Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Annual Biennial

Daucus carota 'Sweet Candle'

carrot 'Sweet Candle'

An annual, deciduous vegetable, and a popular, high-yielding variety with smooth orange skin, which is almost coreless The carrots are deliciously sweet flavoured with uniformly cylindrical shaped roots and rounded tips, making this popular with gardeners and exhibitors. Sow from March to July to harvest from July to October/November

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
2 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Apiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Daucus are more commonly known as wild carrot, a group of herbaceous, biennial (although not always) plants which can reach a height of between 30 to 60cm. The triangular shaped leaves are tripinnate, divided and lacy and flowers begin in pink buds, opening into small and white clustered together in dense umbels. The fruit is small, hairy and lumpy.
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in an open, sunny position with deeply cultivated, well-drained soil; heavy clay or stony soils may cause carrots to fork so it is best to make sure you have removed as many stones as possible and for clay soils add plenty of organic matter, such as well rotted manure. To reduce chances of harvesting forked carrots in clay soil choose a short-rooted cultivar. Keep seeds well-watered until your seedlings have emerged. You can also sow seeds in containers, especially if you select a cultivar with a shorter root. Harvest carrots from July until October / November. See grow your own advice pages on how to grow carrots for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. Seeds can be sown from March until July. To sow directly into the ground, dig over the soil to remove weeds and large stones, firm it and then rake it level. Make drills with a hoe, water the base and sow the seed. It is best to sow sparingly so you don’t have to thin the carrots too much later on as this can attract carrot fly. Cover with soil and water in. See carrots cultivation for further information

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants
Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to root damage by carrot fly larvae, wireworm, slugs and rodents; foliage may be susceptible to aphids. A barrier of fine insect mesh at least 60cm high around the beds can help prevent carrot fly laying eggs

Diseases

May be susceptible to carrot leaf blight in wet conditions during the growing season but generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.