• DELIVERY INFO: Seed potatoes & onion/shallot sets are now being shipped. Plug plants will be shipped from late April onwards. See FAQs for further info.

Carrots – Early Nantes

£5.99

Easy to grow, deliciously tasty and a true family favourite 
Growing carrots is one of the most rewarding things to do in your kitchen garden…there is just something so satisfying about pulling them up and washing off all the soil so that you can cook them. These Nantes Carrots have a lovely sweet flavour. They’re a bit of a classic in the carrot world, and you can expect to get a size around 6 inches out of them. Growing carrots from plug plants is easy – the plants arrive in tiny biodegradable pots and you can simply plant them into well dug soil or containers. A complete growing guide comes with the plants.

Number of plants: 10 plug plants

Variety: Early Nantes (organic)

In the kitchen: Carrots can be steamed or are delicious eaten raw in salads. They are also great roasted with some honey.

THESE PLANTS WILL BE SHIPPED IN SPRING 2024

Delivery Info: Please see FAQs for up-to-date delivery info.

Planting advice: You may find multiple seedlings per plug – you can thin these out by pinching off excess seedlings. Plant 10cm apart in a sunny spot. Harvesting: Harvest in summer/autumn once you can see the crown of the carrots is a good size (you may need to carefully scrape the soil away from the root)

*Transplants suitable for organic growing.

Carrots

Choose a sunny spot

You’ll get better carrots if they are grown in a spot that gets plenty of sunshine.

Carrots

Light, loose soil is best

They are pretty versatile but will grow best in very light, loose soils and not so well in heavy or sticky clay soils. Dig your plot over well, removing any big stones as you go, then rake over.

If you don’t have the right type of soil you can create a trench about 20cm deep and 20cm wide and fill with compost (or plant in deep containers filled with compost)

Carrots

Deep containers or raised beds/traditional plot

You can easily grow carrots in a container – just make sure it is at least 20cm deep so that the root can grow. If growing in beds, dig them over well before planting.

Carrots

Thin out before planting...

Before you plant your carrots, we would recommend that you thin them out. Carrot seeds are tiny, so you’ll usually find more than one growing in each bio-pot. Use a pair of scissors or secateurs to snip off all but the strongest looking. This will give it a better chance to grow larger. (You don’t HAVE to do this – if you don’t you will simply end up with several smaller carrots!)

Carrots

Peel off base of pot before planting

Once you are ready to plant, we’d recommend that you very carefully peel off the base of the bio-pot, trying not to disturb the roots of the carrot. This simply opens up space for the carrot to easily grow deeper. It’s easier to do when the bio-pot is wet, so soak it well in water beforehand.

Carrots

How far apart?

Carrots can be planted fairly close together – approx 8-10cm

Carrots

Protect from carrot root fly

Carrot root flies lay their eggs near carrots – when the larvae hatch they bury into the soil and feed on the carrot roots. To prevent this from happening we recommend the following things:

  1. Cover the row with horticultural fleece, securing it down at the ends and sides.
  2. Plant onions or leeks alongside your carrots – the scent deters the carrot root flies.

Neither of these are completely effective, but they will help.

Carrots

Don't let the soil dry out

It is important to keep carrots well watered during dry spells to prevent the roots from splitting. Aim for consistently moist soil, but not waterlogged!

Carrots

When to harvest

Pull carrots when they are at the size that you would like to eat them – this is usually around 12 weeks after planting and you can usually see the crown above the surface of the soil. Just pull one up to check, and if you’re happy the others can be harvested too.

Carrot Root Fly

If, when you pull up your carrots, you notice some brown patches and tunnel-like cracks in the carrots, it is almost certainly damage caused by carrot root fly.

Carrot root flies lay their eggs near carrots – when the larvae hatch they bury into the soil and feed on the carrot roots. To prevent this from happening we recommend the following things when planting:

  1. Cover the row with horticultural fleece, securing it down at the ends and sides.
  2. Plant onions or leeks alongside your carrots – the scent deters the carrot root flies.

Neither of these are completely effective, but they will help. Trying to avoid disturbing the carrot leaves can help as well, as the scent is what attracts the flies.


Cracked/split roots

Big cracks down the side of the carrot is known as “splitting”. This occurs when the plants are subjected to very wet and then very dry soil. To avoid it, try to keep the soil consistently moist.


Misshapen carrots

Forked roots, stumpy roots, knobbly roots are inevitably caused by blockages (like stones or lumps) in the soil. You can of course still eat your carrots like this, and some of the shapes can be very entertaining. But if you’re aiming for perfectly shaped carrots, next time try to dig over the soil more.

Transplanting carrots (i.e planting out the plug plants as we send them) often causes funny shapes too, so don’t worry if yours do come out a bit odd-looking!


Storage Tips

Once harvested, pop them unwashed into a paper sack to keep until you’re ready to cook them. You can also keep carrots in the soil – cut the green foliage off and then cover them with a layer of straw or cardboard. To keep them from getting waterlogged, cover the cardboard with a polythene sheet.

Ways to cook

Carrots are really versatile, and you can make quite a feast by keeping things simple. Steamed carrots with a knob of butter, grated carrots with a simple lemon juice dressing, or roasted with other root veg.

Do I need to sign for them?
All our plug plant orders are dispatched with an overnight courier* to mainland UK and do not need to be signed for when they are delivered, but will be left somewhere safe. When placing your order, please let us know where you would like the plug plants left if you are not in when the courier delivers.

We will keep you posted
You will receive an email approximately a week before your order is dispatched and another on the day your plug plants are packed and leave us so you know to expect and prepare for their arrival.