Carrot Rainbow F1 - Daucus carota

The Rainbow F1 Hybrid Carrot is a blend of long carrots, a very colorful mix that brings together the F1 hybrids of the most beautiful shades observed over many years of cultivation. You are likely to get all shades from white to orange. They are also rich in vitamins. In the kitchen, they are perfect for adding color to your dishes and salads. Sow from April to June for harvesting from July to October.

The carrot is a biennial herbaceous plant, grown annually, from the Apiaceae family. It is grown as a vegetable for its edible, fleshy, usually orange-colored taproots. It is a root rich in carotene. It can generally reach a height of 30 cm (12in). Carrots are not demanding on the nature of the soil. However, the most beautiful roots will be harvested in a rich, light, and deep soil. It is therefore necessary to prepare the soil well by deep digging in autumn, during which 2 to 3 kg of well-decomposed manure or compost will be buried. All stones will be removed during this operation. Before sowing, the soil will be well crumbled and fertilized with a base fertilizer, then left as it is for about fifteen days. Sowing can then take place.

Harvest: during the season, harvest the carrots as you need them. To extract the roots from the soil, use a fork-spade, taking care not to damage the root. Injuries to the roots can trigger carrot rot during storage.
Yields can be estimated depending on the type of cultivation and carrot. For early crops, plan for between 1 and 1.5 kg/m²; about 3 kg/m² for seasonal cultivation of a half-long variety, and up to 5 kg for late cultivation of long carrots.

Storage: it can be done in the open ground, on the cultivation site, but this immobilizes a growing space in the vegetable garden. In winter, in this case, the roots will need to be protected from frost with a good layer of dead leaves. Indoor storage is an excellent long-term solution. In a frost-free and ventilated place, cut the foliage at the collar and place the roots side by side on a bed of moist sand. Cover them with a 2 cm (1in) layer of sand and place the next row.

Gardener's tips: 
Sowing radishes and carrots on the same row and at the same time naturally distances the carrot seeds. Once harvested, the radishes will leave space for the carrots to grow. It's a win-win thinning! 
Sowing carrots near a row of leeks helps protect them both from carrot fly and leek moth.