by Lisa Giroday, Sandra Lopuch and Sam Philips | We all know carrots are good for us. They are loaded with beta-carotene, which gives us humans the vitamin A we need to improve our night vision, among other necessities. Now is the time in the garden to harvest your April-sown carrots, and to sow more carrot seeds for Fall and Winter harvest. If you sow now, carrots will be ready October-November, and if you choose a cultivar that stores well in the ground, like Bolero, it’s even better. Just remember to mulch the soil with a nice thick layer of straw or leaves before the frost to keep the soil from freezing. Sow the seeds generously and be patient. Carrot germination can take a while. Also, keep the top of the soil moist where you have sown your carrot bed to ensure germination – this is key! Because the seeds are tiny, they need to be sown just below the surface; if the soil isn’t moist, they won’t sprout. Once the seedlings are about an inch high, start the thinning process. You need to thin the seedlings or they will compete for space and you won’t have carrots at all! Allow approximately 2” or so of space between each seedling.

And lastly, don’t keep planting carrots in the same place – rotate your crop. Pests are more likely to occur otherwise. Carrots are susceptible to wireworm, which is the larvae of the click beetle, and they chew holes through the carrot roots.

Harvesting: Feel around the base of the carrot (as sometimes you can’t see the base of the root) to see if it’s ready – and remember, baby carrots are delicious too, so get in there! You can store carrots for the winter in the ground, or in a cool place in a box of sand or sawdust.

When eating, don’t forget to use the tops! Historically, before carrots were cultivated for their taproot, the tops were utilized for their leaves and seeds. A few carrot relatives are still grown for their leaves and seeds, such as parsley, fennel, dill and cumin. Try blanching carrot tops, adding olive oil and making a puree for fish or roasted veggies. And since it’s just about time to harvest garlic and carrots are in their prime, consummate their perfect marriage with a carrot top pesto. Here’s a recipe:

Carrot Top Pesto

1 cup packed carrot tops
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt, pepper to taste
3 tbsp toasted pine nuts
¼ cup Parmesan

Food process everything except the pine nuts and parmesan until a coarse paste forms, then add the pine nuts until finely chopped. Lastly, add the parmesan, which, by the way, is optional if you’re vegan. You can also make this pesto by hand using a pestle and mortar. Feel free to add basil, as this is currently in season, too. Add this pesto to pasta or serve with roasted carrots. Use your imagination! Tip: If you need to freeze the pesto, put it in a wee mason jar and then slip it into the freezer with the lid off – once frozen, put the lid on. Ta-da! No freezer explosions!

———————————————————————————

Victory Gardens is a team of local urban farmers for hire. Lisa, Sandra and Sam help transform tired or underused residential and commercial green spaces into food producing gardens. Their goal is to challenge the way communities use space and to participate in the change needed to consume food more sustainably. For the rest of the growing season, they’ve hooked up with Scout to share some cool tips and tricks on how to get the best from of our own backyards.