Vegetable Seeds Heritage Open-pollinated

Carrot Autumn King 2

Heritage long-rooted maincrop carrot for autumn and winter storage

£1.65approx. 500 seeds

The heavy-cropping maincrop carrot that fills the winter store - large, deeply-coloured roots, sweet flavour intensified by autumn frost, keeping for months in damp sand.

Sowing months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Harvest months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Height
30cm (foliage)
Spread
10cm
Spacing
7-10cm
Position
Full sun. Open, well-drained.
Soil
Deep, stone-free, light. NOT freshly manured. Neutral pH.
Grow guide
How to grow Carrot Autumn King 2
Read the full guide →
About this variety

The big maincrop carrot that fills the storage crates. Autumn King 2 makes broad-shouldered conical roots of 20 to 25cm with deep orange flesh, and weights over 200 grams are common on well-grown plants. This is not the quick salad carrot; it is the winter staple that sees a kitchen through from October to spring.

The flavour is honest rather than exotic — unmistakably carroty, sweet, dependable. It improves noticeably after the first autumn frosts, when the sugars concentrate in response to the cold.

One thing determines success more than any other: never sow it into freshly manured ground. Fresh manure produces forked and distorted roots. Follow a crop of beans or peas, or use a bed manured the previous autumn. Stored in damp sand somewhere cool and dark, the roots keep four to six months without losing much.

Plant alongside

Carrot Autumn King 2 pairs beautifully with these kitchen garden companions