Carrots
Carrot Growing Guide
Growing carrots is not a very difficult task. The first thing to know is that that carrots don’t like to be transplanted, so we need to sow them directly into the ground. Also, as carrots seeds are tiny, we need to take special care to not put too many in the same location when sowing.
At the time of sowing, we need to make sure there are no rocks or hard chunks of dirt, so the first step will be to rake the soil to a fine tilth. With the help of a stick (or with your feet or hands) mark out the seed rows. The row should be about 1cm deep leaving approximately about 15cm between each row. These depths and distances can change depending on the variety of carrot you are using, the package should tell you. Once we have that setup, we can sprinkle pinches of the seed thinly along the row, and carefully cover the seeds.
Clumps of seedlings should be thinned out as necessary, pulling any excess seeds out carefully, leaving enough space for the rest to grow freely. Once sown, they need to be continually moist, ensuring we provide enough water to reach the deeper parts of the ground, softening it to help the carrot grow longer.
Some months later you’ll see the top of the carrot vegetable poking out of the ground, this is a good sign to know your carrots are ready. If needed, you can carefully remove a bit of the ground from the top to check its size.
When they are ready to pick, pull up the roots carefully. If they resist your efforts to pull them up, use your chosen garden tool to loosen the soil a bit more.
Before you store your crop, you will want to cut the green tops off.
Sowing
February to July
Light
Partially Shaded
Soil
Free of stones
Watering
Constantly moist
Harvesting
70 to 80 days
Tips
- Before sowing, mix your seeds with sand, so they are easier to spread around.
- To prevent damage from carrot flies, you can cover the ground with a cover immediately after sowing.
- It’s recommended to make sure your carrots are properly hydrated before picking.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a couple of reasons for your carrot coming out a weird shape, but the most common one is that if the root hits something like a stone in the ground. When this happens, the root will move out of the way, forming a weird looking carrot. That’s why we need to make sure that our soil is light and free of stones.
Wacky looking carrot roots are edible (in most cases), so if you grew a weird one, don’t worry about it!
Once you have pulled them out of the ground, don’t wash them unless you plan to eat your entire crop within the next few weeks.
For the rest, trim the greens, leaving 1 inch (2cm) of the top on each still attached. Even though fresh carrots look beautiful with their tops still attached, leaving the greens on will leech delicious sugars from the roots. And if you’re planning for long term storage, the greens can rot, potentially contaminating your harvest and causing them to spoil.
The pile of unearthed roots that still slightly dirty but not caked in mud, with their tops removed can be stored in a cold location.
They can also be packed in moist sand in a crate and stored in a cool basement or root cellar, for longer storage.
