How to Grow Carrots
Instructions & Advice for Growing Carrot Plants
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, and these days, they come in many colors, sizes and varieties..
Gardening Advice Tip: Carrots do not grow well next to dill plants. For more information on planning your garden, review the companion planting guide. For more information, review: companion gardening.
Nutrition Information: (back to top)
This vegetable provides a very high source of beta carotene (vitamin A), and dietary fiber.
Other nutrients: Potassium, Manganese, Chromium, Niacin, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C
Climate:(back to top)
Gardening carrots is most productive in cooler garden growing zones, but they can grow in most climates.
How to Prepare the Garden Soil: (back to top)
Carrots can grow in partial shade, but prefer full sun. If you have a cooler spot in your garden, that’s where your carrot patch will be happiest.
Older (deeply dug) sandy garden beds full of decayed organic matter and compost will provide the best growing results. Or you can think of it this way: if you have hard soil around (and below) the carrots, it's not unlike trying to grow them in a pot of concrete. There's no room for the roots to expand. Gardening carrots in deep, loose soil will give them the most room to grow.
If using manure in your garden, make sure it is well rotted (not fresh).
Carrot roots grow deep and smooth without blemishes in sandy or loamy garden soils. Carrots are not particular about having a precise pH (5.50 to 7.0), but good drainage is imporant to this vegetable. (Information on testing your garden plot's soil pH level.)
Keep your carrot garden weed free, but avoid deep cultivation to protect developing roots. Monitor the moisture levels of the garden soil. Consider companion plant gardening carrots with radishes to prevent burn-off.
How to Plant: (back to top)
Carrot seeds can take up to 3 weeks to germinate.
Sow the carrot seeds directly in the soil, as soon in the spring 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 out to 1 inch apart. When the remaining seedlings grow to 6” tall, thin out again to 2” apart.
Gardening Advice Tip: Make successive plantings every 3 weeks, for an extended harvest of fresh tender carrots.
Discarded seedlings can be eaten as “baby carrots” (like the ones you find in the vegetable section of the grocery store.)
How to Water: (back to top)
During the first 8 weeks of the growing season, only small amounts of water are needed (this forces the roots to grow downward/longer).
Water heavily only if soil dries out as the crop matures. (Too much water makes the roots crack.)
How to Fertilize: (back to top)
Do not over fertilize. Garden beds that were heavily manured the previous gardening season work the best. Too much nitrogen causes the plant to put it's energy into growing extra leaves, instead of growing big roots. Also, too much fertilizer can also affect the coloring of the carrot roots.
Gardening Challenges: (back to top)
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 Advice Tip: Practice good vegetable gardening by rotating your crops within your garden space with each new season. This will prevent many plant diseases.
How to Harvest: (back to top)
You can harvest carrots whenever you wish, based on the size you like the roots to be. Fully maturity is reached approximately after growing approximately 4 months, depending upon your seed variety. Harvest when the soil is moist (this prevents the roots from snapping). Use a garden fork and lift the carrots gently out of the ground.
Storage: How to Freeze Carrots (back to top)
Scrub carrots and cut into pieces. Blanch carrots for 3 minutes in boiling water. Cool in iced water for 3 minutes. Drain carrots and spread on a tray in a single layer. Freeze carrots for 30 minutes. Pack into freezer bags, remove air, seal and label. Freeze carrots for up to 6 months.
Storage: Cold (back to top)
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 your carrot crop in a cool cellar, in bins with layers of sand between carrots. If your cellar has very dry air, you may want to ever so slightly moisten (mist) the sand.
Storage: How to Dehydrate / Dry Carrots (back to top)
Wash the vegetable and trim off the tops. Cut into ¼” slices (or shred). Dry at 100 degrees for about 16 hours (for slices) or 12 hours (for shredded carrots) until brittle. To rehydrate, soak in cold water for 30 minutes and drain. Dried carrots can be added directly to stews and soups without rehydrating.
Storage: Canning (back to top)
NOTE: This is only a guideline. Be sure to follow standard sanitation and canning procedures, as outlined in your canning cookbook or by your local county extension office. Also, when using a pressure canner, follow your specific manufacturer's instructions. Cooking times in the canner can vary, depending upon your climate and altitude. Again, check with your local county extension office for conversion rates for your area. Your local county extension office may also be able to test your pressure cooker's gauge for accuracy.
For best results, use carrots that are no thicker than 1 1/2" thick. Wash carrots. Slice, or cut into pieces as you prefer for storage in jars. Pack carrots tightly into hot jars leaving 1" of space at the top of the jar. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt per pint (1 tsp per quart jar). Fill with boiling water, leaving 1" of space at the top of the jar. Use a rubber spatula to remove air bubbles. Apply caps and process in a steam pressure canner: 25 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts at 10 lbs pressure.
NOTE: Be sure to follow your pressure cooker's manufacturer supplied instructions for safety.
Follow your canning cookbook's instructions for removing, cooling and storing the jars.
Gardening Advice Tips (back to top)
Have a helpful gardening tip (or even a funny story) to share about your carrot growing experience? Share it with us at: gardeningtips@howtogardenadvice.com
Tips from our readers:
Terry from Auburn, ME says…
“My dogs are allergic to the store-bought treats. So, my vet suggested that I give them a few pieces of carrot instead... and they love them! My husband's not much of a carrot eater, so he finds it disgusting that the dogs will drool over my fresh carrots!”
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