2/15/20 Amber Wise and Carole Bartolini Carrots & Family , Peas and Amber Wise has been a Master Carole Bartolini has been a Beans Gardener since 2018. She Master Gardener since 2017. volunteers with the SODO Home She is a member of the U Depot clinic and has worked as a District Clinic and volunteers landscaper, greenhouse staff and in the Bothell Children’s private gardener in various Garden where she delights in capacities since 1998. educating future gardeners. The Carrot Family Created by Alison Johnson Adapted & Presented by Amber Wise Resources Objectives The information contained in Growing Groceries presentations is based on WSU home gardening By the end of the class you will know: publications and other science and research based Who… is in the carrot family? materials. Resource lists are provided on the King County Why…should I grow carrots/relatives? Growing Groceries website and at the end of some Which...ones should I grow? presentations. Where… will they grow best? When…should I sow and harvest? To enliven the learning experience, speakers may use examples from their own garden experience and draw from What… pests and diseases should I look for? their personal gardening successes and failures. 1 2/15/20 Master Gardener Clinic Time! Carrot, Apiaceaea (Ay-pee-aye-see-aye) Phototoxic/phytophotodermatitis — a large family of Cow parsley: Anthriscus sylvestris aromatic biennial & Queen Anne’s lace: Ammi majus perennial herbs Giant hogweed: Heracleum mantegazzianum • Hollow stems • Alternate leaves Poisonous • Umbrella-shaped cluster of Noxious Hemlock: Conium maculatum tiny flowers called umbels Western water hemlock: Cicuta douglasii • Taproot common Fools parsley / fools cicely: Aethusa cynapium • Exclusive food source for weed Black Swallowtail Butterfly Larvae warning Poison Hemlock found in local garden last year Poison hemlock, Conium maculatum — look for distinctive red markings on stem 2 2/15/20 Edible Members of the Carrot Family Carrot History Celery Lovage Parsnip Anise World Carrot Museum Parsley Coriander www.carrotmuseum.com Fennel Cumin • 10th Century, Persia, Asia Minor, Turkey, Afghanistan……? Chervil Caraway • Wild carrot was small, thin, white heavily divided or forked and strongly Angelica Dill flavored • The ancient Romans considered parsnips, carrots and parsley as one thing Cicely Ajwain • Mutation removed the purple = yellow carrots, then the orange was Arracacha (Racacha) developed by the Dutch in honor of William of Orange Celeriac Daucus carota, subspecies sativus Think like a carrot… Why grow them? • High levels of several carotenoids, giving carrots their color and also what makes them healthy for humans • Vitamin A, bioactive phytonutrients, low glycemic load • Late season crop that tolerates frost • 2–4 months to harvest • Store well, dry and airtight in fridge or tubs of moist sand or leave in the ground until ground freezes. • Perfect wash-and-go snack that kids (and dogs) will eat 3 2/15/20 Carrot Varieties Available from Territorial Selecting Types to Plant? Nantes: 40 varieties, “Nectar” “Baltimore” “Bolero” “Mokum” medium sized cylindrical, matures faster Cultivars vary in Danvers “Dragon” long, tapered • root shape • days to maturity Chantenay: “Oxheart” “Caracas” 6–7”, shorter • storage ability Good for heavier soil, stores well So choose one that suits YOUR soil Imperator “Candysnax” “Nutri-Red” “Purple Haze” commercial growers choice, higher sugar content REMEMBER ! It’s a root crop! Ball, Mini, or Paris Market “Rondo”; short, radish-like; good for containers WSU Ext. Fact Sheet FS118E Free downloads Choosing a Planting Site Ideally well drained, high in organic matter, free of rocks, slightly acidic • Full sun, 6–8 hours but will tolerate partial shade (pH 6–7) • Soil test: Free from King county! Stony soil=forking https://kingcd.org/programs/better-soils/healthy-soil/ • Good soil prep is the key to success • No till? No way! Or maybe? 4 2/15/20 WSU Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington Soil Thermometer? EM057E Page 11 and 12 (of 29) • Carrots, 50°F • Florence Fennel, 50°F • Parsnips, 55°F Carrot, summer, middle April Carrot, winter, beginning August Preparation and Planting: WSU Home Gardening • For a fall/winter harvest: • 2–4 weeks before last spring frost Plant beginning mid-July/ August • February–April for summer harvest (can do • For a summer harvest: staggered planting) Plant mid-April (2–4 weeks before last • DO NOT WORK SATURATED SOIL Too wet? frost) Throw the soil! If it sticks together, it’s too wet. Soil temp 50°F • Spacing: 1–2 inches apart • Loosen 12–24” soil, add compost/organic matter Rows: 12–24 inches apart • Sow 1–2” apart (seed is small) • Planting