Different Types of Carrots

I'm coming to the end of last season's crop of carrots, so it must be time to start thinking about planting this year's crop.  Carrots have a reputation for being persnickety about where and how they will grow.  I've found that, with just a little extra attention to detail, I can plan for a bountiful, healthy crop of crisp, tasty roots to snack on over the winter months when good fresh vegetables are hard to come by in North Dakota.  The key is starting with the right type of carrot for the soil conditions in which they will need to grow.

Carrot are generally classified into six types:  Imperator; Danvers; Nantes; Chantenay; Amsterdam; and Paris Market. 

Imperator carrots are about 10 inches long, slender, and tapered.  They do their best in sandy loam and can become quite large in the right growing conditions.  They generally aren't very happy in heavier soil.  These are the type most often found for sale in grocery stores.   They have good flavor and a slightly fibrous texture.  Commercial growers like them because they store well, extending their carrot crop for longer periods of time.  Most carrots are orange, but one variety of Imperator carrots, "Purple Haze" has a beautiful deep purple outside, with a brilliant orange inner flesh.  Unfortunately, once cooked, the entire carrot is orange just like every other carrot.  On a fresh vegie plate, I like to cut them horizontally in circles, so it shows their unusual coloring to the best advantage.  "Imperator 58", "Yellowstone" and "Sugarsnax" are three other common varieties of Imperator carrots.

Danvers are slender, and shorter than Imperators, usually growing to about seven inches long.  They are wider at the top of the root, rather than straight up and down.  Danvers are orange and have a lighter, almost yellow core through the center of the root.  These carrots can and freeze well so are often grown for processing.  These are also the preferred carrots for dedicated juicers.  I like to just eat them fresh, as they are very tasty.  While they prefer a deep, sandy loam like most other root vegetables, Danvers will adapt and do very well in heavier soils, as long as the soil isn't rocky or full of clods.  "Danvers", "Danvers Half Long", "Danvers 126" and "Healthmaster" are all varieties of Danvers carrots.

Nantes are blockier, more like a cylinder than a taper, and grow to about five to seven inches long.   Nantes may be one of the easier carrots to grow, but they do need loose, sandy soil, or soil that is well-amended with lots of organic matter.  They do not, however, like fresh manure and will provide some entertaining shapes and wimpy carrots if planted in manure or compost that is not well-rotted.   Nantes are probably the sweetest of the carrot types, and have a nice crisp texture.  Unfortunately, they don't store well.  Common varieties of Nantes type carrots are "Early Nantes", "Scarlet Nantes", "Nelson Hybrid", "Sweetness Hybrid", and "Mokum". 

Chantenay are shorter, growing to about five inches long, and are cone shaped, wider at the top than the bottom of the root.  Chantenays have been known to develop a girth of three to four inches at their widest point.  Chantenays have a rich, very sweet flavor like Nantes, but have an advantage in that they store quite well.  Chantenays will generally do quite well in heavier clay soil, as long as there is high organic matter content.   "Red Core", "Kurota", and "Carson Hybrid" are all varieties of Chantenay type carrots.  Chantenays are suited for late season cropping and will tolerate a fairly hard frost.  In fact, carrots will usually develop their highest sugar content after a good chilling.

Amsterdam are "baby" carrots, growing short and slender, to about three inches long.   Generally, the shorter the carrot type, the more easily they will adapt to heavier soil, so Amsterdams are good choices for less than ideal soil conditions.  They mature earlier, so they are a good crop for summer harvesting.  "Amsterdam Forcing" and "Amsterdam 2 Maxi" are two varieties of Amsterdam type.

Paris Market or "Parisian" types are French heirloom varieties that grow round, rather than long, reaching about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Since they don't develop deep roots, they are the most tolerant of heavy, rocky, poor quality soils.  "Oxheart" and "Atlas" are two other varieties that don't develop deep roots and adapt well to poor soils.

Starting with the right type of carrots is the first step in growing a successful crop of sweet, crisp, crunchy, and vitamin packed carrots.  In the next blog installment, I'll talk about how to plant, tend, and harvest the carrot crop.