I am really getting into this year round gardening concept and producing as much food as possible in 2013. One of the things I never had enough of last season was carrots and we love them. So my goal is to become an excellent carrot producer and I started with research, which is quite a natural thing for a librarian to do. Several articles kept giving me the types of carrots, but not what they are best used for so I dug deeper (pun intended) until I found the types and recommended uses for each type. BINGO! That is what I need to know to decide which varieties of seeds to purchase.
Seeds of Change gives the following recommendations:
Fresh eating: Nates or Chantenay type carrots.
Cooking, soups or stew: Danvers type
Storage: Scarlet Keeper or Red Core Chantenay
Commercial: not as sweet as others: Imperator types
Last September I found a package of ‘Meridia’ carrot seeds, a Nates type carrot, from Territorial Seeds that claim to be a type to winter over then continue to grow in the spring. As you can see in the photo below, they are looking promising. I think they need thinning but look very healthy.
Planted in September 2012
Next post I will share some cultural information I have gathered. I think I missed a few of the steps for success in 2012 
Comments on: "2013: The Year of the Carrot" (2)
Here in Raleigh, NC you can grow them just about all winter!
I am trying that here in western WA. Wish me luck!