How to Grow Carrots
Instructions for Growing Carrots
in Your Vegetable Garden
| Nutrition | Watering Instructions | Harvesting |
| Climate | Fertilizing Instructions | Storage |
| Soil | Challenges | Tips |
| Planting |
Carrots are hardy biennials. You can grow round and short varieties in container gardens, but if growing the longer variety, you will need to grow them in an open garden. The underground root is the edible part, they come in a variety of colors and sizes.
Gardening Tip for Growing Carrots - Carrots do not grow well next to dill. Review companion gardening.
How to Grow Carrots - Nutrition Information
Beta carotene (vitamin A), dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, chromium, niacin, thiamin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C
How to Grow Carrots - Climate
Growing carrots produces the best results in cooler areas, but they can grow in most climates.
How to Grow Carrots - Preparing the Garden Soil
Carrots can grow in partial shade, but prefer full sun.
Deeply dug sandy garden beds enriched with compost are best for growing carrots. (If using manure in your garden, make sure it is well rotted (not fresh)). Growing carrots in deep, loose soil will give them the most room to grow.
Carrot roots grow deep and smooth without blemishes in sandy or loamy garden soils. Carrots are not particular about having a precise a pH (5.5 to 7.0). (see - testing the soil pH level.) However, good drainage is important when growing carrots.
Keep your carrot garden weed free, but be careful to not disturb the carrot's roots.
How to Grow Carrots - Planting
Carrot seeds can take up to 3 weeks to germinate. Sow the carrot seeds directly in the soil, in the spring as soon as you’re able to work the garden soil.
Prepare garden furrows 10” apart and sow seeds ¼” deep. Cover with seed starting mix and water lightly. Water lightly daily until the seedling emerge. When the seedlings grow to 2” high, thin to 1 inch apart. When the remaining seedlings grow to 6” tall, thin out again to 2” apart.
Gardening Tip for Growing Carrots - Make successive plantings every 3 weeks, for an extended harvest.
Discarded seedlings can be eaten as “baby carrots.”
How to Grow Carrots - Watering
During the first 8 weeks of the growing season, only small amounts of water are needed (this forces the roots to grow deeper).
Water heavily only if soil dries out as the crop matures. (Too much water makes the roots crack.)
How to Grow Carrots - Fertilizing
Do not over fertilize when growing carrots. Garden beds that were heavily manured the previous gardening season work the best. Too much nitrogen causes the plant to put its energy into growing extra leaves, instead of growing big roots. Too much fertilizer can also affect the coloring of the roots.
How to Grow Carrots - Gardening Challenges
Carrot aphids can be pesty, as can root nematodes (which make the carrot leaves curl and turn red).
Diseased plants should be immediately pulled out and burned. (NEVER COMPOST DISEASED PLANTS!)
Gardening Tip for Growing Carrots - Practice good vegetable gardening by rotating your crops within your garden space with each new season. This will prevent many plant diseases.
How to Grow Carrots - Harvest
You can harvest carrots whenever you wish, based on the size you prefer. Growing carrots takes approximately 4 months, depending upon your seed variety.
Harvest when the soil is moist (this prevents the roots from snapping). Use a garden fork to lift the carrots gently out of the ground.
How to Grow Carrots - Storage
Cold Storage
Harvest late crops for winter storage.
If you're in a climate with mild winters where the ground doesn't freeze, you can overwinter this vegetable by leaving them in the ground, removing them from the garden only as needed.
Otherwise, store carrots between layers of sand in bins, in a cool cellar. If your cellar has very dry air, you may want to ever so slightly moisten (mist) the sand.
How to Dehydrate Vegetables - CARROTS
How to Freeze Vegetables - CARROTS
How to Can Vegetables - CARROTS
Gardening Tips From Our Readers
Have a fun story to share about growing carrots? Submit your own tips to us at: gardeningtips@howtogardenadvice.com
--------------
Note: the advice and information contained herein is based upon our experience and study. As with any advice, please apply at your own discretion.