Description
Cosmic Purple Carrot
Cosmic Purple Carrot is one of those varieties that makes people stop and look twice.
The roots develop a rich purple exterior with a bright orange to yellow-orange interior, creating a beautiful contrast when sliced. The flavor is sweet with a slightly spicy, earthy edge, and the roots stay crisp and crunchy when harvested at their best size. Cosmic Purple typically produces tapered roots around 6–7 inches long and matures in about 70 days.
For Alaska gardeners, carrots are one of the crops that consistently make sense. They tolerate cool weather well, handle light frost, and our long summer days give them plenty of opportunity to size up during the growing season.
Cosmic Purple adds something a little different to that dependable crop.
The deep purple skin contains anthocyanin pigments, while the orange interior gives you the familiar look and sweetness of a traditional carrot once it is cut open. It is especially beautiful sliced fresh, added to salads, served on vegetable trays, or eaten straight from the garden.
Scientific Name: Daucus carota var. sativus
Days to Maturity: Approximately 70 days
Root Length: Approximately 6–7 inches
Root Color: Purple exterior with orange to yellow-orange interior
Sun: Full sun
Growth Habit: Main-season carrot
Best For: Alaska gardens, raised beds, colorful vegetable gardens, fresh eating, and cool-climate growing
Why We Like Cosmic Purple for Alaska
Carrots are naturally suited to cooler climates, making them one of the most dependable vegetables for Alaska growers.
Cosmic Purple is frost tolerant and can be planted while temperatures are still cool. It also reaches maturity in roughly 70 days, which fits comfortably into many Alaska growing seasons.
The roots are large enough to be useful for fresh eating and kitchen use without requiring an exceptionally long growing season.
And sometimes a vegetable deserves space simply because it makes the garden more interesting.
Cosmic Purple does both.
Planting Instructions
Direct sow carrots outdoors. Carrots do not transplant well because disturbing the developing root can cause misshapen or stunted carrots.
Plant seeds approximately 1/4 inch deep and about 1 inch apart. Keep the soil surface consistently moist during germination. Carrot seed can take approximately 10–25 days to emerge, depending on soil temperature and moisture.
Once seedlings are established, thin plants to approximately 2–3 inches apart to give the roots enough room to develop.
For Alaska gardens, carrots can be planted in spring once the soil is workable. A second planting can also be made later in the season if there is enough time for the roots to mature before the ground freezes.
Growing Instructions
Carrots grow best in loose, well-drained soil.
Remove rocks and break up compacted soil before planting. Heavy or rocky soil can cause carrots to fork, twist, or become misshapen.
Keep the seedbed especially moist while the seeds are germinating. Because carrot seed is planted shallowly, the surface can dry very quickly.
Once established, water consistently and avoid extreme swings between very dry and very wet soil.
Keep the bed weeded, especially while seedlings are young. Carrots grow slowly at first
Register for classes: https://seedsandsoilorganics.com/product-category/alaska-gardening-classes-growing-guides/
