How to Plant, Grow, and Care for ‘Scarlet Nantes’ Carrots

There’s nothing like a fresh carrot from the garden. ‘Scarlet Nantes’ carrots are some of the best to grow at home. Like other carrots, they’re a real treat when taken directly from the soil, washed off, and eaten right away. They store well and make a lovely addition to multiple culinary environments. 

While growing carrots isn’t difficult, germinating carrot seeds can be tricky. If you live somewhere with a short season, you’ll need the right timing to ensure you harvest plenty of these nutrient-rich roots. The effort and care you put into the plants is worth it!

Carrots are packed with fat-soluble vitamins and carotenes, but processed grocery store carrots have fewer nutrients. That means it’s high time you grew some of your own to reap all the benefits. I guarantee that after your first successful harvest, you’ll grow them every year.

Scarlet Nantes Carrot Seeds

Scarlet Nantes Carrot Seeds

Scarlet Nantes’ is an 1850s’ French favorite for many reasons—sweet flavor, tender, abundant producer, and consistent quality. Nearly coreless! There is no finer garden treat than a homegrown carrot pulled fresh from the earth!

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Scarlet Nantes Carrots Overview

Plant Type Biennial edible Family Apiaceae Genus Daucus Species carota subsp. sativus	Native Area Central Asia Exposure Full sun Height 6-7” roots Watering Requirements Moderate	Pests & Diseases Blight, rot, damping off, mildew, aphids, carrot rust fly, beetles, root knot nematodes Maintenance Medium Soil Type Rich, well-draining Hardiness Zone 2-11

What Is It?

‘Scarlet Nantes’ carrots are an heirloom from the 1850s named after their place of origin, Nantes, France. The coastal Mediterranean climate of this city is perfect for growing carrots, and the countryside is known for its market gardens. It was here that botanist Henri Vilmorin developed this cultivar. 

The first record of these carrots in North America appears in a 1870 seed catalog. Since then, this carrot variety has been a favorite of gardeners all over. 

Characteristics

These are medium-sized, uniform, and orange carrots that appear typical from the outside. They grow roughly 6 to 7 inches long, with leaves that reach up to a foot tall by harvest time. Each root is about ½ to 2 inches wide. Their tips are rounded, unlike other typical carrots. 

What sets this veggie apart from its relatives is its virtually coreless center. The skin is bright orange to orange-red, which is where the Scarlet nomenclature comes from. Nantes is crunchy and mildly sweet. 

Native Area

Carrots originated in Central Asia, near modern-day Afghanistan and Iran. There are records of wild forms of the plant that date back 1500 years. These wild parents are more like the hedge parsley plants that grow around North America as weeds, with white, branched roots.

Carrots were domesticated in the time between the 6th and 10th centuries, also known as the Early Middle Ages. Early breeders and botanists selected plants with more uniform traits and straight, single roots.   

Planting

While you can vernalize carrot roots and transplant them in the garden at a later time, that’s a topic for another piece. Instead, grow your ‘Scarlet Nantes’ carrots from seed annually. Before you begin, heavily weed the area.  

Growing from Seed

Carrots are easy to start, as long as you give them enough moisture. It’s best to sow them outdoors two to four weeks after your last frost in spring. Wait until the soil temperature is at least 45°F (7°C), or ideally at 60 to 85°F (16- to 29°C). Don’t start them indoors, as they don’t take kindly to root disturbance. 

If you live in a region like mine where fall is mild, sow them 10 to 12 weeks ahead of your first frost. Space seeds one inch apart, with rows at least six inches apart. When your seedlings are one inch tall, thin them to every three inches. Keep the soil moist throughout the germination process. 

Some people recommend soaking seeds for 12 to 24 hours before germinating. I’ve found that if the soil retains enough moisture, this isn’t necessary. It could help in areas where soils dry quickly. If you have mild summers, and you’d like to sow successions, do so every three weeks until a few months before your first frost.   

How to Grow

Most of the problems people have with carrots have to do with timing, inconsistent moisture, and improper soil composition. Let’s cover the basics to ensure your success with ‘Scarlet Nantes’ carrots.  

Light

These carrots need at least eight hours of full sun each day. In areas where summers are hot, partial shade in the afternoon will prevent soil dryness. However, the more sun, the better!  

Water

Give your carrots enough moisture so the soil remains damp, but isn’t waterlogged. Not enough moisture, and the roots won’t form properly. Forked, tough, and fibrous carrots are symptoms of dry soil. Too much soil, and the likelihood of bacterial and fungal diseases increases. 

One inch of water per week is a good metric to follow. In heavy clay soils, water deeply and slowly once per week. Do so twice per week in sandier soils. Often, rainfall is enough to keep carrots happy. If necessary, use moisture meters, and opt for soaker hoses and drip irrigation.  

