrot growing is one of those things where many things can reduce the yield or even the beauty of the harvest. That's why we'll tell you everything you need to know about growing carrots properly.

Category:

Vegetables