Destined to be your favorite carrot in the garden, Romance Hybrid is a joy to grow, harvest, and especially eat! This Nantes type is ready more quickly than many other full-size varieties, and it offers wonderfully straight, blunt-ended roots of bright orange with almost no core and plenty of crisp, ultra-sweet flavor.
Romance is ready for harvest when it's about 6 inches long, though it will grow an additional inch or more if you need to delay the picking. Juicy, straight, and very uniform, it's a good choice for canning because all the roots are so reliably the same size and shape. But these carrots taste so good, they might not make it into the Mason jar!
The green tops make harvesting easy, too. Unlike some varieties, these greens grow thick, straight, and tall, so you can just grab and pull up the root. Very strong, they are nutritious as well. This package contains 15 feet of seed tape.
Root crops are popular with both commercial growers and home gardeners because they're versatile, delicious, and in many cases, perfect for canning or over-winter storage. Beets, Radishes, Turnips, and Carrots contain numerous vitamins and nutrients, offer a wide range of flavors and textures, can be enjoyed raw or cooked, and are wonderfully easy to grow!
Choosing Root Crop Varieties
When choosing which Beets or Radishes to grow there are several factors you will want to take into consideration. First of all, both come in a variety of interesting shapes and beautiful colors, so pick whatever appeals to your eye! Also, Radishes offer varying degrees of heat and Beets have flavors that range from earthy to sweet. Smaller Beets are usually the best for canning and pickling, and many people enjoy the nutritious Beet greens as well as the root itself. As far as choosing a type of Carrot to plant, you will be deciding mostly by color and shape.
When to Start Root Crops
Direct sow your root crops in early spring or late summer. They're cool-weather crops, most preferring temperatures of around 70 degrees F in order to germinate. All but Carrots will germinate in a week to ten days. Carrots can take up to 3 weeks.
How to Start Root Crops
Direct sowing is preferable to transplanting because there is less root disturbance. Before sowing, cultivate deeply.
Beets: Soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours before sowing -- this will aid in germination. Early spring is the typical time to sow your Beets, but in zones 9 to 10 you can sow outdoors in the fall. Sow at a depth of 4 times the size of the seeds, planting successively at 3-week intervals for crops throughout the season. Site in full sun in a loose, rich, well-drained soil. Expect germination in 10 to 15 days and harvests within 50 to 60.
Radishes: Early spring is the typical time to sow your Radishes, but in zones 8 and warmer you can sow outdoors in the fall for a winter crop. Sow at a depth of 4 times the size of the seeds, planting successively at 2-week intervals until mid-spring and then again in late summer. Site in full sun in a loose, rich, sandy, moist, well-drained soil. Expect germination in 6 to 10 days.
Carrots: Early spring is the typical time to sow your Carrots, but in warm climates you can sow outdoors in the fall for a fall crop. Sow at a ¼-inch depth, planting successively at 3-week intervals until early summer. Site in full sun in rich, loose, deeply worked and well-drained soil. Expect germination in 14 to 21 days.
Turnips: Sow in early spring after all danger of frost is past but while the ground is still cool. You can make successive sowings up to 5 weeks before temperatures are above 80 degrees F, then again in late summer if you want a fall harvest. In zones 8 and warmer you can also sow from early fall through spring for continuous crops over the winter. Sow at a depth of 4 times the size of the seeds. Site in full sun in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Expect germination in 8 to 10 days.
Special Considerations
Growing Tips: Beets, Radishes, Turnips, Carrots
Beets:
Radishes:
Turnips:
Carrots:
Pests and Problems to Watch For
A biennial (Zones 3-8) grown in culinary gardens as an annual. It grows 20 inches tall with umbels of tiny white flowers (like Queen Anne’s Lace). The orange or yellow, cylindrical or rounded roots are eaten fresh, canned, or frozen. Harvest the carrots when the shoulders push up through the soil; size will vary depending on cultivar. The bright green, ferny foliage is good food for rabbits and guinea pigs
Note: These seed counts are estimates. The actual number of seeds per ounce/pound may vary slightly.
Corn | Beans | Peas | Beets | Onions | |||
(P) Pkt * | 200 | 100 | 160 | (P) Pkt * | 200 | 200 | |
(M) 1/4 lb | 575 | 275 | 375 | (G) 1/4 oz | 450 | 2000 | |
(N) 1/2 lb | 1150 | 550 | 750 | (H) 1/2 oz | 900 | 4000 | |
(L) 1 lb | 2300 | 1100 | 1500 | (J) 1 oz | 1800 | 8000 | |
(R) 2 lbs | 4600 | 2200 | 3000 | (K) 2 oz | 3600 | 16000 | |
(S) 5 lbs | 11500 | 5500 | 7500 |
* A few varieties may have a different (P) Pkt seed count than the quantity listed; check the specific variety's description for the number of seeds per pkt.
Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).
Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.
