I started this grex of colorful carrot varieties in 2024, and collected seed from the first generation of roots last summer. Full details of the varieties included and additional photographs can be found in the 2025 carrot grow reports thread, but I’m creating this separate thread as a place to provide updates over time and hopefully coordinate local collaboration since I have more seed than I can use on my own even after contributing to the GTS seed share.
To that end, I’m bringing a bunch of packets of seed from this grex to local seed swap events along with informational brochures from GTS. My hope is to inspire others to participate in this project and potentially connect with this community. Each packet will have a small paper print out with basic information about the grex and a QR code that leads to this post. I will share a few updates from my own grow out here throughout the season and also email them to anyone who has signed up for updates. In a best case scenario, we could organize a meet up to do a taste testing event and select the best roots for next year’s seed grow out, but that will require people being interested!
If you grow near the Seattle area in western Washington State and would like to participate in this project, you can reply to this thread, send me a direct message, or send me an email at: seattle.grexes@gmail.com if you prefer not to join the going to seed discourse community. I may still be able to provide some seed.
I’m one year behind you up here in Quebec (a groundhog ate all my carrots in 2024). I might also be growing some of your seeds this year! I look forward to seeing more people producing and contributing carrot seeds over the next few years.
Beautiful colors @avery.bowron , I like how much red you’ve been able to keep in the grex. I’ve learned red is the most recessive color. Difficult to develop, but easy to keep when you have it (red x red always gives red I assume).
How do you feel about the green necks? The trait is hard to get rid of. My understanding is it doesn’t affect flavor, but all modern varieties have aggressively selected against it.
More accurate to say that I’ve started with plenty of red and purple than that I’ve maintained it. These roots are all from the first and second year grow out so are true to variety and served as the seed producing roots for my first two years of crossing. I do hope to maintain plenty of color in the mix going forward through selection. If you can get your hands on any of the Wisconsin Purple Carrot Breeding Population from EFN, I was pleased with its contributions in this years grow out (upper right quadrant of the upper photo and all four roots in lower photo).
I included the Uzbek golden variety before reading more deeply about carrot genetics and the green shoulders, but I quite like them in all other respects and the green doesn’t bother me much. I can see it being an issue aesthetically in the culinary and commercial contexts but that’s more a matter of personal taste than a severe flaw in my view. This was the most robust of all the original varieties in my grow out (most consistent germination, most consistently large roots). It’s just okay as a raw eating carrot, but excellent cooked, especially in rice/pilaf dishes.
I have carrot rust fly in my area but the pressure is not intense. I have not actively selected for resistance so far as my primary goal at the beginning was to get seed from a wide range of crosses. I will likely passively select for resistance by focusing on saving robust roots with minimal damage in future years, but I won’t rule out saving roots with some damage if they grow to sufficient size and have highly desirable characteristics otherwise.
