carrots going to seed

Two carrots in my row have grown tops instead of bottoms, the others are all just normal. These two have put up enormous stems with beautiful flowers that are now forming seeds. I was going to pull them but then discovered swallowtail caterpillars eating them...they ran out of my dill... so left them for the caterpillars. Now I'm wondering if I could save the seed to replant. I know I would not probably get the same kind as the parent, but I grow carrots for my horses as well as my family, and thought they might still like them even if they weren't so sweet. Has anyone ever played around with this? Would I get a usable carrot or just more food for the caterpillars...which actually is fine with me too?

Kathy

Most of the time you will get a usable carrot. If your cultivar is an OP, you will get the same carrot, unless you have several different cultivars blooming at the same time.

Good, my horses will be dilighted to hear that. What is the best way to carch the seed as it ripens? I'd thought about tying a small paper bag around the head so what shatters will fall in the bag, but didn't know if that would let it get enough air.

Kathy

That will work fine as long as you let the seedhead began to dry before bagging it. Just don't use plastic or you will probably get mold.

Thanks again! Boy I had to laugh when I reread my last post. I had a two year old on my lap helping me and I sure didn't hit the keys too straight. My grade school teachers would just die if they could see that spelling!!!

Kathy

I had the same question. Thanks for getting an answer. Here's mine:

That looks just like the Queen Anne's Lace all around my property - does that mean I have carrots all around under those? Or not? LOL! Sorry, had to ask :)

It does look like Queen Anne's Lacy, but I know we planted carrots there and we have no Queen Anne's Lace close by. It would be amazing if a Queen Anne's Lace seed, one only, just happened to land in the middle of my carrots. I did wonder for a couple minutes.

I think, but may be mistaken, that some old herbals call Queen Anne's Lace 'wild carrot'. I think I will have to go dig one up and see if it has a carrot-type root. I have a lot of them :) Either that, or someone seeded a LOT of carrots around the property and I just don't know it...hahahaha! I wasn't insinuating that you had Queen Anne's Lace in your garden Zhinu, but rather maybe my QA might provide me some wild carrots :)

Queen Annes Lace is a carrot but has a tough woody root.

So they are not 'edible' then, say, mashed with potatoes? Farmerdill, you are such a font of information. I always appreciate your feedback :)

Edible yes, as in they won't kill you. taste wise, they are probably comparable to starving pilgrims eating shoeleather.

Ewwww, I'll pass then :/

My carrots have two huge flowers coming out of them that I thought was Queen Anne's Lace as well. Look just like the above picture. I didn't plant the QAL either - just carrots. Hmmmm.

Ok, here is some pictures of Queen Anne's Lace and Carrots. That's my DSD behind them.

Here is the difference, look at the leaves.

Make sure that there aren't any Queen Ann's Lace blooming near the carrots if you want to save seeds. They cross readily.

No I got that from a field about a block away just to make sure it wasn't Queen Anne's Lace since they look so similar.

Ok... so is this ready to harvest the seeds or do I need to leave it a couple more days?

Let the seed heads dry on the plant. As they began to dry, put a cheesecloth or similar material over the head to prevent shattering ( catch the seeds).