Need help re carrot varieties from California..help!!

Jeannine Anne · May 30, 2011

PLEASE..can someone help me.

I have been asked by a friend overseas to find carrot seeds with the following description which she has seen in California in supertmarkets. Of course I said yes!!

They are very long, fat blunt ended carrotts grown in California.

Now I am not a carrot expert and have my favourites but I am searchin the net to find a variety that is both long ,fat and blunt ended.

I have found lots of long tapered ones and lots of short fat ones but am coming up short on the combination.

Allowing for the fact that what is in a supermarket is probably not available could someone help me as to a variety that may come close .

I understand that California is a big carrot growing state.

Fingers crossed.

XX Jeannine

brokenbar · May 30, 2011

Those Carrots that fit in the "Nantes" and "Chantenay" divisions are usually the blunt-ended, thick bodied types but are not usually more than 8' long to my knowledge. Commercial Growers almost always are growing some variety of hybrid because they are looking for disease-resistance, shortest time from seed to market and carrots that hold up well to the rigors of handling, packaging & shipping.

For home growers, Scarlet Nantes and Danver's half-long are usually a good choice because they do not require the VERY deep, loamy soil that the long type carrots require and they both have the "blunt" end and are quite tasty cooked or raw.

Personally, because we want very long/large carrots, we grow "Japanese Long", "Manchester Table", "Saint Valery" & "Touchon" purchased from Members listing in the Seed Saver Yearbook.

I wish I could have a better answer for you but there are literally 100's of hybrid varieties of carrots I am sure and one would really have no way of determining what variety a particular supermarket carrot might be.

May 30, 2011	#1
Jeannine Anne Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 1,553	Need help re carrot varieties from California..help!! PLEASE..can someone help me. I have been asked by a friend overseas to find carrot seeds with the following description which she has seen in California in supertmarkets. Of course I said yes!! They are very long, fat blunt ended carrotts grown in California. Now I am not a carrot expert and have my favourites but I am searchin the net to find a variety that is both long ,fat and blunt ended. I have found lots of long tapered ones and lots of short fat ones but am coming up short on the combination. Allowing for the fact that what is in a supermarket is probably not available could someone help me as to a variety that may come close . I understand that California is a big carrot growing state. Fingers crossed. XX Jeannine

May 30, 2011	#2
brokenbar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Of The Border Posts: 1,169	Those Carrots that fit in the "Nantes" and "Chantenay" divisions are usually the blunt-ended, thick bodied types but are not usually more than 8' long to my knowledge. Commercial Growers almost always are growing some variety of hybrid because they are looking for disease-resistance, shortest time from seed to market and carrots that hold up well to the rigors of handling, packaging & shipping. For home growers, Scarlet Nantes and Danver's half-long are usually a good choice because they do not require the VERY deep, loamy soil that the long type carrots require and they both have the "blunt" end and are quite tasty cooked or raw. Personally, because we want very long/large carrots, we grow "Japanese Long", "Manchester Table", "Saint Valery" & "Touchon" purchased from Members listing in the Seed Saver Yearbook. I wish I could have a better answer for you but there are literally 100's of hybrid varieties of carrots I am sure and one would really have no way of determining what variety a particular supermarket carrot might be. __________________ "If I'm not getting dirty, I'm not having a good time."