Variety field guide
What to expect from Parisienne Carrot
Parisienne is a biennial carrot selection grown for fresh roots, storage, cooking, color diversity, and seed saving.
Open the complete descriptionComplete description · Click to collapseVariety traits, flavor, garden use, and the complete description
Their shape makes them ideal for shallow or rocky soils where long-rooted varieties struggle.
About Parisienne
Parisienne is a biennial selection of carrot, with a rosette habit and an expected height or spread of 7–12 in. It is best suited to fresh roots, storage, cooking, color diversity, and seed saving. Notable traits include harvest when shoulders reach the expected cultivar width and roots have developed full color; sweet and aromatic with texture shaped by soil and harvest age.
Choose Parisienne when the garden plan calls for fresh roots, storage, cooking, color diversity, and seed saving and the listed rosette habit fits the available space.
History and provenance
Cultivated carrots were shaped from Eurasian wild carrot populations, with early selection emphasizing aromatic roots and later regional selection producing familiar orange, yellow, white, red, and purple garden forms. Modern market classes such as Nantes, Danvers, Chantenay, Imperator, and round forcing types describe root form more reliably than an unsupported pedigree story. Carrot Seeds - Parisienne belongs to a plant lineage long associated with Mediterranean and Old World garden agriculture. It was selected over generations for kitchen, market, ornamental, or herbal value and remains useful in modern home gardens. Round Parisian types are selected for compact roots suited to shallow soil and containers.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Daucus carota L. subsp. sativus (Hoffm.) Arcang. |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Biennial |
| Maturity | 60-69 Days |
| Germination | 10-21 Days at 55–70 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/4 in |
| Plant height / spread | 7–12 in |
| Growth habit | Rosette |
| Spacing | 2 in between plants; 12 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Sandy loam; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Parisienne from seed
Sow 1/4 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 10-21 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 55–70 °F. Germination preparation: Direct sow into a prepared, weed-free seedbed; avoid disturbing developing roots or dense stands. Light requirement: Cover evenly to 1/4 in. Soaking: Optional short soak; do not leave seed waterlogged. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
Plant during spring and provide full sun. Space plants 2 in apart with 12 in between rows. Use sandy loam with a pH near 6.0–6.5, and follow a moderate watering plan. Support requirement: No-Support. Frost response: Semi-Hardy. Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing
Harvest and use
Approximately 60-69 Days, from direct sowing to market-size roots. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest when shoulders reach the expected cultivar width and roots have developed full color. Uses: Fresh roots, storage, cooking, color diversity, and seed saving. Flavor: sweet and aromatic with texture shaped by soil and harvest age. Seed saving: Insect-pollinated umbel crop. Best uses include fresh roots, storage, cooking, color diversity, and seed saving. Flavor and eating quality: sweet and aromatic with texture shaped by soil and harvest age.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Parisienne plants that match the expected rosette habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Insect-pollinated umbel crop. Compatible plants of the same species can cross through insect activity; wild relatives matter for carrot and parsnip. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Parisienne is a biennial. Seed production may require overwintering, vernalization, or more than one growing season, depending on climate and crop biology. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Carrot rust fly or root maggot where present, aphids, caterpillars, leaf spots, damping-off, and uneven emergence from crusted soil. Management: Use clean seedbeds, rotation, careful watering, prompt thinning, airflow, and locally appropriate exclusion methods. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions - Parisienne
When is Parisienne ready? Use 60-69 Days. Approximately 60-69 Days, from direct sowing to market-size roots. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 10-21 Days at about 55–70 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 7–12 in with a rosette habit. Space plants 2 in apart and rows 12 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Insect-pollinated umbel crop. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
