Carrots, what kind should I plant?

I like both the long and the short kinds. Our soil is very hard and we have lots of clay. Normally, the carrots would grow crooked and knarly. So I mix my carrot seeds with my radish seeds. The roots of the radishes keep the soil broke open enough for the carrots to grow straight. When the radishes are ready to be picked, they also help to space the carrots out from each other. This process is called Companion Planting.

The type of carrot you should grow depends on your soil and growing season. Most carrots like sandy, loose soil, but there are kinds that grow in heavy clay. Here's a page that explains the difference: http://www.carrotgardeningtips.com/typesofcarrots.html Maybe that will help make up your mind which one you need to grow.

I would love to answer all your questions...and might be able to, but first I have to ask a few questions; a) What is your soil type? Sandy? Loam? Rocky? b) what is your growing season? c) Sweet or standard? d) Early or late harvest Carrots usually range from 72 to 125 days to harvest. Most grow best in somewhat sandy loam, because as they are growing they need to be able to move the soil. It helps to cultivate them! They range from "Healthmaster F1 Hybrid"-which is a deep reddish orange, which has 30-35% more beta-carotene (because of color) to "Yellowstone F1 Hybrids" which are canary-yellow colored and have the sweetest flavor when eaten raw.......And then there's the old standby "Nantes" which our grandmothers grew...and hundreds in between! Haven't helped you much but if you like, you can sign me up as a friend and then you can PM me, and would love to help! ( owned a Nursery for 13 years) Happy Gardening! Cheers!