Variety field guide
What to expect from Carantan
Carantan is a biennial leek selection grown for fresh allium flavor, kitchen gardens, succession planting, and seed saving.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Carantan is best suited to long-season shafts, soups, winter harvest, and cool-season gardens. Its defining kitchen character is mild onion flavor with substantial texture. These are established leek cultivars selected for shaft length, hardiness, or size.
About Carantan
Carantan is a biennial selection of leek, with an upright/erect habit and an expected height or spread of 25–30 in. It is best suited to fresh allium flavor, kitchen gardens, succession planting, and seed saving. Notable traits include harvest leaves, shafts, or bulbs at the stage named on the product page; savory allium flavor ranging from mild green leaves to mature bulbs.
Carantan is kept under its own packet name and should not be treated as interchangeable with every other leek selection.
History and provenance
Allium crops have been selected across Eurasia for leaves, shafts, bulbs, storage, color, and response to day length. A cultivar name does not override day-length adaptation, and bunching onions, bulb onions, leeks, and chives should not be treated as interchangeable species. These are established leek cultivars selected for shaft length, hardiness, or size. The exact origin of this commercial seed line is not fully documented, so the description focuses on established crop history and observable variety traits without assigning an unsupported breeder or community provenance.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Allium ampeloprasum L. Leek Group |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Biennial |
| Maturity | 120-129 Days |
| Germination | 7-14 Days at 50–65 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/4 in |
| Plant height / spread | 25–30 in |
| Growth habit | Upright/Erect |
| Spacing | 6 in between plants; 18 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Carantan from seed
Sow 1/4 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 7-14 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 50–65 °F. Germination preparation: Start in clean seed-starting mix when season length requires it, then transplant at a sturdy but not root-bound stage. Light requirement: Cover evenly to 1/4 in. Soaking: None required. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
Plant during spring/Fall and provide full sun. Space plants 6 in apart with 18 in between rows. Use loamy with a pH near 6.0–6.5, and follow a moderate watering plan. Support requirement: No-Support. Frost response: Hardy. Medium to large container or in-ground bed; avoid crowding
Harvest and use
Approximately 120-129 Days, from transplanting to market-size shafts. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest leaves, shafts, or bulbs at the stage named on the product page. Uses: Fresh allium flavor, kitchen gardens, succession planting, and seed saving. Flavor: savory allium flavor ranging from mild green leaves to mature bulbs. Seed saving: Insect-pollinated Allium. Best uses include fresh allium flavor, kitchen gardens, succession planting, and seed saving. Flavor and eating quality: savory allium flavor ranging from mild green leaves to mature bulbs.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Carantan plants that match the expected upright/erect 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 Allium. Compatible cultivars of the same species can cross while flowering. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Carantan 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: Damping-off, aphids, slugs, caterpillars, leaf spots, root rots, and stress-related bolting or poor establishment. Management: Start with clean seed and mix, match temperature to the crop, avoid overwatering, provide airflow, scout regularly, and rotate families. 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 - Carantan
When is Carantan ready? Use 120-129 Days. Approximately 120-129 Days, from transplanting to market-size shafts. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 7-14 Days at about 50–65 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 25–30 in with an upright/erect habit. Space plants 6 in apart and rows 18 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Medium to large container or in-ground bed; avoid crowding Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Insect-pollinated Allium. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
