SEED OF THE MONTH
‘Danvers Half Long’ carrots are a hard-working heirloom variety that are sweet and tasty.
‘DANVERS HALF LONG’ CARROTS
DEPENDABLE, ADAPTABLE
Looking over the summer garden filled with blushing tomatoes and
vines of plump cucumbers would make any gardener proud, but this
is the month to think about what’s next.
There’s time for a sowing of bush beans, a few more lettuce plant-ings
and more. But it’s carrots that are one of the crops that will take
the garden into fall and maybe beyond.
It’s fun to extend the season and use the garden nearly year round.
Sowing some of the ‘Danvers Half Long’ carrot seeds now will assure
some sweet root crops when the tomatoes and cukes have long since
succumbed to frost.
The original carrot from Danvers, Mass., was introduced some time
in the 1870s and then improved in the 1940s, officially called
‘Danvers 126 Half Long’ carrot.
It’s the old standard American carrot, adaptable and dependable.
Thick seven-inch roots have a wonderfully sweet flavor and are a
workhorse in the garden. Many different carrots have come and gone
over time, but this one is a real winner.
It is imperative the seeds are sown in soft, fertile soil and properly
thinned, leaving a few inches between plants. A garden bed of com-post
is the perfect home for the seeds. Don’t discard the tasty thin-nings
— the greens and roots are high in nutrients and flavor. Rinse
them and drop the whole thinning in a salad for an intense, fresh
culinary surprise.
Once established, a layer of straw will keep weeds at bay as root
crops resent competition. Make sure the plants have plenty of water if
rain is scarce.
Carrots can be harvested at any stage — small roots are a treat when
nibbled in the garden after brushing off the soil.
Pull them as needed, but leave some for the winter garden. A thick
layer of mulch will keep them happy for months. Brushing the straw
aside during a thaw and pulling the bright orange roots from the cold
earth is about as good as it gets for gardeners.
4 | JULY 2018 • Vo l . 3 , I s s u e 7