Carrot

Siting: Carrots grow best in full sun, though they tolerate partial shade, and prefer moist, neutral to slightly acidic sandy loam soils; heavy, compacted, or poorly drained clay can cause the roots to branch and distort.

Sowing: Because transplanting damages the young taproot, carrots must be direct-sown, with seed buried about a quarter inch deep and seedlings thinned to 2 to 3 inches apart; germination can take up to three weeks, so seed may be sown before the last frost date.

Care: Soil moisture should be checked several inches down rather than just at the surface, since under-watering produces tough, bitter roots, and gardeners should be cautious with nitrogen fertilizer, as excess nitrogen diverts the plant's energy into leaf growth rather than root development.

Carrot yellows, Alternaria leaf spot, and root-knot nematodes can stunt or wilt the plant, powdery mildew may affect the leaves, and root rot can strike seedlings.

Insect pests include aphids, carrot rust fly, leafhoppers, flea beetles, leaf miners, weevils, various caterpillars, and slugs.

Carrots can be harvested and eaten at any time once they reach full size, a stage often signaled by the top of the root beginning to rise out of the soil.

Culinary: Carrot roots are eaten fresh in salads and used traditionally in curries, and they are also processed commercially into juice, concentrate, dried powder, canned goods, preserves, candy, and pickles; the pomace left from processing has been used to supplement products such as cake, bread, and biscuits.

Ornamental: Beyond the kitchen, carrots can be grown as a biennial in pollinator gardens, since their flowers attract bees and butterflies, and the plant serves as a host for the Black Swallowtail butterfly.

The cultivated carrot originated from wild stock native to central Asia and Afghanistan, entering cultivation as a garden root crop grown as an annual despite its natural biennial life cycle of flowering and dying in its second year.