- Seeds of the MM Garden
- Planty Sowing Calendar
- Are our seeds organic?
- What does F1 mean on the seeds of Planty Gardening?
- African marigold - sowing and growing
- Asian salad mix - sowing and growing
- Endive - sowing and growing
- Dino kale - sowing and growing
- Bush tomato - sowing and growing
- Bush basil - sowing and growing
- Beet - sowing and growing
- Bush basil - sowing and growing
- Chioggia beet - sowing and growing
- Cos lettuce - sowing and growing
- Butter beans - sowing and growing
- Climbing zucchini - sowing and growing
- Liquorice mint - sowing and growing
- Yellomato - sowing and growing
- Marigold - sowing and growing
- Cucumber - sowing and growing
- Cilantro - sowing and growing
- Bibb lettuce - sowing and growing
- NZ spinach - sowing and growing
- Indian cress - sowing and growing
- Bok choi - sowing and growing
- Dino kale - sowing and growing
- Snow pea - sowing and growing
- Lettuce - sowing and growing
- Lettuce - sowing and growing
- Baby pumpkin - sowing and growing
- Radish - sowing and growing
- Arugola - sowing and growing
- Chard - sowing and growing
- Romano pole bean - sowing and growing
- Bacon bean - sowing and growing
- Spinach
- Bush bean - sowing and growing
- Stem lettuce - sowing and growing
- Sugar snap - sowing and growing
- Lamb's lettuce - sowing and growing
- Winter pea - sowing and growing
- Winter purslane - sowing and growing
- Winter lettuce - sowing and growing
- Carrot - sowing and growing
- Purple carrot - sowing and growing
- Sunflower - sowing and growing
Almost all information about plants has been included with the plants in our free app. So, you don't need to remember it.
View the MM app
- Seeds of the MM Garden
- Planty Sowing Calendar
- Are our seeds organic?
- What does F1 mean on the seeds of Planty Gardening?
- African marigold - sowing and growing
- Asian salad mix - sowing and growing
- Endive - sowing and growing
- Dino kale - sowing and growing
- Bush tomato - sowing and growing
- Bush basil - sowing and growing
- Beet - sowing and growing
- Bush basil - sowing and growing
- Chioggia beet - sowing and growing
- Cos lettuce - sowing and growing
- Butter beans - sowing and growing
- Climbing zucchini - sowing and growing
- Liquorice mint - sowing and growing
- Yellomato - sowing and growing
- Marigold - sowing and growing
- Cucumber - sowing and growing
- Cilantro - sowing and growing
- Bibb lettuce - sowing and growing
- NZ spinach - sowing and growing
- Indian cress - sowing and growing
- Bok choi - sowing and growing
- Dino kale - sowing and growing
- Snow pea - sowing and growing
- Lettuce - sowing and growing
- Lettuce - sowing and growing
- Baby pumpkin - sowing and growing
- Radish - sowing and growing
- Arugola - sowing and growing
- Chard - sowing and growing
- Romano pole bean - sowing and growing
- Bacon bean - sowing and growing
- Spinach
- Bush bean - sowing and growing
- Stem lettuce - sowing and growing
- Sugar snap - sowing and growing
- Lamb's lettuce - sowing and growing
- Winter pea - sowing and growing
- Winter purslane - sowing and growing
- Winter lettuce - sowing and growing
- Carrot - sowing and growing
- Purple carrot - sowing and growing
- Sunflower - sowing and growing
How to sow and grow purple carrots
These carrots are real show-stoppers: deep purple with a white or yellow center. Even healthier than orange carrots.
What are purple carrots?
Purple carrots are bred for their gorgeous color. The purple comes from high levels of anthocyanin, which is very good for your heart and blood vessels.
The first white carrots came from Persia (now Iran) and were brought to the Netherlands by the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century.
Since then, people have continued to grow carrots in different colors. This purple carrot is the result of a lot of cross-breeding. That also makes it a little more expensive.
The carrots are white or pale yellow when they're still small, but the older they are, the more purple they get. The center usually stays white-yellow, but each carrot is unique. Don't be surprised if you find an orange carrot in the mix 🙂
The first white carrots came from Persia (now Iran) and were brought to the Netherlands by the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century.
Since then, people have continued to grow carrots in different colors. This purple carrot is the result of a lot of cross-breeding. That also makes it a little more expensive.
