Atomic Red Carrots Vegetable Seeds Packet

• Prepared garden bed or deep container: Carrots are direct sown into loose, stone-free soil; containers should be at least 10 inches deep.
• Garden rake or hoe: To break up clods and remove stones before sowing.
• Fine-rose watering can or mister: Seed is slow to emerge and must stay damp without crusting.
• Burlap, board, or light row cover: Holds moisture on the seedbed through the 2 to 3 weeks of germination.
• Plant labels: Useful for tracking succession sowings.

• Garden fork: Loosens soil so long roots lift out without snapping.
• Basket or bucket: For collecting roots.
• Pruning snips: Trim the tops off before storing.
• Produce bags: Refrigerate trimmed roots for several weeks.

Tip: Pull roots when shoulders reach about an inch across. Color is deepest from cool soil, and the red intensifies with cooking.

Light:

• Requires full sun, at least 6-8 hours daily.

Soil:

• Deep, loose, sandy loam free of stones, pH 6.0-6.8.
• Stones, clods, and fresh manure cause forked roots.

Watering:

• Requires consistent moisture, especially through the 2 to 3 weeks it takes seed to emerge.
• Uneven watering causes cracking and splitting.

Temperature & Climate:

• Cool-season crop that germinates well in soil of about 55-75°F.
• Tolerates light frost; color and sweetness deepen in cool weather.

Fertilization:

• Work in compost before sowing.
• Avoid excess nitrogen, which grows tops at the expense of roots.

Thinning:

• Thin seedlings to 2-3 inches apart once tops are about 2 inches tall; crowded carrots stay thin and pale.

Mulching:

• A light mulch holds moisture and keeps shoulders covered, which prevents green tops.

Weeding:

• Weed carefully while seedlings are small; carrots compete poorly.

Watering:

• Keep soil evenly moist; avoid swings between dry and soaked.

Harvesting:

• Pull roots when shoulders reach about an inch across.
• Loosen soil with a fork before pulling to avoid snapping long roots.

Storing:

• Twist off the tops, then store roots in a bag in the refrigerator for several weeks, or in damp sand in a cool cellar for longer.

• Skipping the thinning: crowded carrots stay thin and pale; thin to 2 to 3 inches
• Letting the seedbed dry out: carrot seed takes 2 to 3 weeks to emerge and fails if the surface dries
• Stones and heavy soil: cause forked or stunted roots; loosen soil deeply before sowing

1. Culinary Applications:

• Roasted, where the red deepens and sweetness develops
• Steamed or stir-fried as a bright side dish
• Shredded raw into slaws and salads
• Cut into strips for a vegetable platter

2. Nutritional Benefits:

• Source of lycopene, the pigment that gives the red color, which is heat-stable
• Fiber, vitamin C, and potassium in typical carrot ranges
• Lower in beta-carotene than orange carrots

3. Garden Uses:

• Long, tapered Imperator-type roots in a striking red
• Color deepens in cool soil, so fall crops color up well
• Succession sowing through midsummer extends the harvest

4. Practical Benefits:

• Color survives cooking, so the dish looks as good as the packet
• Open-pollinated, so seed can be saved with care
• Worth planning for: deep, loose soil and patient germination

• Root: The primary edible part: long, tapered, deep red roots, eaten raw, roasted, or steamed. Cooking deepens the red rather than fading it.
• Tops: The green tops are edible in small amounts, chopped as a herb or blended into pesto.

Raw carrot, per 100g (standard reference value; Atomic Red is colored by lycopene rather than beta-carotene, so it carries less of the orange pigment than a standard carrot)

Calories: 41 kcal

• Carbohydrates: 9.58 g
• Protein: 0.93 g
• Total fat: 0.24 g
• Dietary fiber: 2.8 g
• Vitamin C: 5.9 mg (7% RDA)
• Folates: 19 µg (5% RDA)
• Potassium: 320 mg
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

Good companions

• Onions, leeks, chives: the scent may help deter carrot rust fly
• Lettuce, radishes: radishes mark the row and loosen soil as they mature before carrots need the space
• Tomatoes, rosemary, sage: low competition, and the aromatics may help confuse pests

Poor companions / avoid

• Dill: reported to stunt carrots and to cross with the same family
• Parsnips: share carrot rust fly and other root pests
• Fennel: allelopathic, inhibits the growth of many nearby plants

• Carrot rust fly: larvae tunnel through roots; cover with row cover from sowing and rotate beds
• Aphids: cluster on foliage; strong water spray or insecticidal soap
• Wireworms: tunnel into roots in soil recently converted from sod; rotate and avoid planting after grass

• Alternaria leaf blight: dark spots on foliage in warm, humid weather; improve airflow and rotate crops
• Powdery mildew: white coating on foliage in dry, humid conditions; space plants and avoid overhead watering
• Root rot and cavity spot: sunken lesions on roots in wet, heavy soil; improve drainage and avoid overwatering

Direct sow into deep, loose, stone-free soil in full sun, 1/4 inch deep, and keep the bed evenly damp through the 2 to 3 weeks of germination. Thin to 2 to 3 inches, and succession sow through midsummer.

The color comes from lycopene, the same pigment found in tomatoes, instead of the beta-carotene that colors orange carrots. The pigment is heat-stable, so cooking deepens the red rather than fading it.

Roughly 70 to 75 days from sowing. The color is deepest in cool soil, so spring and fall crops tend to color up well.

An Imperator-type carrot, which means long, tapered roots with strong tops. Plan on deep, loose soil.

Roasting, steaming, or stir-frying all work, and the red holds or deepens. They are also good raw, shredded or cut into strips.

Vacuum-sealed Shido Seeds packets stay viable for up to 10 years when stored properly, compared to roughly one year for a standard paper seed packet. Storing unused packets somewhere cool and dry helps preserve that extended shelf life.

They can, in a container at least 10 inches deep with loose, stone-free mix, since the roots are long. Shallower pots suit rounder varieties better.

Yes. Every Shido Seeds packet, Atomic Red included, is germination-tested at independent third-party labs before it ever reaches a shelf.