must be direct, ¼ inch to ½ inch • They do not transplant well, so deep need to sow seed directly. • Yield: 12 lbs. per 10 foot row 5 2/15/20 Pelleted Seeds? • Coated with a clay- based material (Territorial’s is National Organic Program approved) • Easier to space and to achieve consistent rows, easier weeding, less or even no thinning so less chance of carrot fly Carrot seeds….. Can Intercrop with Radishes • Germination: keep moist to “mark” rows and maximize space • Sowing in rows allows you to identify weeds, Two methods but you can scatter or broadcast 1) Mix radish and carrot seeds together; sow together in shallow row • Crusting of the top layer of soil can hamper Thin seedlings; harvest radishes as gemination; try fine sand, potting soil, or they mature, leaving space for carrots compost to cover seeds • Thin by pulling to give the carrots room to grow. 2) Plant alternating rows of carrots and Smell from snipped leaves can attract carrot fly! radishes, closer than you normally would Harvest radishes, resulting in more space between carrot rows Still need to thin seedlings 6 2/15/20 During Growth • Water deeply and frequently to avoid cracking, woodiness, and bitter flavor • 1 inch of water/week: deeper infrequent waterings are better than many shallow Harvest after 55–80 days (average range); depends on cultivar waterings • Thin seedings: need room to expand/grow Storage Wash, trim tops, store at 32–36°F with high humidity (95–100%) • Weed: that’s where the pests are hiding. Buckets/bins layered with damp sand; in garage or unheated dry space Too wet in W. Wash to store in the ground and can lead to increased carrot fly damage in following years Pests and Diseases Potential Diseases / Pests Leaf spot: Rotate crops, don’t plant carrots Carrot rust fly: in the same place; 2–3 year rotation cycle Wide range of weed hosts, so control weeds means no carrots in that bed for 2–3 years Don’t overwinter/store in the ground Tidy up and destroy plant debris, check Also attacks parsnips, celeriac, and celery drainage Floating row cover is your best friend Root knot nematodes: Rotate with crops not susceptible such as corn, onions, garlic, strawberries Aster yellows: Caused by bacteria-like phytoplasma organism spread by sucking Th BY-NC insects such as leafhoppers. Remove infected plants; control weeds where leafhoppers may reside. 7 2/15/20 Sunburn or green shoulders: Cracking: Caused by Mulch carrots to cover shoulders uneven watering; some but not growing point cultivars are more prone than others Forking: From rocky or clumpy soil Try raised beds Powdery mildew: Nantes Cultivate the soil BUT and Imperator are more avoid damage by susceptible hoeing/cultivating too close Parsnips Celery, Apium graveolens Easier than carrots The hardiest vegetable? Celery loves water, fertile soil and Even better after frost! good drainage, so mulch well Store well Long time to harvest; plant early 84 days to maturity Major pests: Can be started indoors, then Insects: Leaf hoppers transplanted Diseases: Alternaria (leaf blight/spot) and Cercospera (leaf spot) Territorial, Avoid working soil when wet; you Tango need good air circulation, well-drained Redventure soil; rotate crops 100–110 days 31 8 2/15/20 Celeriac Parsley Fennel Apium graveolens rapaceum Petroselinum crispum Foeniculum vulgare A form of celery (tastes like celery) Another useful member of the Drought-tolerant • Can be started in seed tray in carrot family Fleshy bulb very tasty— Jan/Feb or direct when soil is 50°F Grown for tasty aromatic leaves fresh, roasted/sautéed • 1/8th inch deep used as a flavoring and garnish Also seeds as spice • 90–100 days to harvest Be careful for self-seeding • Plant out 18–31 inches apart • Harvest in 14–28 weeks • Pests and Diseases No serious problems! Curled leaf Flat leaf/Italian Kitchen / Culinary Herbs Planted as seedlings mid-July Photo: Jan 25th, 2020 Parsley Coriander (cilantro) fennel Cumin Dill Chervil Curly parsley • Sow ~every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvest Flatleaf parsley • Great in pots / container gardens • Last for many months with regular use/trimming; can handle some frost/freezing temps 9 2/15/20 Resources King County Master Gardener Program https://extension.wsu.edu/king/gardening/ WSU factsheets: FS118E, EM057E Master Gardener Foundation of King County Hortsense: pubs.wsu.edu http://www.mgfkc.org/ Demonstration Gardens Plant Clinics Photos are authors’ own or Education Outreach copyright- free/public domain Science-based Publications http://www.mgfkc.org/resources/growinggroceries Gardener Education Supported by Thank You to the Issaquah Grange for donating classroom space! Last page all presentations 10.