The carrots are white or pale yellow when they're still small, but the older they are, the more purple they get. The center usually stays white-yellow, but each carrot is unique. Don't be surprised if you find an orange carrot in the mix 🙂
Purple carrots are even healthier than the orange ones
All carrots are rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and C. They also have a lot of beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A.
Carrots contain minerals like calcium and potassium for strong bones and fiber for healthy digestion.
Don't forget the leaves: even the carrot tops are full of vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, and Vitamins C and K.
Purple carrots are also rich in a unique antioxidant: anthocyanin. It belongs to the same polyphenol group as blueberries, blackberries, purple cabbage, purple potatoes, etc. Anthocyanin helps combat the aging process, heart disease, and other health issues.
Carrots contain minerals like calcium and potassium for strong bones and fiber for healthy digestion.
Don't forget the leaves: even the carrot tops are full of vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, and Vitamins C and K.
Purple carrots are also rich in a unique antioxidant: anthocyanin. It belongs to the same polyphenol group as blueberries, blackberries, purple cabbage, purple potatoes, etc. Anthocyanin helps combat the aging process, heart disease, and other health issues.
More about our purple carrot seeds
This unique carrot is deep purple on the outside and white or yellow on the inside. A real stunner and a fun alternative to the 'regular' orange ones.
Purple carrots taste great, but not quite as sweet, juicy, or crunchy as our orange carrots. Still, the funky colors more than make up for it.
Purple carrots taste great, but not quite as sweet, juicy, or crunchy as our orange carrots. Still, the funky colors more than make up for it.
- Species name: Deep Purple F1
- Family: root
- Plants per square patch: 16
- Height: 30 to 40 cm
- Sowing time: mid-March to mid-August
- Sowing depth: 0.5 cm
- Germination: 10 - 21°C in 10 - 15 days
- Time to harvest: after 10 to 14 weeks
- Sunlight: ideally full sun (more sun means sweeter taste)
Want to buy purple carrot seeds? We sell seed bags separately, or, you can get them as part of a seed pack:
What do you need to sow and grow carrots?
Just this:
- a 30x30 cm patch with airy, nutritious soil mix
- purple carrot seeds
- a place with at least 6 - 8 hours of sunlight a day
In other words: an MM-Mini, or a square patch in one of our garden boxes, filled with MM-Mix.
Growing your own purple carrots is super easy with the MM-Mix. If you grow in low-quality (potting) soil, disappointment is pretty much guaranteed. So don't skimp on soil mix: go for the best.
Growing your own purple carrots is super easy with the MM-Mix. If you grow in low-quality (potting) soil, disappointment is pretty much guaranteed. So don't skimp on soil mix: go for the best.
How do you sow and grow carrots?
Our purple carrots are included in the free Planty Gardening app. Use it, and you'll get step-by-step guidance from seed to harvest.
Each vegetable goes through a number of stages - we call them levels. The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and checks in when your plants are ready for the next.
So you don't need to know how to grow purple carrots before you start: the app takes you through every step.
But if you'd like to read more about those steps, here's what the whole process looks like:
Each vegetable goes through a number of stages - we call them levels. The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and checks in when your plants are ready for the next.
So you don't need to know how to grow purple carrots before you start: the app takes you through every step.
But if you'd like to read more about those steps, here's what the whole process looks like:
Level 1: Sowing purple carrots
First, pick a square patch in the front rows of your garden box. Loosen up the damp soil mix. Then, sow like this:
- poke 16 holes in the square patch (max 1 cm deep)
- put 2 to 3 seeds in each hole
- carefully cover the holes with soil mix
After about 12 days, you'll see your first plants come up. It depends a bit on the weather.
Level 2: Purple carrot seedlings
As soon as you see the first seedlings, you know things are going well. They probably won't all come up at once, but give it a few more days.
Then it's time for the next level.
Then it's time for the next level.
Level 3: Thinning your purple carrots
When several seedlings come up in each hole that you sowed, choose the best ones and remove the rest: that's called thinning out.
It might sound harsh, but it's necessary. Especially for carrots. They need enough room to get nice and thick. Too close together, and you'll get plenty of carrot leaves but no carrots.
If you see spots where nothing came up, sow a few more seeds. Carrots - like beets and radishes - can't be transplanted.
It might sound harsh, but it's necessary. Especially for carrots. They need enough room to get nice and thick. Too close together, and you'll get plenty of carrot leaves but no carrots.
