Wild carrot is also called European wild carrot, bird's nest, bishop's lace, and Queen Anne's lace. It is a biennial plant in the umbellifer family (Apiaceae) just like: aniseed, caraway, fennel, carrot, parsley, spotted hemlock and Ammi Majus. It is also common in the wild in the Netherlands and Belgium. The plant flowers with large white umbels that close in the evening and open again during the day.
The plant produces thin, white roots in the first year after sowing. These roots are edible. But the harvest of roots is often not very large. The roots can be cooked just like ordinary carrots. The leaves, seeds and flowers of this plant are also edible and can e.g. be added to salads. The leaves of this plant die off in winter. After the 1st winter, the plant uses the created roots as an energy source to produce flowers and seeds. Unfortunately, the root is no longer edible after that because it has become too fibrous. The flowers of the Wild carrot can also be used as cut flowers. The flowers of this plant are much loved by bees, bumblebees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Wild carrot is an important food plant for several butterfly species. All kinds of birds also like to eat the seeds of this plant. This plant flowers from June to September. Non evergreen biennial. Hardy biennial. Height: 30 - 90 cm.
Outdoor sowing: half September - April
Germination: 90 - 180 days
Germination temp.: 10 - 18 °C
Sowing depth: ½ cm
Plant distance: 5 - 30 cm
Plant position: zonnig
Harvesting period roots: October in the first year after sowing
Flowering period: June - September
As wild carrot is a cold germinator, the seed needs a cold period to germinate. Sow the seed outdoors from autumn (e.g. mid-September) so that the seed germinates from early spring. Wild carrot grows best in a sunny spot with poor, empty soil. Therefore, before sowing, all other plants and weeds should be removed from the spot where you want to sow the wild carrot. It is important to remove all stones, old roots, roots of weeds, etc. from the soil before sowing. Loosen the soil well to about 20 cm deep so that the roots have enough space to grow.
Sow thinly and cover the seeds with a small layer of sowing soil. Mark the sowing spot well, as the seeds take a long time to emerge. It is best to sow in rows. Then it is easier to identify any weeds and remove them. Planting distance for growing roots is 3 - 5 cm. If the plant is grown for flowers, the planting distance is 25 - 30 cm. Harvest the roots the 1st year after sowing from October. After this, the plant uses the created roots as an energy source to produce flowers and seed. Unfortunately, the root is no longer edible after that because it has become too fibrous. Pick the flowers from July in the 2nd year after sowing.