Destined to be your favorite carrot in the garden, Romance Hybrid is a joy to grow, harvest, and especially eat! This Nantes type is ready more quickly than many other full-size varieties, and it offers wonderfully straight, blunt-ended roots of bright orange with almost no core and plenty of crisp, ultra-sweet flavor.
Romance is ready for harvest when it's about 6 inches long, though it will grow an additional inch or more if you need to delay the picking. Juicy, straight, and very uniform, it's a good choice for canning because all the roots are so reliably the same size and shape. But these carrots taste so good, they might not make it into the Mason jar!
The green tops make harvesting easy, too. Unlike some varieties, these greens grow thick, straight, and tall, so you can just grab and pull up the root. Very strong, they are nutritious as well. This package contains 15 feet of seed tape.
Root crops are popular with both commercial growers and home gardeners because they're versatile, delicious, and in many cases, perfect for canning or over-winter storage. Beets, Radishes, Turnips, and Carrots contain numerous vitamins and nutrients, offer a wide range of flavors and textures, can be enjoyed raw or cooked, and are wonderfully easy to grow!
Choosing Root Crop Varieties
When choosing which Beets or Radishes to grow there are several factors you will want to take into consideration. First of all, both come in a variety of interesting shapes and beautiful colors, so pick whatever appeals to your eye! Also, Radishes offer varying degrees of heat and Beets have flavors that range from earthy to sweet. Smaller Beets are usually the best for canning and pickling, and many people enjoy the nutritious Beet greens as well as the root itself. As far as choosing a type of Carrot to plant, you will be deciding mostly by color and shape.
When to Start Root Crops
Direct sow your root crops in early spring or late summer. They're cool-weather crops, most preferring temperatures of around 70 degrees F in order to germinate. All but Carrots will germinate in a week to ten days. Carrots can take up to 3 weeks.
How to Start Root Crops
Direct sowing is preferable to transplanting because there is less root disturbance. Before sowing, cultivate deeply.
Beets: Soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours before sowing -- this will aid in germination. Early spring is the typical time to sow your Beets, but in zones 9 to 10 you can sow outdoors in the fall. Sow at a depth of 4 times the size of the seeds, planting successively at 3-week intervals for crops throughout the season. Site in full sun in a loose, rich, well-drained soil. Expect germination in 10 to 15 days and harvests within 50 to 60.
Radishes: Early spring is the typical time to sow your Radishes, but in zones 8 and warmer you can sow outdoors in the fall for a winter crop. Sow at a depth of 4 times the size of the seeds, planting successively at 2-week intervals until mid-spring and then again in late summer. Site in full sun in a loose, rich, sandy, moist, well-drained soil. Expect germination in 6 to 10 days.
Carrots: Early spring is the typical time to sow your Carrots, but in warm climates you can sow outdoors in the fall for a fall crop. Sow at a ¼-inch depth, planting successively at 3-week intervals until early summer. Site in full sun in rich, loose, deeply worked and well-drained soil. Expect germination in 14 to 21 days.
Turnips: Sow in early spring after all danger of frost is past but while the ground is still cool. You can make successive sowings up to 5 weeks before temperatures are above 80 degrees F, then again in late summer if you want a fall harvest. In zones 8 and warmer you can also sow from early fall through spring for continuous crops over the winter. Sow at a depth of 4 times the size of the seeds. Site in full sun in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Expect germination in 8 to 10 days.
Special Considerations
Growing Tips: Beets, Radishes, Turnips, Carrots
Beets:
Radishes:
Turnips:
Carrots:
Pests and Problems to Watch For
A biennial (Zones 3-8) grown in culinary gardens as an annual. It grows 20 inches tall with umbels of tiny white flowers (like Queen Anne’s Lace). The orange or yellow, cylindrical or rounded roots are eaten fresh, canned, or frozen. Harvest the carrots when the shoulders push up through the soil; size will vary depending on cultivar. The bright green, ferny foliage is good food for rabbits and guinea pigs
Note: These seed counts are estimates. The actual number of seeds per ounce/pound may vary slightly.
Corn | Beans | Peas | Beets | Onions | |||
(P) Pkt * | 200 | 100 | 160 | (P) Pkt * | 200 | 200 | |
(M) 1/4 lb | 575 | 275 | 375 | (G) 1/4 oz | 450 | 2000 | |
(N) 1/2 lb | 1150 | 550 | 750 | (H) 1/2 oz | 900 | 4000 | |
(L) 1 lb | 2300 | 1100 | 1500 | (J) 1 oz | 1800 | 8000 | |
(R) 2 lbs | 4600 | 2200 | 3000 | (K) 2 oz | 3600 | 16000 | |
(S) 5 lbs | 11500 | 5500 | 7500 |
* A few varieties may have a different (P) Pkt seed count than the quantity listed; check the specific variety's description for the number of seeds per pkt.
Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).
Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.