Carrot Long Championship Seeds
Carrot ‘Long Championship’ This is originally a New Red Intermediate St Valery type carrot, Its been selected over many years from championship stock. This is a traditional long-rooted variety that has remained popular with gardeners for generations thanks to its outstanding quality, dependable performance and excellent flavour. Producing long, tapering roots with smooth skins and a rich orange colour throughout, it is an ideal choice for anyone wanting attractive, high-quality carrots for both the kitchen and the show bench. This dependable maincrop variety performs particularly well in deep, fertile, stone-free soils where it develops its characteristic long, straight roots.
The crisp, sweet flesh has a fine texture and an excellent flavour whether eaten fresh, steamed, roasted or added to soups and casseroles. The roots develop evenly and can reach an impressive size under favourable growing conditions while retaining their attractive shape. Long Championship has long been regarded as a favourite among exhibition growers, producing beautifully shaped carrots that meet the exacting standards of competitive vegetable shows. It also stores well after harvesting, making it an excellent choice for gardeners looking to enjoy home-grown carrots well into autumn and early winter.
If you want to see the best long carrots in the UK go see the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show, it’s the Olympics of show vegetables.
Sowing & Propagation
Sow seeds directly outdoors from March to June into a sunny position with fertile, well-drained, stone-free soil. Draw shallow drills approximately 1cm deep, spacing rows 30cm apart, and sow the seed thinly before covering lightly with fine soil.
Once seedlings are large enough to handle, thin carefully to leave 5 to 8cm between plants. Avoid sowing into freshly manured ground, as this can cause forked roots. Deep, loose soil is essential for producing the long, straight carrots for which this variety is renowned. For exhibition-quality roots, many growers use raised beds or deep containers filled with fine loam or John Innes No. 2 compost.
Growing On
Water regularly during prolonged dry periods to encourage even root development and prevent splitting. Keep the growing area free from weeds and avoid damaging neighbouring roots when thinning.
Protect crops from carrot root fly by using fine insect mesh or horticultural fleece where necessary. Crop rotation and avoiding fresh organic manure before sowing will help maintain healthy plants and produce smooth, well-shaped roots throughout the season.
Harvesting
Harvest from August through November, depending on sowing date. Lift the roots carefully with a garden fork to avoid damage. The long, smooth carrots have crisp, sweet flesh and are excellent for salads, roasting, steaming, soups and casseroles. Their impressive size, uniformity and excellent colour also make them highly suitable for exhibition and competitive vegetable shows.
Key Features
- Traditional long-rooted variety
- Excellent exhibition carrot
- Long, smooth, tapering roots
- Rich orange colour
- Sweet, crisp flavour
- Fine-textured flesh
- Reliable maincrop variety
- Excellent storage potential
- Suitable for fresh eating and cooking
- Ideal for UK gardens and allotments
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.