If you see spots where nothing came up, sow a few more seeds. Carrots - like beets and radishes - can't be transplanted.
Level 4: Caring for your purple carrots
After 3 weeks or so, your seedlings will become small plants.
You hardly need to do anything for the next 5 weeks: if the weather's dry, give them some water and remove the odd dead or yellow leaf. Easy 🙂
You hardly need to do anything for the next 5 weeks: if the weather's dry, give them some water and remove the odd dead or yellow leaf. Easy 🙂
Level 5: Harvesting purple carrots
About 10 - 14 weeks after sowing at the earliest, the first carrots are ready to harvest.
To see if your carrots are ready, wipe away the soil mix at the base of the leaves. The carrots should be at least 2 to 3 cm in diameter.
It can sometimes take longer, depending on the weather. Just leave the small carrots in your patch: they'll catch up. Go ahead and harvest the bigger ones now.
To see if your carrots are ready, wipe away the soil mix at the base of the leaves. The carrots should be at least 2 to 3 cm in diameter.
It can sometimes take longer, depending on the weather. Just leave the small carrots in your patch: they'll catch up. Go ahead and harvest the bigger ones now.
Carrots require a little patience. You can actually forget about them for weeks. The longer they're there, the thicker they get. You can even harvest them in winter 😀
What do you use purple carrots for?
You can enjoy the carrot roots by themselves. Eat them raw by the fistful or grated in salads. You can also boil, stew, or roast them.
The leaves are edible and super healthy. They taste similar to parsley: spicy with a hint of carrot flavor. Process raw in a (tabouleh) salad with the carrot root, tomato, onion, chickpeas, and cumin. Or make a pesto. Or toss in a stir fry. The options are endless.
The last levels
Keep harvesting until your purple carrot patch is empty.
Carrots can handle the cold, so you can leave them in their patch for a long time. A little frost makes the carrots even sweeter 🙂
The last level: tidy up the empty patch in your garden box or your MM-Mini and prepare it for the next round of sowing.
Carrots can handle the cold, so you can leave them in their patch for a long time. A little frost makes the carrots even sweeter 🙂
The last level: tidy up the empty patch in your garden box or your MM-Mini and prepare it for the next round of sowing.
So: ready to grow purple carrots yourself?
I'm sure you are 😉 Our purple carrots look amazing, are super tasty, and easy to grow. All you need is some patience.
Plus: with our app and materials, it's almost impossible to fail.
Order your purple carrot seeds here or get started with a complete kit:
Plus: with our app and materials, it's almost impossible to fail.
Order your purple carrot seeds here or get started with a complete kit:
Enjoy!
PS: Thanks to Shahaira en Pensionades for de photo's en posts on our Dutch community.
About our seeds
- Seeds of the MM Garden
- Planty Sowing Calendar
- Are our seeds organic?
- What does F1 mean on the seeds of Planty Gardening?
- African marigold - sowing and growing
- Asian salad mix - sowing and growing
- Endive - sowing and growing
- Dino kale - sowing and growing
- Bush tomato - sowing and growing
- Bush basil - sowing and growing
- Beet - sowing and growing
- Bush basil - sowing and growing
- Chioggia beet - sowing and growing
- Cos lettuce - sowing and growing
- Butter beans - sowing and growing
- Climbing zucchini - sowing and growing
- Liquorice mint - sowing and growing
- Yellomato - sowing and growing
- Marigold - sowing and growing
- Cucumber - sowing and growing
- Cilantro - sowing and growing
- Bibb lettuce - sowing and growing
- NZ spinach - sowing and growing
- Indian cress - sowing and growing
- Bok choi - sowing and growing
- Dino kale - sowing and growing
- Snow pea - sowing and growing
- Lettuce - sowing and growing
- Lettuce - sowing and growing
- Baby pumpkin - sowing and growing
- Radish - sowing and growing
- Arugola - sowing and growing
- Chard - sowing and growing
- Romano pole bean - sowing and growing
- Bacon bean - sowing and growing
- Spinach
- Bush bean - sowing and growing
- Stem lettuce - sowing and growing
- Sugar snap - sowing and growing
- Lamb's lettuce - sowing and growing
- Winter pea - sowing and growing
- Winter purslane - sowing and growing
- Winter lettuce - sowing and growing
- Carrot - sowing and growing
- Purple carrot - sowing and growing
- Sunflower - sowing and growing