Touchon

Family: Apiaceae Root Vegetable

Sweetly fragrant, Touchon Nantes carrots mature to a graceful, tapered form with a vivid, warm orange core and a smooth, fine-grained texture that feels tender from the first bite.

Their flavor is notably balanced—brightly sweet with a gentle, earthy finish—ideal for turning simple harvests into vivid color across the garden bed. Grow Touchon for fresh snacking, roasting to caramel depth, and for silky sauces and quick pickles where their color and sweetness truly shine.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 75 DaysHabit: Taproot

Planting schedules and alerts are optimized for Columbus (Zone 6b).

Crop Dates

Milestone	Date
Start Indoors	Direct Sow
Last Frost	Apr 25th
Transplant / Sow Outdoors	Apr 25th
Harvest Begins	Jul 9th
Harvest Ends	Oct 16th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	75
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Taproot
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Surface
Germination Temp (°F)	55
Min Soil Temp (°F)	50
Min Night Temp (°F)	28
Harden Off (days)	Not Required

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Touchon Nantes carrots are built for tenderness—fine-grained and sweet enough that you can treat them lightly and they still taste complete. Their warm orange, caramel-prone sugars make them especially good for roasting and quick pickling, where the flavor stays bright instead of going muddy.

Best Uses

quick blister-roasting until edges caramelize while the centers stay tender
shaved ribbons tossed with vinaigrette and flaky salt (no soggy waiting around)
silky purees or carrot-ginger soups where they disappear into smoothness
quick refrigerator pickles for vivid color and sweet tang

Flavor Profile

sweet, juicy snap warm orange brightness fine-grained tenderness with a gentle earthy finish fragrant carrot top-note when cooked

Kitchen Pairings

ginger lime olive oil butter honey yogurt

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease most commonly affects Daucus carota (carrots), and how can I prevent it?

Carrots commonly suffer from carrot rust fly, whose larvae tunnel through roots, leaving dark channels. Use floating row cover over the bed from sowing until plants are well established, and avoid planting where carrots (or other Apiaceae like celery) were grown the prior season. If you spot infested roots, remove and destroy them promptly to reduce further egg-laying and carryover.

How often should I water carrots (Daucus carota var. sativus) during peak root bulking?

During the main growing phase (after seedlings establish), keep the top 2–3 inches of soil consistently evenly moist—typically about 1 inch of water per week total, adjusted for your weather. Water more deeply rather than frequently so roots stay on track, and stop just slightly as roots near maturity to reduce splitting.

How do I know when Touchon carrots are ready to harvest?

Start checking at about 70–75 days: look for the shoulder of the root lifting above the soil and reaching the expected thickness for the variety. For best flavor, harvest when roots are fully colored and firm but still relatively slender; leaving them too long can lead to tougher, more fibrous roots. Loosen soil with a fork and pull gently to avoid snapping short roots.