Do a good job of loosening the soil down to a depth of at least a foot and evict rocks of any size while you're at it. Lavish compost in the soil, carrots expecially will benefit from its soil-leavening effect. Don't use manure in late fall before planting seeds, the carrots will respond to fresher stuff by enthusiastically growing huge tops. If your're a real carrot fan, plan on seeding every two or three weeks from early spring through midsummer for continuous harvest. Set seeds 1/4 inch deep, 3 seeds to the inch and space in rows 12 inches apart. Cover the seeds with fine soil. Thin plants to 3 inches in rows. Once carrots are several inches high they'll benefit from a moisture-concerving mulch. If the soil is loamy and loose in your flower beds, try interplanting carrots in the ornament of their lacy tops.
HARVESTING HEIRLOOM CARROTS
Baby carrots should be ready to harvest in 45 to 55 days. Later than that, be guided by the size-carrots are at their most tender and flavorful when no more than 1 inch in diameter.
SAVING HEIRLOOM CARROT SEEDS
Carrots will cross with each other and with their country cousin, Queen Anne's lace. To save seed from a variety, it should be isolated a least 200 feet from either potential pollen source, a thousand feet would be better. Harvest roots before the first hard frost can get to them and store in sand in cool basement or garage. Set them in the garden the next spring and pick the ripened seed heads.
