First year growing carrots

[PhilaGardener]

Really pretty!

Found an interesting summary of carrot history at http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/history.html
Sounds like purples were quite common a long time ago.

[NarnianGarden]

Yes, it was those (in)famous Dutch again, who made the orange carrot a dominating one...

[BigVanVader]

I'm going to try using a big wooden shipping crate as a raised carrot bed this year. That way I can cover it and move it if needed. Plus I want to try a 90% sand mix. The lady at my market with the best looking carrots grows in raised beds with screened topsoil.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

I'm going to try using a big wooden shipping crate as a raised carrot bed this year. That way I can cover it and move it if needed. Plus I want to try a 90% sand mix. The lady at my market with the best looking carrots grows in raised beds with screened topsoil.

90% sand ? I've got the sand

The soil around here is about 90% sand.
I suppose it never gets hard. With high water table the ground below is always moist.
I am getting some carrot seeds tomorrow.

[imp]

I decided to try some carrots in a grow bag this year, after seeing and reading about Salt's posts on how well the carrots did in the pots. That way, I can make sure the medium is soft and loose.

[AlittleSalt]

It makes me want to grow some carrots too. adashofpepper's buckets of carrots are sitting about maybe 100 feet from our garden. The ones I planted in ground have seen temperatures around 10F. He takes his in when it gets too cold. His have real carrot leaves. Mine looks like dirt.

[NarnianGarden]

There's one grocery chain here that sells multi-color carrots, yes, including the violet ones (orange core though) They all have an unique-ish taste, violet/purple ones are more pronounced in flavor than the pale ones.

[NarnianGarden]

Gotta love the cashiers.. once a guy saw me with a bag of these variety color carrots, and he stared at the yellow/white ones.. 'Are those unripe?' I assured him they were all fine and ready to be consumed he had never seen a carrot that wasn't orange.

[Gardeneer]

I planted some carrots along with cilantro today.
I let them to germinate and grow on their own term. I did it early because our spring season is very short. We shall see what happens.

[Worth1]

News flash carrots will grow in just about any soil.
Who cares if they aren't perfect, none of us are anyway.

Worth

[TC_Manhattan]

Originally Posted by Worth1

News flash carrots will grow in just about any soil.
Who cares if they aren't perfect, none of us are anyway.

Worth

They're a lot harder to peel when deformed, very crooked, or forked.

[TC_Manhattan]

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

There's one grocery chain here that sells multi-color carrots, yes, including the violet ones (orange core though) They all have an unique-ish taste, violet/purple ones are more pronounced in flavor than the pale ones.

Trader Joe's carries 2 lb. bags of the multi-colored ones for $2.59.

[ilex]

Originally Posted by TC_Manhattan

They're a lot harder to peel when deformed, very crooked, or forked.

No need to peel, just wash them.

[ilex]

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

There's one grocery chain here that sells multi-color carrots, yes, including the violet ones (orange core though) They all have an unique-ish taste, violet/purple ones are more pronounced in flavor than the pale ones.

There are a few colored carrot varieties sold in the US, including hybrids. Easy to find seed.

What I don't think you have is a really good non-hybrid dark purple as I know a few people trying to develop one crossing with turkish purple. Turkish purple is a juicing carrot, terrible for fresh eating.

[Gardeneer]

The orange ones are tender and better with beta carotene, me thinks.