Yellowstone Carrot

Direct sow from mid-April until early August in loose, fertile, deeply-worked soil. Choose your least-weedy soil for carrots, as they are tricky to cultivate when young; carrots can take 10 days to germinate, and can be quickly choked by weeds. Thin young carrot seedlings to 2" apart, then thin baby carrots by pulling out every other carrot, allowing the remaining carrots to grow to full size. While good carrots can be grown in any soil, they only grow to supermarket size in loose and deep soils without too many rocks. Fall carrots can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator or in a root cellar for months. Do not store fresh carrots with the tops on; they draw water and nutrients from the roots. Remove the tops after harvesting and use to flavor soup stock.