Carrots are considered a popular root vegetable that is easy to cultivate in the home garden. But occasionally the stored carrots start to germinate if the storage conditions are unfavorable. These can still be used.
Are sprouted carrots still edible or usable?
Sprouted carrots are generally edible as long as they are not moldy. Simply remove the germs generously and check for mold growth. In spring, sprouted carrots can also be cultivated in the garden and used to obtain seeds.
That's why carrots germinate
When carrots are stored in a humid environment, they often begin to sprout. Changes in environmental conditions also have a positive effect on germ formation. Rising temperatures and long storage stimulate growth. The ideal storage conditions are cool, dry and dark. You should only store undamaged carrots that still have about two centimeters of green. These are put into a bucket of sand and placed in a windowless basement room.
Edible or not?
Sprouted carrots are still edible if you remove the germs generously. Check the vegetables for mold, as this often occurs when they are stored in the refrigerator when they are too humid. Moldy carrots should no longer be consumed as the fungal mycelium does not visibly penetrate the plant tissue.
Tip
Freshly purchased carrots should be taken straight out of the packaging. Wash the root vegetables and store them dry in the vegetable compartment.
Growing sprouted carrots
In spring, the pre-germinated carrots are ideal for further cultivation. As a medium feeder, the vegetable thrives in sandy, loamy soils. A loose structure is important for good water drainage. Since Daucus carota is biennial, the plant now invests the energy stored in the underground taproot in flower development. White umbel flowers appear in July. In September the seeds are ripe and you can collect them for breeding.
Use seeds
Early varieties can be sown directly outdoors from March. They are ready to harvest by the end of May or beginning of June. If you want to harvest fresh carrots permanently, you should sow the seeds every four weeks until May. From this point onwards, storage carrots are sown.
How to sow:
- draw grooves three centimeters deep
- Make sure the row spacing is 20 centimeters
- Sow seeds at a distance of two to four centimeters
- make sure to water evenly
- Pile up plants so that no green heads form
