What causes my home garden carrots to be tasteless, woody and often bitter instead of sweet and tender?
Big and old carrots are often described as woody – they are in fact just that, containing a larger than normal amount of lignum, the substance that makes wood, wood. As a general rule the larger the core the more woody they taste. These problems are associated with growing and environmental conditions during the maturing period. Carrots grow best and develop highest sugars when temperatures are between 40 degrees and 80 degrees F. Carrots are cold hardy, but should be planted so they mature before temperatures drop below 20 degrees F. as damage or death can occur. Moisture stress is also reported to cause small, woody, and poorly flavoured roots.
