Named for the Spanish word for yellow, not the city in Texas, these lovely, bright lemon-yellow roots are very sweet and juicy. Yellow carrots have been around forever and are the favorites of a few folks here at Pinetree. Amarillo Carrot roots will grow to eight inches and the size is somewhat variable. Makes an interesting addition to crudits. Retains its sweet flavor when cooked.

300 seeds

PLANTING

Daucus carota

Germination:6-14 days

Germination Temperature:Optimum soil temperatures are 60-85F.The cooler the soil the longer it takes for germination, up to 3 weeks.

Seed Sowing Depth:1/4 deep

Sowing Outdoors:Start 3 weeks before the last frost into mid-summer. Sow lightly, thin to 1-3 apart. The larger the carrot variety the more space is needed between them. The soil moisture should be maintained regularly until germination, letting the soil dry out during this period may result in lower germination.

How much does a packet plant:10-12 foot row

Harvest:Start when carrots reach finger size for baby carrots. Carrots planted for summer harvest will hold in the ground for a few weeks but tend to split if they stay in the ground too long. Late-season carrots hold longer and become sweeter in the cooler weather.

Tips:Using a row cover helps to maintain moisture for germination. The Amarillo Carrot prefers loose soil, free of rubble. Use the shorter varieties for heavy soils. Keep well-weeded and cover any exposed carrot with soil or mulch to prevent greening. An excess of nitrogen in the soil causes the roots to become hairy.