Carrot
"Carrot" is the common name for a root vegetable whose scientific name is Daucus carota and also the name of a written symbol (sometimes called a "punctuation mark") with a similarly pointed shape. Figuratively, a "carrot" is a reward, contrasted to the notion of punishment in the expression "carrot and stick."
Varieties
- Early Nantes: An quick developing variety ideal for early cropping.
- Autumn King: A slower developing variety with a larger root.
Sowing
Carrots can be sown under cover from as early as January or outdoors after the last frosts in March or April. Carrots are best sown directly into the ground (or their adult containers). The seeds are extremely small, and many gardeners find it helpful to use a syringe-like tool to dispense them. Another convenience for small gardens is to use a commercial, biodegradable paper strip into which seeds have been inserted mechanically, at regular intervals. Strips, however, are only available for a few cultivars.
Transplanting carrots invariably results in twisted roots and branched roots that are not only difficult to cook with but are often stunted and can even split.
As the young carrots continue to grow they should be thinned regularly leaving a distance of 5 - 7cm between each plant. The small thinned carrots are suitable for use in salads and needn't be discarded.
Pests
The most common pest known the affect carrots is the carrot fly. The small grubs of the carrot fly eat and tunnel their way through the carrot making it inedible and stunting it's growth.
Slugs and snails generally leave carrots alone although on occasion they will eat around the stems at the top of any roots protruding from the ground.
Homonyms
- carat: unit for measuring the weight of precious stones; also (UK English), unit for measuring the proportion of gold in an alloy, such that 24 carats is pure gold
- caret: (UK English) the punctuation mark (^), sometimes called a "top hat"
- karat: (American English) unit for measuring the proportion of gold in a piece of metal (usually jewelry)