3. Choose a Variety:
Carrots, while seeming very straight forward a vegetable, actually have quite a few types out there. Simply stopping into a Whole Foods or Central Market (if you have them in your area), or another health food grocery store likely, can open one’s eyes to some of the varieties.
There are black carrots, red carrots, purple, yellow, and even white ones! Stump carrots, finger-sized carrots (both good for firmer soils), medium, and long ones (both good for looser soils)! There’s (still) chunky main-crop carrots! (These are ideal for planting late in the season in order to store the root through winter for next season!) Size, shape, and color, these options go for days.
There are also pest-resistant varieties, like carrot fly resistant, that are worth looking into. The smaller the root, the more it will thrive in denser soils… the larger the root, the more likely they will do well in pots, above-ground beds, and looser soils.
The color is simply a preference, as far as I can tell. And what a fun preference to have.