Tender Sweet
Also known as: TenderSweet · Tendersweet Carrot · Daucus carota ssp. sativus var. Tendersweet
What's special about Tender Sweet
Long, slender, extra-sweet orange roots with a tender core. Popular for fresh eating and juicing; needs deep, loose soil.
Growing this variety
Tender Sweet 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 Tender Sweet Carrot notes
Tender Sweet 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.
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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.
Purple Carrot
70 daysDeep purple skin and core, sweet and earthy.
Rainbow / Colored mix
70 daysYellow, white, red, purple, orange. Same flavor, wild colors.
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.