Root crops, except for turnips and garlic, are not my specialty. After seeding in loose and fluffy soil, most require vigilance, to make sure the soil does not dry out and crust over. This is true for beets (which one day I WILL successfully grow), but especially true for carrots, with their tiny seeds. Now, with retirement (though I am busier than ever!) I have the flexibility to water every morning, and in the afternoon or evening if it is very dry. Some gardeners cover the newly planted seed bed with newspaper, and keep it damp. Try it, but it never worked well for me, and I forget to remove it soon enough. You can also try carrot seed tape (strips of paper with seeds embedded at proper spacing, but I have only ever seen a few varieties commercially-prepared this way. DIY here: https://www.finegardening.com/article/make-your-own-seed-tape). Make sure you thin your carrots after they sprout. Despite all this trouble, this spring, I had great success with Purple Cosmic Carrot. It seems to sprout more easily and quickly, and grow lushly, and tastes good.
But, bad gardener Judy, I let a second crop of carrots grow and mature through a hot, dry spell. This usually turns carrots bitter, but this variety did pretty well. It was tasty, with occasional bitterness. How to cook the bitterness out of carrots? Slice and shallow steam in water or stock, with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. After the liquid steams off, I add an Asian-inspired sauce (made with hoisin sauce, tamarind concentrate, or gouchujang) (I am an improvisational cook and make it up as I go).
And, as a botanical artist, I find the color to be AMAZING (carrots studies below).
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