Purple Dragon

Carrots commonly suffer from carrot rust fly, which causes tunneling near the crown and small, stunted roots. Use a fine insect net over the bed from just after sowing until plants are established, and pull and compost any badly tunneled roots early to break the life cycle. If you see white, powdery growth, thin plants for airflow and avoid wetting foliage; severe infections can be reduced by removing heavily affected leaves so the roots can continue developing.

Start checking around 70–75 days: look for shoulders pushing up at the soil line and size the roots reach the variety’s expected diameter (often 1/2–1 inch for home plantings). Harvest when roots are firm and brightly colored; avoid leaving them in the ground too long because they can become woody. Pull one or two as test samples and harvest the rest promptly once they match the test roots’ size and firmness.