Purple Carrot
Also known as: Daucus carota ssp. sativus 'Purple'
What's special about Purple Carrot
Deep purple skin and core, sweet and earthy.
Growing this variety
Purple Carrot follows the same growing basics as Carrot. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Carrot family.
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Loosen soil 12" deep — any obstruction forks the root. Mix seed with sand and broadcast, then cover 1/4" with fine compost. Keep the surface moist for 3 weeks until germination.
Grower's tip
Thin ruthlessly at 2" tall — crowded roots stay pencil-thin.
Soil preferences
Deep, loose, stone-free sandy loam — the deeper the better.
6.0–6.8
Skip manure and heavy nitrogen — they cause forked and hairy roots. A light compost is plenty.
Watering
Steady moisture — 1 in per week. Uneven watering causes cracking.
Deep soaking; avoid shallow daily watering that keeps roots near the surface.
Overwatered: cracked or rotted roots, foliage disease. Underwatered: woody, hot-flavored, or bitter roots.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water deeply at the soil surface so the whole root zone stays evenly damp — bottom-watering isn't practical in the ground.
Temperature tolerance
60–75°F (15–24°C)
45–65°F (7–18°C)
Carrots, parsnips, beets sweeten after frost. Storage roots can often overwinter in the ground under heavy mulch.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
12+ in deep for full-size carrots and parsnips; 8 in deep is fine for radish and short carrots
Pick short or round cultivars (Parisian carrots, Chioggia beets) for shallow containers.
Succession planting
Every 3 weeks spring through midsummer for continuous harvest into fall.
Detailed harvesting
Loosen soil with a fork before pulling to prevent snapped tops. Twist off greens 1 in above the crown for storage; leave 1 in of stem on beets to prevent bleeding.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Trim tops; store unwashed in damp sand or perforated bags in the fridge or root cellar at 32–40°F. Most root crops keep 3–6 months.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Fresh, roasted, fermented (kraut, kimchi), pickled. Tops of beets, radishes, and turnips are edible greens.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Biennial and insect-pollinated. Root crops cross widely (carrots cross with Queen Anne's Lace).
1/2 mile in the open or use cage with introduced pollinators.
Overwinter the best roots; replant in spring; collect the dry umbels/seed stalks in year 2.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for carrot in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
My Purple Carrot Carrot notes
Purple Carrot Carrot seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
From your kitchen — grow carrot from what you already have
Carrots are biennials — a store carrot is a first-year root. Replant it and it will bolt to flower in year 2 and set seed.
- 1In spring, plant a whole carrot (or the top 2 in with any green attached) root-side-down, top just at soil level.
- 2It will leaf out, then send up a 3-ft umbel of white flowers.
- 3When flower heads dry to brown and start to curl inward, cut whole heads into a paper bag.
- 4Rub off the small hairy seeds. Store dry; sow next spring.
Storage: 3 years dry.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
Loading…
Other Carrot varieties
Nantes
65 daysCylindrical, blunt-tipped, super sweet. The ideal home-garden carrot.
Imperator (Danvers)
75 daysLong tapered supermarket-style. Needs 12"+ of loose soil.
Chantenay
65 daysStubby 5" cone shape. Best for heavy or shallow soils.
Paris Market / Round
55 daysGolf-ball-round. Perfect for clay, containers, or rocky beds.
Purple Dragon / Cosmic Purple
70 daysPurple skin, orange core. Sweet and slightly spicy.
Rainbow / Colored mix
70 daysYellow, white, red, purple, orange. Same flavor, wild colors.
Tender Sweet
75 daysLong, slender, extra-sweet orange roots with a tender core. Popular for fresh eating and juicing; needs deep, loose soil.
Little Finger
55 daysBaby French Nantes-type — slender 3–4 in tender roots. Great for containers, shallow soils, and pickling whole.
Wild Carrot with Burrs
N/A — ornamental/self-seedingThe lacy white wild form of carrot; seeds often have bristly burrs that aid dispersal.