Vegetable Gardening (33 page)

‘Little Finger':
This open-pollinated variety is an early (65 days), 3-inch-long, smooth-skinned, small-cored baby carrot that's sweet. ‘Little Finger' carrots are great for planting in containers.

‘Merida':
This hybrid, Nantes-type, 7- to 8-inch-long carrot can be planted in spring for fall harvest. However, it's most often grown as a fall crop and in mild-winter areas, such as the Pacific Northwest, where it can
overwinter
(live through the winter) and be harvested in spring. It matures in 75 days.

‘Parmex':
This hybrid, baby-type carrot features 1 1/2-inch-diameter round roots that are harvested in 50 days. Great for planting in shallow soils.

‘Purple Haze':
This hybrid, 10- to 12-inch-long Imperator has purple skin and an orange core. This sweet variety's purple color fades when cooked. It matures in 70 days.

‘Scarlet Nantes':
This heirloom, Nantes-type variety has bright red-orange flesh with a small core. The 6- to 7-inch-long roots mature in 65 days.

‘Short 'n Sweet':
This 4-inch, open-pollinated, Chantenay-type carrot grows well in heavy clay soil and containers. It matures in 68 days.

‘Sugarsnax':
This hybrid, Imperator-type variety is as tender and sweet as a Nantes variety, yet it grows up to 9 inches long, is disease resistant, and is high in beta carotene. It matures in 68 days.

‘Thumbelina':
This unusual hybrid, baby-type, All-America Selections winner (see Chapter 4) has a round root that's the length of a silver dollar; it's especially good for baking. It grows well in containers and in heavy clay or rocky soil. It matures in 65 days. Kids love this variety for its small size and easy-growing nature.

‘White Satin':
This hybrid, Nantes and Imperator cross features 8-inch-long crisp, textured white roots that grow under a wide range of soil and weather conditions. It matures in 68 days.

Onions: The Bulbs with Layers of Sweet and Pungent Goodness

The two most important factors to consider when choosing onion (
Allium cepa
) varieties are flavor of the onion and location of your garden. Although most people use taste as their first criterion, the old advice about "location, location, location" has greater relevance when growing onions. Onions are particular about how much sunlight they get, forming bulbs in response to the number of daylight hours. As a result, onion varieties are classified by day length —
long day, short day,
or
intermediate day
(also known as
day neutral
) — as well as by taste — sweet (which are good for eating raw or freshly cooked) or pungent (which are good for storing).