Soil

‘Scarlet Nantes’ is like all carrots. A rich, well-draining, finer-textured soil is best. Opt for a neutral to slightly acidic soil with a pH that is roughly 6.0 to 7.0. Sandy and loamy soils are best. Heavy clay soils are fine, as long as they drain well and aren’t compacted. 

You can amend heavy soils with well-rotted compost, perlite, and agricultural grit where necessary. Ensure this texture is present before planting your seeds. 

Temperature and Humidity

All carrots are frost-tolerant, and ‘Scarlet Nantes’ is no exception. As long as the soil doesn’t stay frozen for long, more mature roots will survive. Heat isn’t terrible for carrots, but they don’t handle it as well as they do colder temperatures. 

Carrots form best when soil temperatures remain around 60 to 70°F (16 to 21°C). In hotter areas, mild spring and fall seasons are best for growing them.

Humidity isn’t a problem for carrots, and they don’t require any specific percentage when they’re growing. Keep an eye on the foliage in areas where humidity is typically higher to ensure diseases don’t take hold. 

Fertilizing

Incorporate a couple of tablespoons of an organic, balanced, full-spectrum powder fertilizer (10-10-10, or similar ratio) into the soil upon planting. Then, when the leaves reach six to eight inches tall, side dress with one more dose. This second dose isn’t completely necessary, but it helps if the leaves look chlorotic. 

Maintenance

Keep the area free of weeds throughout the maturation period. Remove any leaves that take on pests or diseases in the process, and if you notice any tops sticking out of the soil, hill around the base to prevent greening. Carrots require a lot of monitoring, but they don’t need much maintenance. 

Mulch plants if they are growing during a colder season. This keeps the soil warm enough to support continued maturation. 

Propagation

Because they’re annuals, seed propagation is best. We discussed how to grow ‘Scarlet Nantes’ carrots from seed above. You can also grow your own seeds to harvest, save, and grow more carrots later if you live in zone 5 or warmer. 

Instead of harvesting all of your carrots, leave a couple in the soil. These will grow flower heads next year, which fade and develop tons of seeds. Cover matured seed heads with a mesh or paper bag, and snip them off. Then clean them and store them for next year’s crop. 

Harvesting and Storage

‘Scarlet Nantes’ carrots are ready for harvest within 75 days. Gently pull them out of the garden from the base of the leaves. You can harvest them any time they are at least a few inches long. Peak harvest season in spring is three weeks long, and longer in fall. In cooler times, harvest roots before the soil freezes for the year.

Before throwing them in the refrigerator, trim their tops. Carrots are best stored at 40°F (4°C) or lower in perforated plastic bags. Fresh carrots store in the refrigerator for up to one year. You can also pressure can your carrots and store them for up to three years. Alternatively, freeze washed, peeled, and boiled carrots. They’ll keep this way for up to one year. 

Common Problems

Carrots have been around a while, and in that time, several pests and diseases have taken a liking to them. Monitor them closely, and remove any that are heavily damaged to prevent spreading to healthy carrots. 

Pests

‘Scarlet Nantes’ carrots may succumb to aphids, which feed on the foliage. If you notice masses of tiny pear-shaped insects congregating on leaves, remove the foliage and throw it away. If this doesn’t rid your carrots of aphids, use mists of neem oil or insecticidal soap. 

Carrot rust flies lay their eggs in carrot roots and in the soil where carrots have grown multiple years in a row. Rotate your crops to prevent infestations. Keep the garden free of weeds, which act as their host plants. In areas where summers are cool, delay planting until mid-June when flies aren’t as active. In areas with hot summers, use floating row covers to keep them at bay.

Various beetles, including flea beetles and weevils, feed on the leaves and roots of carrots. Remove these by hand if you see them. Flea beetles are best handled by insecticidal soap. Floating row covers keep both away.  

Root knot nematodes are most common in areas where carrots are grown in the same place year after year. Rotate your crops to prevent them. Treat infected soils with beneficial nematodes before planting your seeds. Give it a good two weeks before seeding the area. Two treatments of beneficial nematodes applied two weeks apart are most effective. 

Diseases

Blight, mildew, and rust are either bacterial or fungal, depending on the pathogen. Blight and mildew cause brown or white leaves. Rust is an orangeish fungus that develops in overcrowded, exceptionally humid areas. Remove bits of leaf that take on these diseases. Remove whole leaf tops if this isn’t effective. 

Rot and damping off are most common in gardens with soil that is too wet for too long. Roots that take on blackening at their tops should be promptly removed, as they’ve succumbed to rot. If seedlings wilt and die prematurely, you’re dealing with damping off. 

Plant your carrots in the right conditions, and don’t apply more than one or two inches of water per week. In rainy seasons, no extra water is needed. Don’t plant carrot seeds in soil where diseases have been prevalent in the past.   

Frequently Asked Questions