F1 hybrid carrot variery ‘Fly Away’ doing well in the trial.

The growing trials for carrots this year have got off to a difficult start as the wild carrot seeds have proved to be both slow to germinate and of low viability. This pattern has been repeated in all four of the gardens participating in the trials. At RBGE the F1 ‘Fly Away’ has been the best variety based on overall growth so far and it looks like it will not be caught by either the wild carrots or the heritage variety.

Wild carrot showing how the leaves remain much closer to the soil surface and are quite different to the erect form of the domestic carrot.

The wild carrot is now showing respectable germination at RBGE and the plants are becoming large enough to show some differences compared to the domesticated crop. The wild plants seem to hold their leaves much closer to the ground. Not really surprising when you consider that this is a plant of wind-swept coastal grasslands. The leaf stalks of the wild plants also seem to be much more hairy.

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